Shalom. Aloha. Howdy.
As I have noted, an Uber Driver is today's version of the hair stylist or bartender. He (or she) becomes that anonymous therapist to hear confessions, thoughts, fears, joys or ramblings.
Because there is a good chance today's Uber driver is like you, a part timer or someone who has-or had-a career and can relate to you in most circumstances.
On "Taxi," Alex Reiger was the only TRUE cabbie. Bobby was an actor, Tony a boxer, Elaine is a single Mom working at an art gallery, Jim is an old hippie minister, Latka is a mechanic from 'somewhere' unpronounceable and Louie..well..Louie defies description. Uber drivers are not Alex.
Off to Kuwait.
Hate is learned, it's not passed down through genetics. Put a 3-year-old Palestinian child with a 3-year-old Israeli child and since they don't KNOW they are supposed to hate each other, they get along. In the book, "From Beirut to Jerusalem", author Thomas Friedman quotes either Golda Meir or Professor Day of The American University in Beirut: "Peace will come when parents love their children more than they hate each other."
Abdulaziz is a Kuwaiti student at ASU, attending on a total scholarship. He comes from a smart but working class family in Kuwait City. He stressed education in his home, unlike one of the ruling Ministers who has a 5th grade education and his place in government is owed to being a member of the Royal Family.
Abdul(as he said I could call him, for short) hates ISIS. Muslims in the Middle East are not all terrorists. We KNOW that but it's so much easier to paint life with a broad brush stroke than it is to engage in conversation or..read. That's too much work. In fact, ISIS has bombed mosques in Kuwait and other countries and do not, according to my guest, represent any form of holy Islam as he and millions others were raised to believe. He loves America. He cited its excellence in business, growth and political freedom, regardless of the current climate in the US. He plans to attend grad school here, also on scholarship. he is deeply troubled by the call for Muslim bans, though he does not believe students will be sent back who are here on visas. Middle Eastern students make up 10% of students in US universities and they ARE among the best and the brightest.
I told him I was Jewish. He encouraged the dialogue. We didn't hit any snags, with him saying: "people are NOT the governments." It is when I gave him my thoughts about playground 'enemies,' he nodded enthusiastically. At the end of the ride, as I opened his back door, he reached his hand up front and said "Shalom." I said "salam aleikum." He grinned.I got it right.
Rob works for one of those big-box stores in shipping.Without asking, he said he saw his mom last night for the first time in two months and they live in the same rented house. he said she often 'disappeared' for a but now and then. He didn't know his dad or his maternal grandfather as his mom never knew who her dad was. This was a home in Scottsdale, off one of the main roads, down a gravel street. Less than two miles from me, but a world away in terms of life and its experiences. Rob's been in AZ for 15 years and he said he's ready to move, but not sure where. I asked if his mom was also ready to move. he said: "I'm going.If she wants to be part of my life, it's up to her."
99% of the time, unless we participate in volunteer or small town/big city humanitarian efforts, we never see people with these experiences except on those heart-warming and touching stories on CNN or local news. Seeing it in person more often, grounds us.
Will Rogers speaks of how a Cherokee talks with a White Man. The Cherokee first speaks face-to-face with the other, and then walks around to the same side as the interlocutor, so he can see the conversation from his perspective.
Good advice and a lesson to follow.
Because there is a good chance today's Uber driver is like you, a part timer or someone who has-or had-a career and can relate to you in most circumstances.
On "Taxi," Alex Reiger was the only TRUE cabbie. Bobby was an actor, Tony a boxer, Elaine is a single Mom working at an art gallery, Jim is an old hippie minister, Latka is a mechanic from 'somewhere' unpronounceable and Louie..well..Louie defies description. Uber drivers are not Alex.
Off to Kuwait.
Hate is learned, it's not passed down through genetics. Put a 3-year-old Palestinian child with a 3-year-old Israeli child and since they don't KNOW they are supposed to hate each other, they get along. In the book, "From Beirut to Jerusalem", author Thomas Friedman quotes either Golda Meir or Professor Day of The American University in Beirut: "Peace will come when parents love their children more than they hate each other."
Abdulaziz is a Kuwaiti student at ASU, attending on a total scholarship. He comes from a smart but working class family in Kuwait City. He stressed education in his home, unlike one of the ruling Ministers who has a 5th grade education and his place in government is owed to being a member of the Royal Family.
Abdul(as he said I could call him, for short) hates ISIS. Muslims in the Middle East are not all terrorists. We KNOW that but it's so much easier to paint life with a broad brush stroke than it is to engage in conversation or..read. That's too much work. In fact, ISIS has bombed mosques in Kuwait and other countries and do not, according to my guest, represent any form of holy Islam as he and millions others were raised to believe. He loves America. He cited its excellence in business, growth and political freedom, regardless of the current climate in the US. He plans to attend grad school here, also on scholarship. he is deeply troubled by the call for Muslim bans, though he does not believe students will be sent back who are here on visas. Middle Eastern students make up 10% of students in US universities and they ARE among the best and the brightest.
I told him I was Jewish. He encouraged the dialogue. We didn't hit any snags, with him saying: "people are NOT the governments." It is when I gave him my thoughts about playground 'enemies,' he nodded enthusiastically. At the end of the ride, as I opened his back door, he reached his hand up front and said "Shalom." I said "salam aleikum." He grinned.I got it right.
Rob works for one of those big-box stores in shipping.Without asking, he said he saw his mom last night for the first time in two months and they live in the same rented house. he said she often 'disappeared' for a but now and then. He didn't know his dad or his maternal grandfather as his mom never knew who her dad was. This was a home in Scottsdale, off one of the main roads, down a gravel street. Less than two miles from me, but a world away in terms of life and its experiences. Rob's been in AZ for 15 years and he said he's ready to move, but not sure where. I asked if his mom was also ready to move. he said: "I'm going.If she wants to be part of my life, it's up to her."
99% of the time, unless we participate in volunteer or small town/big city humanitarian efforts, we never see people with these experiences except on those heart-warming and touching stories on CNN or local news. Seeing it in person more often, grounds us.
Will Rogers speaks of how a Cherokee talks with a White Man. The Cherokee first speaks face-to-face with the other, and then walks around to the same side as the interlocutor, so he can see the conversation from his perspective.
Good advice and a lesson to follow.
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