Funny Encounter at the FedEx Counter
Tonight Sarah, Stephen and I finished packing our two, big, heavy boxes filled with 42 Katrina Kits and drove off to the nearest FedEx. We arrived at 10:56 pm. ("If it weren't for the last minute, I'd get nothing done.")
They carried in the boxes while I parked the car. When I got to the front door, it was locked. I knocked. No response. I knocked louder. Still no response. So I began peering through the windows to try to get someone's attention. I didn't see my kids. No worry. I know they're in there. Finally, my persistent tapping got Sarah's attention, and the friendly, long-haired counter guy let me in.
AFter measuring and weighing the boxes (57 pounds total) he looked at the address label of the recipient. It said, "R'Roi Garcia." That started a most funny conversation that I really needed at the end of a long, jam-packed day. Here's how our conversation went.
Him: That's an unusual first name.
Me: R'Roi? That means Rabbi Roi.
HIm: Hmm. (a little grin appears on his face)
Me: Yeh, and what's funnier is it's Rabbi Roi GARCIA.
Him: He must be one of the really, REALLY lost tribes.
Me: (laughing starts)
Him: I had a friend in high school named Sol. He was Jewish. My name's Abel. Everyone thought I was Jewish, too. I had to tell them, 'no, Abel was not a Jew.
There weren't any Jews until Abraham."
Me: You're Abel?
Him: I am. I am Abel. Everyone else isn't.
Me: (more laughing; this guy is taping boxes when he should be on stage)
HIm: Yeh, when people write it down, I have to say "I'm a name, not a word."
Me: But you ARE able.
Him: Yeh. I had another friend named Rich. When we introduced ourselves, I had to say, "I am what everyone THINKS they are, and HE is what everyone WISHES they were."
Me: (I feel the preliminary giggles coming on..you know the ones that lead to the the full-blown manifestation known as "losing it," I had to look away and stamp my foot to avoid the snorting/wheezing/can't-get-a-grip-on yourself laughter about to ensue)
Him: Your packages should arrive by next Wednesday, but considering the volume of things going to that area right now, I'd give it till next Friday.
Me: Do you think they'll deliver it before sundown Friday?
Him: Oh...yeh, yeh.
Me: Good, because I don't know if they're allowed to open boxes on the sabbath. (I smile, fairly sure we both understand it's a joke on legalism.)
Him: Well, as long as they have an air roof, it doesn't matter.
Me: An air roof? Never heard of it.
Him: Well, you know the Jews have had these rules, some 600 plus rules,including what not to do on the sabbath... about you can't pick up a fork on the sabbath, you can't cook a meal, yadda, yadda. Unless you have an air roof. It's this canopy that the rabbi blesses and then you can do whatever you want on the sabbath, pick up forks or anything, as long as you're under the air roof.
Me: Oh, interesting.
Him: Sol... my friend? We and a bunch of guys went camping one week and he hands me this thing to carry and I say, "What's this for? "
Sol says, "uh, it's for Friday night. I gotta put it up." I say, "okaaayyy" and then I carry it for him to camp. Friday afternoon comes and he's like, "Abel, man, help me put this up." I'm looking at it. IT's got no sides. But he says, "yeh, just put it up and we'll stand under it when the sun goes down" , I'm like, most people stand under things UNTIL the sun goes down. But whatever. He says, "Well, if you don't help me put it up I won't be able to carry any stuff, or eat, or build a fire or anything. Gotta have the air roof."
Me: (about to wet myself) You know a lot about Judaism,
Him: And a fair amount about the Bible.
Me: That's good to hear. Most people these days couldn't tell others much about the Bible.
Him: But I'm able.
Me: You're Abel?
HIm: Yeh, I'm able to let you guys out. Have a great night. God bless you,or should I say Yahweh bless you?
They carried in the boxes while I parked the car. When I got to the front door, it was locked. I knocked. No response. I knocked louder. Still no response. So I began peering through the windows to try to get someone's attention. I didn't see my kids. No worry. I know they're in there. Finally, my persistent tapping got Sarah's attention, and the friendly, long-haired counter guy let me in.
AFter measuring and weighing the boxes (57 pounds total) he looked at the address label of the recipient. It said, "R'Roi Garcia." That started a most funny conversation that I really needed at the end of a long, jam-packed day. Here's how our conversation went.
Him: That's an unusual first name.
Me: R'Roi? That means Rabbi Roi.
HIm: Hmm. (a little grin appears on his face)
Me: Yeh, and what's funnier is it's Rabbi Roi GARCIA.
Him: He must be one of the really, REALLY lost tribes.
Me: (laughing starts)
Him: I had a friend in high school named Sol. He was Jewish. My name's Abel. Everyone thought I was Jewish, too. I had to tell them, 'no, Abel was not a Jew.
There weren't any Jews until Abraham."
Me: You're Abel?
Him: I am. I am Abel. Everyone else isn't.
Me: (more laughing; this guy is taping boxes when he should be on stage)
HIm: Yeh, when people write it down, I have to say "I'm a name, not a word."
Me: But you ARE able.
Him: Yeh. I had another friend named Rich. When we introduced ourselves, I had to say, "I am what everyone THINKS they are, and HE is what everyone WISHES they were."
Me: (I feel the preliminary giggles coming on..you know the ones that lead to the the full-blown manifestation known as "losing it," I had to look away and stamp my foot to avoid the snorting/wheezing/can't-get-a-grip-on yourself laughter about to ensue)
Him: Your packages should arrive by next Wednesday, but considering the volume of things going to that area right now, I'd give it till next Friday.
Me: Do you think they'll deliver it before sundown Friday?
Him: Oh...yeh, yeh.
Me: Good, because I don't know if they're allowed to open boxes on the sabbath. (I smile, fairly sure we both understand it's a joke on legalism.)
Him: Well, as long as they have an air roof, it doesn't matter.
Me: An air roof? Never heard of it.
Him: Well, you know the Jews have had these rules, some 600 plus rules,including what not to do on the sabbath... about you can't pick up a fork on the sabbath, you can't cook a meal, yadda, yadda. Unless you have an air roof. It's this canopy that the rabbi blesses and then you can do whatever you want on the sabbath, pick up forks or anything, as long as you're under the air roof.
Me: Oh, interesting.
Him: Sol... my friend? We and a bunch of guys went camping one week and he hands me this thing to carry and I say, "What's this for? "
Sol says, "uh, it's for Friday night. I gotta put it up." I say, "okaaayyy" and then I carry it for him to camp. Friday afternoon comes and he's like, "Abel, man, help me put this up." I'm looking at it. IT's got no sides. But he says, "yeh, just put it up and we'll stand under it when the sun goes down" , I'm like, most people stand under things UNTIL the sun goes down. But whatever. He says, "Well, if you don't help me put it up I won't be able to carry any stuff, or eat, or build a fire or anything. Gotta have the air roof."
Me: (about to wet myself) You know a lot about Judaism,
Him: And a fair amount about the Bible.
Me: That's good to hear. Most people these days couldn't tell others much about the Bible.
Him: But I'm able.
Me: You're Abel?
HIm: Yeh, I'm able to let you guys out. Have a great night. God bless you,or should I say Yahweh bless you?
posted by Zoanna at
2:03 AM
5 Comments:
I just hopped over from Glory Be's site. How delightful and fun. What a great way to start my homeschooling day. Now I can go and teach the Old Testament and grin with a secret knowledge. Thanks!
Zoanna, that was so funny! I wish I'd been there with you!
Oh my goodness, this was a great post...made me laugh!
I worked at FedEx myself (doing data entry though) but wasn't a "real" emplyee...they hired us as "temps" though we are really full time and there til forever really. Basically it's so they don't have to pay benefits and higher wages and stuff like that.
I never had any run-ins with counter staff though as that department was in another building at the airport. We weren't far from there, but we just handled the data entry part of it. Nothing too funny happened there though...
Great conversaton! Very funny.
Howdy,
Just fyi, Rabbi Roi Garcia is really Jewish, not from a "lost" tribe. If you study the history of Spain, you will find out that the Jews arrived with the Romans in the early centuries after Christ's death. Jews lived in Spain until 1492, when they were evicted by an edict from Ferdinand and Isabel and were then dispersed throughout several countries. Remember, 1492 is the same year Columbus "disovered" America.
Jews of Spanish descent are known as Sephardic Jews. There are very large populations of Sephardic Jews in Mexico City, Argentina, and several other Latin American countries. Many Jews were forced to convert to Christianity, and over the centuries certain families didn't realize they were even of Jewish descent, yet they still practiced certain Jewish customs that had been passed down. In Southern Texas, there are communities of Hispanics that are of Jewish descent that have no idea, but keep certain customs such as not eating pork, etc.
It is a fascinating topic, and there is plentiful information available for anyone who wishes to educate himself on the matter.
But, in summary, Rabbi Roi Garcia should not sound so ironic, if you take into light the history of the Sephardic Jews. Most Jews are of Ashkenazi, or European descent, and sadly, there exists discrimination against Sephardic Jews, as there does with Ethiopian Jews also (i.e., you're not white!). I believe Rabbi Roi Garcia leads a congregation in San Antonio, which I visited once; it is full of Sephardic Jews. And they are very friendly people. And no, they are not a "lost tribe", but simply are of Spanish descent, from the Jews who arrived in Spain millenia earlier, and then were kicked out by the anti-semitic craziness of the Spanish Inquisition and the "Catholic Queen" Isabel in 1492.
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