It was a cold, raw kind of Sunday morning…just 4 days after the horrific shooting spree in San Bernardino, an apparently long planned terror strike allegedly carried out by a U.S. born Muslim and his bride of a few months, a native of Pakistan. I found myself in a working class area of Lodi, after taking a quick detour from Highway 99 in search of sustenance, a hot cup of coffee and maybe a little something to go with it.
A quick right onto Cherokee Lane led me to just the spot, a little place called J and D Doughnuts. It was a busy place on this Sunday morning and judging by the empty or near empty racks that once were filled with fresh treats, apparently had been for hours.
What I took from this quick stop for a not terribly healthy breakfast. It wasn’t so much about the crullers and bear claws and cake or glazed doughnuts and there wasn’t anything special about the black coffee served in a white Styrofoam cup. No, it wasn’t the food or drink I’ll remember about J and D Doughnuts. It was the demographics of the customers buying the doughnuts and selling them.
From a distant war, to a hot button political issue, to a new and growing threat, many an American might have simply made a U-turn out of the doughnut shop. Perhaps thinking it filled with real or perceived enemies. Behind the counter was 3 Vietnamese women ranging in age from early 20’s to perhaps 60. They were briskly serving a group of Hispanic men, Mexican perhaps, dressed for a day of work or maybe hours of looking for work. Were they legal or illegal? Did it really matter? They drank their coffee and munched on their doughnuts. Conversing in Spanish, but registering pleasure in that universal way through smiles and laughter.
Ahead of me in line was a man dressed in traditional Islamic clothing. He was patiently explaining to 2 small kids, the virtues of various deep fried dough to them before placing their order. Now, a doughnut shop in a working class Lodi neighborhood isn’t a lecture hall for political science or philosophy. It’s not the U.N. General Assembly, but it struck me that what the world needs is a little doughnut diplomacy. Maybe people need to check their hate and ignorance and order up a dozen hot fresh doughnuts and a pot of coffee, and talk things out. We’re all different and we come in many varieties, just like the offerings of a good doughnut shop.
It’s hard to hate when your mouth is happy and your stomachs full…Peace through pastry…it works in Lodi.
Why not the world….