Brothers and sisters
A civic sermon
One of my favorite movies is “A Thousand Clowns” starring Jason Robards as Murray an out of work comedy writer struggling to persuade social workers he is capable of being his precocious nephew’s guardian.
One of the social workers, Sandra, urges Murray to find a job. After a fruitless day of hunting for work our unconventional non-conformist returns home to his new lady friend reluctant to tell her he has failed. Instead he tells her a story about apologizing to strangers on his way back home. “So I’m rehearsing how to say I’m sorry, with a little style. You know how it is when you walk down the street and you say something out loud?”
Sandra nods. She knows where this is leading.
“This fellow coming by, a complete stranger, he looks for a second and says ‘that’s alright, mac,’ and he goes right on. He automatically forgave me!”
So Murray tells Sandra he says ”I’m sorry” to everyone he passes.
“And you know what? Almost all of them forgave me.”
His theory was the average soul is willing to cut his or her fellow citizen a little slack given the opportunity.
Unlike the character in the film I intend to be heard when I speak to strangers and refer to them as "brother” or “sister” in conversation.
In this time of division and strife I address everyone as “brother” and “sister”.
The workmen who came to my home to repair my plumbing. “Come on in, brother.”
An oblivious man standing in my way. “Excuse me, brother.”
At the cash register. “Thanks, sister. Have a beautiful day.”
“You, too.”
In an email exchange with a professional today. “Thanks for all you do for all of us, sister.”
It’s not a religious expression. It is a social and political expression born out of my belief that seeing everyone as extended family is the only way we will survive the tsunami of tough times rolling our way.
I may think your views are foolish, threatening or counter-productive but I will persist in challenging myself to call you “my brother” and “my sister”.
With the climate changing quickly the key to our mutual survival is strengthening the moral connection between all of us. Challenges so vast will demand a collective response. If we do not act as brothers and sisters we will perish.
Think of it as warming up to a warming globe, a time when the family of humankind will be stressed by heat and want to the limits of civility.
If we choose the path of chaos, division and competition odds are good a future Murray will find himself walking along saying out loud, “I’m sorry, mac. We didn’t do our best to save this world.”
“And you know what, Sandy? Almost no one forgave me.”
I just saw your Thousand Clowns post.
Here’s a few bit of trivia related to me and the Clowns.
~ I played Nick at the tender page of fourteen in a dinner-theatre production in Nashua, NH.
~Barbara Harris is hands down one of my favorite actresses. Think “Nashville” and Hitchcock’s “Family Plot”.
~Herb Gardner and I share the same alma mater, Antioch College. As a server in New York (now 22), I waited on Gardner and the writer/illustrator, Shel Silverstein.
~Glenn Paris
I remember his describing an apartment’s decor as “fun gothic.” Loved that, not to detract from your poignant message…. Thanks for being there, always.