I like to get some fresh air when I can, so I spent the winter break last week in upstate New York with family and friends. As soon as I got back to Brooklyn, I found myself involved in back to back altercations with people in the neighborhood. It's just a way of life here. The first, a mentally ill man stuck his tongue out at my 11-year-old son, Micah, at Mass. Micah got very upset. I know the man. He goes to all the Masses on Sunday and is often kicked out by the priest for harassing people. I approached him after Mass and said, "Joey, did you stick your tongue out at my son?" He denied it, but then quickly admitted he had indeed done so. He apologized twice.

Then we went to the grocery store. At the automatic check out, a young woman who didn't like waiting was very rude to me and my family and the check out assistant. I felt she was looking for a fight, so I didn't even make eye contact with her. I le
ft the store as the argument escalated between her and the store employee. When we got home, I said to the boys, "Two attacks in one day, and look at how differently the assaults were handled. Within the Christian community, there was admittance of guilt and forgiveness, whereas in the grocery store, it was much more difficult to attempt reconciliation. "Micah said, "That's something to think about."