I can’t often get all the way to the end of one of Dr. Jay Fleitman’s columns; we differ so widely on political perspectives and opinion, I just avoid further frustration.
But I was compelled to get to the end of his latest offering, his story about Hannah in Patagonia (“Reaching out to Hannah, wherever you are,” May 1). Besides the heart-wrenching tale of this brave pilgrim, I was touched by the profound feeling of commonality.
It was such a strong reminder that regardless of political leanings, we humans share something more important: the capacity to love and empathize with our fellow humans and hope for the best for each other. Indeed, it could be that Dr. Fleitman’s political ideology is fertilized by that desire even though I, personally, don’t understand it.
If we each, in our own way, apply that profound aptitude for caring about each other to our daily lives and interactions, it seems the “politics” would become superfluous. Thank you, Dr. Fleitman, for reminding me.
And I hope that Hannah completes her goal — she doesn’t know that now she has the Pioneer Valley cheering her on.
Diana Krauth
Leeds