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While Riding Through the Park One Day
North Miami Beach, FL June 24, 2001 Aaron H.
Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then, Opinions pro or con are welcome.
WHILE RIDING THROUGH THE PARK ONE DAY
I was able to get out of the house just after 6:00 a.m. this morning
dressed in my bike gear and was on my way just about 6:15. This made it
possible for me to avoid the immediate heat that accompanies sunrise. That
sun rose and hit the roofs and treetops when I was about halfway through my
journey. To make it even better, the temperature had dropped from cloudy
and rainy yesterday to around 70 and it was actually cool when I started
out. But, this is Florida in summer mode after all. Most days are between
the high 80's and low 90's.
This early in the morning the park was just about empty. The bike trail
along Snake Creek Canal was also without the many early morning strollers.
This is also Sunday and crossing the major streets was no problem. So, all
in all, I had plenty to think about and nothing much to distract me. I ran
over the news items in the New York Times that I perused with my morning hot
chocolate (my jar of Postum was empty) and I found nothing worth my comment.
I have pretty much chewed over the staples - the inadequacy of George W.
Bush, education malformation, political corruption, abortion, America's
vulnerability to missile attack by guerrilla groups on distant islands and,
of course, the state of the State of Israel.
I then thought of the Bible study class and the portion of the week that we
covered over three sessions. These sessions were with Rabbi Sam who
conducted the Friday night and Saturday morning services and is also our
leader in Ruach (spiritual) study of the Hebrew Testament. Our subject was
"insubordination".
Well, actually it was the resistance by Korach and other malcontents who
had not wanted to leave Egyptian slavery in the first place. They asked
Moses why he had appointed his brother Aaron and Aaron's sons as Priests.
Moses was so upset by the questions hurled at him that he threw himself on
the ground in a snit. God then intervened and opened up the ground and
swallowed the leaders and caused a plague to take the numerous followers.
The questioning was legitimate to my thinking. I have been one of those
who asked those in positions of authority where their authority came from
and why they were such lousy leaders. The rest of the world says, don't be
uppity. The world says there are leaders and there are followers. You are
a follower and you can't and shouldn't question those placed above you.
I don't know if it is the relative positions of someone unworthy being high
and my being told to stay low that bothers me. It may be the fact that I
have the uncomfortable ability to sniff favoritism, lack of real ability,
being used by someone unworthy and generally being lied to when I point out
that something is not quite right. I bristle and react when I am told
everything is fine and shut up. Being told that you have nothing to say
because the leader, the one on top, the appointed one is the only one with
power - to me is a no-brainer. Did you ever trust someone who proved to have
fewer brains than you have?
This may be the way of the world. But I don't think it should be. The
example given in the BIBLE is the answer cited throughout time - that you
should wait your turn. If you can't wait your turn you are a rebel and can
expect punishment. What do you think? Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.
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