So this guy in New York walks into a grocery store

There is so much plasticity and pretense in the world today that when I come across the authentic such as a little kid bawling because his sister kicked him, it restores my interest in life. He isn’t trying to sell me something or even raise money for a good cause, it’s true feeling. His sense of injustice is real. I think he should hit her, which might spare his having to go through expensive therapy in years to come, but he does not. Perhaps he’ll be a stand-up comic instead.I find authenticity in church, in the prayers, in the psalm, and last Sunday we sang “How Great Thou Art” and it was so joyful it reduced me to rubble. We sang all four verses and the chorus built each time around and the third and fourth choruses were so euphoric, they would’ve melted a stone-cold atheist and my bass voice got shaky, hearing those sopranos soaring. People held their arms in the air, we were freed from our Episcopalian decorum into realms of pure joy, I get teared up now writing about it.Garrison KeillorJason Keillor, EngineerJason Keillor, Original Music

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Episode Transcript

(00:07):
There is so much plasticity and pretenseto day that when you come across the
authentic, such as a little kidbawling because his sister kicked him, it
restores your interest in life. Heisn't trying to raise money for a good
cause. He's only expressing the injusticeof the situation. He would like to

(00:33):
smack her, but he knows thathis mother, the sheriff, would see
it and punish him rather than punishJessica for her attack, and hitting her
might spare him having to go throughexpensive therapy in years to come, but
he does not. Perhaps he willbe a stand up comic instead. I

(00:55):
find authenticity in church in the prayers. In the Psalm and last Sunday,
we sang how great Thou art?And it was so joyful it reduced me
to rubble. We sang all fourverses, and the chorus built each time
around, and the third and fourthchoruses were so euphoric they could have melted

(01:19):
a stone cold atheist. And mybass voice got shaky hearing those sopranos soaring.
People held their arms in the air. They were freed from their episcopalian
decorum into realms of joy. Iget teared up now just talking about it.

(01:42):
On my way home, I wentinto Trader Joe's, and when the
cashier said, how are you today, my dear, I was moved.
New York women in their twenties donot address a stranger as my dear.
And Okay, maybe she was tryingto sell me on coming back to Trader

(02:07):
Joe's, but it sounded genuine tome. And after I paid, she
said thank you, my dear,and I stifled the impulse to pat her
shoulder. There still are boundaries,after all, but her lightness, coming

(02:29):
on the heels of the hymn,it touched me. I'm descended from Scott's
english Men, who avoided strong feelings, and so I don't weep at funerals
or movies or reading about suffering,and I am grateful for the chance to

(02:49):
do it. In church, mydad and uncles came and sat by the
bedside of their dying mother and wereso uncomfortable about grief they went out in
the hall and talked about cars andcarpentry. I was a solemn young man,
which made me appear more intelligent thanI was, so I skated through

(03:15):
college without learning much of anything.I still look rather somber. Panhandlers avoid
me, nobody asks me for directions, and so my wife's affection touches me.
She sits on my lap every morning, on arm around me, her
head against mine, and after thirtyyears it's more affecting than ever. She

(03:40):
says, don't talk to me.I just woke up and sits on my
lap, and there's no need tosay anything. If I saw this in
a movie, a slender woman inpajama sitting on a man's lap, her
head against his, I might bustout crying. She is a hugger,

(04:01):
and she does it in a beautiful, spontaneous way. I sometimes go so
far as to pat someone's shoulder,but she raises both arms and the embracey
steps forward and accepts it. Ifeel like embracing people, but haven't learned

(04:23):
the choreography. I know many smallchildren who suddenly become middle aged, and
I want to put my arms aroundthem, because I fear for the country
they are inheriting. We've lost thepresumption of innocence, which is the basis
of civility, the assumption that othersmean well and want to do the right

(04:48):
thing unless they prove otherwise. Metoo, was a vigilante movement on the
left in which a single anonymous accusationcould destroy a long career, and it
was followed by suspicion of America itself, while on the right you saw anger

(05:11):
against public schools, journalists, publichealth, gaze, and the idea of
representative democracy. I can't drive anymorebecause I see two white lines down the
middle where there is only one,and rather than wipe out a nice family
in an approaching car, I livein Manhattan, where owning a car is

(05:38):
about as practical as owning a lama. The neighborhood is mostly Jewish, so
there are old Union stalwarts around andlots of shrinks and social workers, but
also Orthodox who won't ride on elevatorson the Sabbath. We're all Democrats,

(05:59):
but were as conservative as we canbe. We love the streets with the
little shops, and if anyone triedto put in a walmart, we'd fight
to the death, or if adeveloper tried to tear down a row of
brownstones to put up a twenty storycondo tower. Were predominantly hetero, but
if you persecuted gays, you'd killthe arts. And we are fond of

(06:24):
painting and dance and music and theater. And we even have gay comedians who
can make fun of Gaze in waysthat we straits can't. And there were
several male couples singing how great therearn't And the cashier who spoke endearingly to

(06:45):
me, who can tell. Ifyou enjoy Garrison's writings, you'll find a
bonanza in his newsletter Garrison Keil andFriends. There's humor, advice, thoughts
on ordinary life, and lots more. Subscribe that Garrison Healer dot substack dot com