People who aren't from California look upon those of us who are as different. And we are. In a really good way.I came to realize that today when I was talking to a dear friend over a plate of Israeli salads at the local kosher hole-in-the-wall. She told me about what happened to her in Israel, as an Israeli, trying to get married to another Israeli. Kinda scary and pathetic.
No only was the Rabbinate secretary not helpful, but she was downright mean-spirited. Instead of helping my friend, she tried to drive her away, until my friend, with one week to go before the planned wedding, was reduced to tears and started really bawling.
We began our conversation about the topic of confrontation, and how in Israel, confrontation is how people communicate. Which really puts Los Angelenos at a disadvantage because we say we're sorry when we're being mugged. For the most part, we thrive on courtesy here.
I told my friend about my trip to New York in 2002 to visit my boys in an upstate camp. Oh my gosh, people were so rude. I don't mean the people walking around, I mean the people who work in the public sector. Frankly, after that visit, I came to the conclusion the Trade Center was destroyed not because the Jihadis hate America, but because they hate New Yorkers.
The truth is, Californians are different than most other people. They are more service oriented, aim to help out. We're a good bunch. Yep, I wish the world could all be Californians.
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