Tributes, service and judgment

DURLYNN ANEMA

Opening today with the good news — I’ve written over 100 pages on my latest book. Especially exciting is that I find new facets of Harriet’s personality with each addition. Now my problem is trying to capture these segments into one fascinating woman.

A few celebrity impersonators and tribute presenters have come my way in the desert. Unfortunately, I’ve viewed more duds than successes. At my resort, two people calling themselves Barbra and Frankie appeared. While she had the appearance and chatter, she fell far short of Barbra, obviously because Barbra has such a distinctive voice it would be almost impossible to imitate her. And the man trying to be Frank Sinatra? For one thing he was quite chubby! His voice? Didn’t come close.

However, I was pleased with my latest show: “I am Neil Diamond . . . I said.” This man was entertaining, not only because he sounded a great deal like Neil Diamond, who I’ve seen in person, but because he didn’t pretend to be Diamond. Instead, he opened his show by taking us back to Diamond’s youth, then singing songs from that youth. In other words, he never claimed he was Neil Diamond on that stage. Instead, he went through all phases of Diamond’s life with the appropriate songs Diamond wrote at each phase. This was a feel good show with some great music.

Now my tale of going to customer service at Lowe’s in Palm Springs.

Imagine a day at Lowe’s as a customer service representative, essentially handling returns as your job. Because of a “goof up” that was my fault, I was there on a credit problem — all because I paid off a bill early.

As I waited, I began to view some of the returned items. Some were quite logical. How many times do we buy the wrong size or the wrong implement? But what about a cactus plant or flowers still in the six-pack? Yes, those too were returned and thrown away.

When I mentioned this to the customer service reps on duty, they only smiled and said, “What else can we do? Our job is to smile and take the return. That’s what we’re paid to do.” And smile they did each time they accepted a return, no matter how ludicrous.

The next time you’re at customer service anywhere remember that these cheerful women and men deal with all types of people each day and keep on smiling. Greet them with a smile also and thank them. They deserve it.

How many times do we judge someone else? Most of us would hate to admit it, but it’s far more times than we would like. This judgment can be about all types of things but is it our place to judge?

“He who is without sin cast the first stone.” These words of Jesus resonate with me all the time. I know I certainly can’t cast that stone. Can any of us?

This story in Kathleen Norris’ book “Amazing Grace” says it all.

“There was ... a meeting at one monastery about a brother who had sinned. The Fathers spoke, but the Abba Pior kept silence. Later, he got up and went out; he took a sack, filled it with sand and carried it on his shoulder. He put a little sand also into a small bag which he carried in front of him. When the Fathers asked him what this meant, he said, “In this sack which contains much sand, are my sins, which are many; I have put them behind me so as not to be troubled about them and so as not to weep; and see here are the little sins of my brother which are right in front of me and I spend my time judging them. This is not right. I ought rather to carry my sins in front of me and concern myself with them, begging God to forgive me for them.” (pages 337-8)

Finally, what about this from the comic strip “Pearls Before Swine” by Stephan Pastis (I don’t usually read it).

“No one knows what we’re doing here

“Some have faith that they do, but no one knows.

“So we are scared, we are alone, and we end, and we don’t know where we go.

“So we cling to money for comfort and we chase awards for immortality and we hide in the routine of our days

“But then the night, always the night

“Which when it has you alone, whispers that maybe none of this has any significance.

“So love everyone you’re with because comforting each other on this journey we neither asked for nor understand is the best we can do.

“AND laugh as much as you can!”

Enjoy your February.