Close Encounters Of the Best Kind

I heard from our Sufi master, Tom, the other day. He had attended a funeral of a dear friend. When they first met, Tom’s friend was a brilliant but angry black man. Tom’s work put them together, and at this man’s funeral Tom learned that his friend had told his wife, ““I don’t hate whites any more.” When she asked him about it, he said, “I met this guy, Tom…”.

Now I relate this story not to tell you about the character of Tom. We all know how special he is. Tom’s story about he and his friend is about opportunity. Each of us has a chance to develop relationships with someone completely different than ourselves if we only remain open. Tom and his friend got past bigotry, prejudice, and anger by finding common ground and interests. As Tom says they became “brothers.”

We all have opportunities like Tom. Don’t let them pass you by.

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About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.