Here is a clip from a routine by comedian Jeff Dye1 that expresses my point of view. Plus it’s goddamn funny! See the clip on YouTube or watch the full routine.
I got into this job because I love people and I like making them happy.
That’s all.
Me, too.
I could say “There’s nothing I like better than doing something that puts a smile on someone’s face.” But there are things I like better—like putting a smile on a hundred people’s faces.
I try to say “Hello!” to everyone I meet.
I usually get a “Hello” back and they often they follow with “How are you doing?”
This is not a serious question. It’s an automatic response. That’s fine. I’ll take it.
I stop, as though I thought they really cared and say “I’m doing fantastic!” or “I’m doing great!” and then “And how are you doing?” I say it with a lot of intention.
And if I get an answer back and it’s something like “I’m doing well” or “I’m fine” I come right back with “Would you like a free upgrade to fantastic” or whatever I said.
That usually gets people out of social automaticity and I get a smile.
A smile!
I’ll say literally anything. I don’t. I’ll be like, abortions are bad and you’ll be like, shut up. We had one. [And then I say] We should all get them. I’m just kidding around.
I won’t literally say anything just to get along; but I will say anything if I think it will get a smile or a laugh. And sometimes I blow it and I get a frown. But I keep trying.
I’ll help you tear down a statue and put it back up. I. Don’t give a fuck. I don’t care.
I just love whoever I’m with.
I’m with Jeff on this. If someone asks for my help with something I’ll help them; My willingness does have a limit. If someone wants me to help them build a registry of Jews in the neighborhood so that they can round them up and kill them later, that’s a hard NO.
Italians, maybe.
(See what I did there?)
And here’s my favorite line:
It’s not my jurisdiction
What do I think about Gaza? Well I think it’s terrible. But it’s not my jurisdiction.
But whose side are you on? I’m on both sides. I’m on neither side. I don’t know.
There are people who are smarter than me on both sides. I haven’t studied the issues. I don’t know the answers. If I pick a side what difference is it going to make?
It’s not my jurisdiction!
Every second that I spend trying to pick a side is a second that I don’t spend on something that matters to me—that can make a difference. Like talking to friends or writing a blog post.
How does that make a difference?
I don’t know. Maybe it does, or maybe it doesn’t.
How it affects my friend isn’t my jurisdiction? Who reads what I write isn’t my jurisdiction.
My jurisdiction doing the things that I think will lead to future me being a better person.
That’s my jurisdiction!
the citation is from Grokipedia about which I have some words to say in the next post. Or maybe the one after that.