Still Da Mensch

The past 24 hours, I've had Medved on the brain. Yesterday's huge debate was whether he should have a cell phone or not. Michael's a little bit of a "Luddite" and doesn't want to be captive to it. So despite his family's objections, he refuses to get a cell phone. His wife of 20 years was on the phone for 15 minutes continuing the debate, which presumably has been raging on at home. Later in the show, on an entirely different matter, he waxed philosophical about the transformative effect and the high risk associated with true love. He essentially said that to risk much is to gain much when it comes to love.

I mulled this over and talked with David about it. Today, during the weekly "Open Mind Friday", I got on to speak with him about it. I told him that the fervor with which his wife posed her argument meant that for him to not consider her wishes was dismissive and not an example of sacrificial love. He told me that mine was the best argument he'd heard and that he would, indeed, consider it more openly. He was about to offer me a free copy of his new book, but I told him that I had already paid for my autographed copy and that I believed he was entitled to earn money for the writing and to give it to someone who needed it for free.

He's considering it. Later in the show, he said that Ruth Anne in Winston-Salem basically hit him upside the head with guilt. [He knows I'm a Catholic and he is an observant Jew.] He said that "Jews originated guilt; Catholics perfected it." Perhaps I'll say a novena and let the ultimate Jewish mother convince him that getting a cell phone to appease his wife is a small thing.

Mother Theresa said, "Do small things with great love." Michael, this is a small thing.