13: To love Jews

The Book of Knowledge
Laws of Character
To love Jews (Lev 19:18)

            two COMMITTEE MEMBERS in a small office
            they both eat Fruit-by-the-Foot (or your generic brand of choice) endlessly
            they talk with their mouths full
            one MEMBER’s lines are all in bold
            the other MEMBER’s lines are all unbolded

i don’t know if it’s practical

yes

when i think/ of the extra work-

yes yes you’re so right

and of course his perspective-

we would love it

we would love his whole life experience the whole thing

i would love to ask him/ invite him for tea

get his story

it’s a sad story

but also hopeful 

which is important

crucially so

but there’s no need-

yes

to gum up the works

YES

unless you disa/gree

oh i couldn’t agree more

but should we play devil’s advocate?

just to be fair 

just to be fair

well
he is
…
a
            whispered like he thinks it’s a slur
a Jew

right

and
we’re
… 

            makes a gesture to indicate the two of them are not

right 

and there’s a value in
ummm
…

perspective

perspective

so important

for this
this kind of memorial
there could be value in
you know
one of the ones it’s for
being in the ears of
…uhh
            puts on a dumb “Important Big Boy Voice”
the Committee

ears are for listening
mine are at least 

mine are too 

he has perspective 

he has his perspective

that’s the one i would guess

but does he have perspective outside of his perspective 

YES 

and i understand
the brain gets boxed in/ when you’ve been hurt like that 

true true

how could it NOT this is not his problem
but it makes him maybe/ less than ideal… 

passion is good but so is dispassion 

you need both

and we have both but does he?

yes he doesn’t

i think
there’s an assumption
of
ummmm
that
life experience
yields clarity 

it can 

it caaaaaan
yes
but
maybe
there’s clarity
and there can be too much it?
i mean we all need to stay hydrated
we’re like you know 110% water
but we can also
i mean also drown can’t we?
so there’s/ such a thing as too much of a good you-know 

too much of a good thing
i was gonna say

            they focus on eating

i love Fruit-by-the-Foot

such whimsy 

            they eat

so we’re agreed

i think we’re agreed 

i wake up every morning and thank the Lord we’re doing this work. i do i wake up every morning and i overflow with gratitude. that we’re helping them. honoring their memories. their struggles. their tears. imagine the tears.
            he eats the Fruit-By-the-Foot more vociferously
you know what Jesus said? and we’re doing it we are. without us they’d have memories of What Was. we keep the What Was in the Right Now. What Was is always Right Now you know? and Right Now we need to focus Now instead of Was because What Was is what we memorialize but it’s not what’s now is it? ‘cause now it’s for us. To Learn. To Grow. To Know. To Be.
            savoring
godDAMN what a treat 

so we’re saying no 

we’re saying no

so let’s wrap it up

the “Committee on the Establishment of the Yet To Be Named Or Given a Location Tristate Area Holocaust Genocide Memorial Exhibit Shrine for the Remembrance of the Past and Historical Traumas of the Jewish People Et All and Cultural Exchange Center, as Brought to you by Wayfair, for the glory of God” has concluded it’s session and minutes will be circulated tomorrow

i think we did some good work here today

yes

shall i tell him or shall you?

he applied for the committee position through the widget-or-whatever
we can use the widget 

and maybe down the road
there will be a place for a survivor on this committee

yes maybe yes i can see that happenin 

next committee meeting let’s do Fruity Pebbles

 mmmmm cereal milk

            the eat in silence
            one of the MEMBERS begins choking on his Fruit-by-the-Foot
            the other MEMBER doesn’t help him
            but keeps on snacking
            END OF PLAY