This morning, I was talking with a favorite friend whom I encountered on the greenbelt. Whenever he encounters a trusted friend, he drops his dog’s leash so that his Jack Russell Terrier can walk right over to greet the lucky walker. Another friend standing with us gave my dog Margot a treat, something that she joyfully communicated that she was expecting.
As my son Jukie and I walk more than five miles a day on Davis greenbelts, we often encounter people whom we know. This morning an elderly woman stopped me to ask about the absence of my young walking companion. When I told her that he was in “boot camp” (as we jokingly call his morning program), she didn’t ask what that meant, but commented that maybe she would see us this afternoon. I love these incidental interactions with neighbors. As Wendell Berry says, “Community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared.”
Because many people on these walks greet me by name without me being able to reciprocate (I’ve given up guessing how these walkers know me), I’ve started taking notes about the people we encounter. Like the title character in the children’s novel Harriet the Spy (1964) by Louise Fitzhugh, I keep secret notes about people in my neighborhood. While Harriet spies on neighbors and makes records that are candid and sometimes judgmental, I mostly take note of people whom I would like to greet properly during our next encounter.
My father had an amazing memory for names, a skill that compensated for his poor eyesight. He admitted that he applied many practices espoused by Dale Carnegie, who once asked us to “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
Our new elderly friend Martha lives about two miles from us on our regular walking route. At first, I could not remember her name, so I found myself checking my notes when seeing her from a block away. Then, like a mnemonist, I imagined her dancing like Matha Graham, singing like Martha and the Vandellas, or acting on stage like the Sacramento poet and actor Martha Kite. Now I can’t forget it. Very kindly, Martha insists that Jukie give into temptation and lightly smack the wind chimes next to her front door.
Jukie and I first encountered our friend Peter Shahrokh on the same street where Martha lives. Although he was walking his dog Lola in a holiday sweater, he insisted that he was not in a Christmas mood. During that first conversation, Peter told me the story of having attended a trivia contest in an Irish pub in which his friends called upon him, with his background in English, to remember the name of Othello’s naive lieutenant whose reputation and career are ruined by Iago’s manipulations. “I remembered the name: Cassio, like the watch.” Since then, Peter has appeared on my radio show twice, and we’ve had many conversations, in person and via text, about writing, books, families, and his artwork.
I look forward to our incidental interactions. When I have Margot with me, recently certified the cutest French bulldog west of the Mississippi, she attracts conversations. And something about Jukie’s presence seems to invite kindness from strangers. People slow down, smile, and stop to talk.
These small rituals of recognition stand in sharp contrast to a national trend. Evidently not all neighborhoods are so replete with smiles. Retiring New York Times columnist David Brooks often quotes The General Social Survey, a long-running sociological survey that collects data on demographic characteristics and social attitudes.
Since the early 1970s, the General Social Survey has asked Americans, “Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can’t be too careful in dealing with people?” In recent decades the results typically show about a third of those polled believe that “most people can be trusted,” while about two thirds believe that “you can’t be too careful.”
Davis citizens frequently debate controversial topics. Readers of the comments section of The Davis Vanguard will find spirited discussions about affordable housing, treatment of members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, food insecurity, military conflicts, and Yolo County courts.
Despite those concerns, to my mind our city has made commitments to recognizing and celebrating our diversity, maintaining our beautiful parks, partnering effectively with UC Davis, and keeping our citizens safe. As I walk our streets and greenbelts, I am grateful to live in a place where the people I encounter can be trusted not only to watch out for you, but also to offer insights about global relations, to share fond memories about conversations about Shakespeare, or to drop a leash so that an adorable dog can run over to say hello.
No rain today, so please join me tonight for an outdoor pub quiz (or you could sit inside). Come early to reserve a table. The regulars and irregulars will meet for the social event of the week featuring 31 questions on a variety of topics you should know something about, this week with questions on notable people with whom any of us would like to converse. Today’s pub quiz comes in at a svelte 925 words, with 9/25 corresponding to the birthdate of Mark Hamill, whom I enjoyed meeting in May of 1980. He sent me an autographed picture about 20 years after we met.
In addition to topics raised above and below, expect questions tonight on the following: springs, British poets, exclamations of superheroes, presidential elections, computers, primetime Emmy Awards, egocentric people, lightning, Canadians, Indonesia, dreams, lions quarterbacks, banks, witches, places called hope, Howard Stern, sports metaphors, winter, parties, the function of cotton, baseball, risks, mountains, guys without dolls, counties, trains, Latin phrases, sunshine, yard work, world capitals, carpenters, espionage dramas, Saturday Night Live alums, second cousins, rushing yards, pop charts, U.S. states, geography, current events, and Shakespeare.
For more Pub Quiz fun, please subscribe via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/yourquizmaster.
Thanks to all the new players joining us at the live quizzes and to all the patrons who have been enjoying fresh Pub Quiz content. Certain friends have upgraded their memberships recently, which I really appreciate.
We are almost to 100 Patreon members now, including people who have upgraded their paid memberships! You know who you are, and I salute you! I also incidentally salute Christine, Bobby, Esther, James, Damian, Jim, and Meebles! Thanks also to new subscribers Prescott, Bill and Diane, Tamara, Megan, Michael, Janet, Jasmine, Joey, Carly, The X-Ennial Falcons, and The Nevergiveruppers! Every week I check the Patreon to see if there is someone new to thank. Maybe next week it will be you! I also thank The Original Vincibles, Summer Brains, Still Here for the Shakesbeer, The Outside Agitators, John Poirier’s team Quizimodo, Gena Harper, the conversationally entertaining dinner companions and bakers of marvelous and healthy treats, The Mavens. Thanks in particular to my paid subscribers on Substack. Thanks to everyone who supports the Pub Quiz on Patreon. I would love to add your name or that of your team to the list of pub quiz boosters. Also, I sometimes remember to add an extra hint on Patreon. I appreciate your backing this pub quiz project of mine!
I also want to recognize those who visit my Substack the most often, including Michael (thanks Michael!), Luna, Jean, Ron, Myrna, Maria, to whom I send sustained compassion.
Best,
Dr. Andy
- Mottos and Slogans. “Fish. Family. Freedom.” is the political slogan of Mary Peltola, candidate for U.S. Senator of what state with one of the highest per capita incomes in the United States?
- Internet Culture. Did British-American chemist M. Stanley Whittingham conceive intercalation electrodes and create the first rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the 1920s, the 1970s, or the 2020s?
- Headlines. Former US Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers recently announced his retirement from what university?
P.S. Poetry Night is Thursday, March 5th. Join us at 7 that night to see Connie Johnstone and Bob Stanley!