People at Work #12 : : Raffi

Eight or ten years ago a podiatrist strongly suggested that I see a surgeon about my right foot. She said I had a lot of "pathologies" in mine, and though she rarely recommended surgery to her patients, she referred me to a surgeon in Santa Rosa. In due course, he did reconstructive surgery on my right foot which involved eight weeks on crutches and many trips to Santa Rosa for cast changes, x-rays and check-ups.

OilMan, who became my chauffeur, and I began to look forward to these visits, partly because we both liked the surgeon (and, as it turned out,also  Will's soccer coach) so much, and partly because we started going to Willi's Wine Bar for lunch afterward. Raffi was always there to welcome us, seating us at the same table, stowing away my crutches, and bestowing upon us the most lovely smile.

These interludes were such pleasant breaks in weeks of being stuck on the couch that we began to plan a strategy for moving here. It took awhile, but we did pull it off in the end. We still go to Willi's Wine Bar, Raffi, short for Rafael, is still there, and we still enjoy his welcoming smile. Today I got a hug as well when I went to apologize for putting him on the spot by asking for his photo….

My condolences to the people of Britain for the senseless killing of Jo Cox. It seems that the world is beginning to collapse under it's own weight  because of misunderstanding, inability to communicate and unwillingness to see or attempt to understand anybody else's point of view. Respect seems to have disappeared from our vocabulary.