...Jacques Maritain, Christianity and Democracy and The Rights of Man and the Natural Law. I have read lengthy extracts from his works, but this evening am settling to read both these essays at leisure.
I dropped in to the bookshop here at EWTN to browse...saw this book on the bargain-books counter and picked it up, then realised w. some embarrassment that I had no American money on me, so explained to the lady at the cash desk and went to move off. But another customer said "Allow me.." and insisted on buying the book for me! He hadn't even looked at the book or noticed its title or price or anything - he was making an immediate and spontaneous generous gesture. "You can't do that!" I said with embarassment. "Yes I can" he said, and after a further bit of "Honestly, you really mustn't..." from me, he did. Five dollars. He and his wife were so kind - we stood and chatted for a good while, and they signed the book for me. And now, having spent the afternoon working on letters and features and emails and plans for the week's activities here at EWTN, I am about to make myself some coffee and settle down to a long-awaited encounter with a thinker whose work I have long wanted to explore...
I do think Americans are nice. I am not sure that would have happened in any other country in quite that way.
1 comment:
Americans are more outgoing than we are. The flip side is that friendliness doesn't mean as much. So English people tend to think that Americans are superficial and unreliable, whilst Americans think that we are clingy.
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