Se Poun Fe?

That is what I said as I exited a cab this morning. The driver's name was Roger Hippolyte. How a Haitian man ended up with a greek name is beyond me, but then again, my friend Patrick was named after St. Patrick and his family is steeped in Voudoun tradition.

How did I know he was Haitian? He had a cd of "Haiti musique" dangling from his mirror. I could not find the strength to walk 5 blocks in this heat, so I took a cab. I tipped him well, embarassed that my legs no longer work like they used to. He said in accented English, "You err day best." To which I said, "Se Poun Fe?", which is Creole slang for 'What's happening?' He burst into laughter and clapped, shouting "I love you! I love you!" He waved and drove off smiling.

I then stepped up onto the building ramp, looked down, and saw a penny. I picked it up as a lady passed. I looked at her and said, "Who knows? It might help."

"Damn straight," she answered.

I am wearing one of my pendants today, an Abramelin seal of the Earth, in order to bring good spirits near me. It's a feeble attempt to stave off the sorrow I feel upon hearing Peter Jennings had died last night. His voice was the one that took me through 9/11 coverage, the evening news, international correspondence, and charming chatter during Olympics, the Gulf War, and the invasion of Iraq. His mellifluous Canadian tones are the ones that comforted me, and I'd say he is this generation's Walter Cronkite. A visibly upset Diane Sawyer spoke of his attention to detail, but the camera did not cut away fast enough at 12:10 a.m. last night--you could see her break into a sob as Barbara Walters called in.

There are some guys that are irreplaceable. Both Koppel and Rather came off as smarmy old guys trying to fit in. Jennings sat there as if he stumbled upon the job and was merely making commentary while impeccably coiffed in a suit. I'd say the only other newscaster that makes me feel comfortable is Stone Phillips. Other than that, it's a great loss.

So, I'm doing my best to seem upbeat today. I'm trying to smile. But like seeing my old boss two months ago, Jennings passing reinforces what I've known for a long time: there is no substitute for excellence. I sit here, day after day, toiling away planning my escape and I watch high-paid pretenders jockeying for the throne. There are some, like Jennings, who sit in that throne as if it were an easy chair. They don't even notice the gilt and velvet since it isn't their focus. They are trying to connect, trying to make sense of the world. The more questions they ask, the more questions they have.

Jennings said there was no "absolute truth." It is always tinted and cast by opinion, experience, geography. The world as we know it is many things to many people, but he tried to connect. With young and old, common and noble. Today I strive for that.

Whether it's a penny I might need or a language I speak sparingly. I don't like people all the time, but I try to understand.