James would sit, self-absorbed, and pick his nose, completely disinterested in what was going on around him. A police officer, repulsed by what he saw, told James to stop, though he had no right or authority to do so. James didn’t stop; he was very intent on extracting a particularly difficult smidgeon from his nostril, and so ignored the police officer entirely. The sound of the police officer’s voice had the weight of authority, to the tune that everyone sitting around James stopped what they were doing and looked up at the officer… and then at James. The sound of the policeman’s voice seemed to have an affect on the officer as well, for right after he told James to stop, the officer seemed to be propelled toward James by the momentum of his command. James didn’t seem to notice any of this and continued to determinedly pick his nose. I was embarrassed for the police officer for having issued such an authoritative demand only to be ignored by as simple a person as James. The police officer must have felt embarrassed as well because he did something that wasn’t correct for a police officer to do. He took out his night stick and forced James’ hand away from his nose saying, “I said stop!”
When the police officer withdrew his stick, everyone looked at James, and then the police officer, and then back at James. James looked up at the police officer with an innocence so frightening, it compelled the police officer to justify his actions.
“Nobody wants to see you digging in your nose! It’s disgusting!” The police officer said, while the people who could hear his voice looked at his stick, his badge, or his shoes, or even his mouth – but not in his eyes. James, though, did look in the police officer’s eyes, with an innocence that was terrible and piercing.
An old man in a dark, heavy wool coat and wearing a hat, who was sitting at the end of the bench, said in a strong but quiet voice, “In as much as ye do to the least of men, so ye also do unto me.”
And everybody heard those words – even clearer than they heard the words of the police officer. And everybody looked at the police officer, along with James, who had never stopped. And the police officer grunted and walked away, all eyes following him – except for James, who was once again self-absorbed and digging purposefully up his nostril.
When the police officer withdrew his stick, everyone looked at James, and then the police officer, and then back at James. James looked up at the police officer with an innocence so frightening, it compelled the police officer to justify his actions.
“Nobody wants to see you digging in your nose! It’s disgusting!” The police officer said, while the people who could hear his voice looked at his stick, his badge, or his shoes, or even his mouth – but not in his eyes. James, though, did look in the police officer’s eyes, with an innocence that was terrible and piercing.
An old man in a dark, heavy wool coat and wearing a hat, who was sitting at the end of the bench, said in a strong but quiet voice, “In as much as ye do to the least of men, so ye also do unto me.”
And everybody heard those words – even clearer than they heard the words of the police officer. And everybody looked at the police officer, along with James, who had never stopped. And the police officer grunted and walked away, all eyes following him – except for James, who was once again self-absorbed and digging purposefully up his nostril.
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