November 16, 2023- The soloist momentarily forgot a line, or a note, and uttered “Oops, I forgot…”, then got his memory jog and continued his tune-all within a span of three seconds. He ended his turn on stage by noting the atmosphere of patience in the room.

Since we were at a Community Celebration of Thanks, the attitude of gratitude was a given, and the gentleman, a Sufi, as it were, would have been unlikely to have incurred anyone’s annoyance. There was applause after each performance-even after each short reading of Scripture. The accent was totally on the positive.

I am noticing, in the face of much ballyhooed implosions of public manners, particularly in Washington, D.C. and among the frustrated few, that the average Joe and Jane are showing more patience with one another. I see this around town, and I saw it in southern California, when I was en route back here from a visit to the Philippines. Road rage is still a thing, but it seems less common, of late. The angry person, or persons, who set fire to the underpinnings of the freeways in downtown Los Angeles are outliers, even more than would usually be the case.

Perhaps it is a natural reaction to the horrors we are witnessing, in other parts of the world. It may well be that we are growing up, as a species, slowly but surely, and that peace in our time will become more than a buzz phrase. It starts with talking with those who have differences of opinion, and focusing on our common humanity. The leaders of the United States and China did so, yesterday. The leaders of the two parties in the House of Representatives did so, yesterday, as well-and they will do so again-of necessity. Sooner or later, the leaders of Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, the warring factions in Sudan, Yemen and perhaps a dozen or so less intense conflicts, will have to sit face to face-and patience will win out, of necessity.

Nuclear obliteration, Mr. Putin’s view of it aside, is not an option.