Friday, September 14, 2007

Denny loves America

Recently, something good happened to me.
I met Denny.

Denny is a 30-something Vietnamese man with cerebral palsy who owns an oriental grocery store a block away from my house. Incidentally, his shop is the only one on the block that has unprotected WiFi. Of course this means I mooch off of him on a daily basis.

"Denny," I said, when I finally learned his name. "Why don't you put a password in so no goods like me won't steal your WiFi?"

He looked at me, with a very peaceful look on his face.

"Because, this is America...and I love America. If I were still in Vietnam, I would be an outcast because of my disability. I would have nothing, be nothing. People say this is a free country and that is the most true thing I've ever heard in my life. I'm contributing to the spirit of America when I share my internet with you."

And then, the biggest smile I had ever seen turned up on his face.

"Besides," he added "if I didn't...how would you check your Myspace?"



I want to be like Denny when I grow up.