Blogcast: I wish men could all be like my doormen

Take Lorenzo. He recognizes my routine. When he sees me walking out the door on my way to karate class wearing my backpack, he usually says, "kick some butt." And when I return red-faced and sweaty, and sometimes even limping, he goes, "Hard class, hey?"

Then there's Julito. He has back problems but he's always cheerful and asks me how I am and how my kids are. When things got hard with a loved one this past year, he said, "take it one day at a time."

Then there's Joe. He's a rock and roller who's always sharing his favorite songs with me. I swear if I put him and my 20-year old son in a room with guitars, they'd never leave.

And then there's Matthew. He's only 20. He loves Fritzli, my mini Schnauzer. Whenever we come in from a walk, Fritzli goes up to Matthew for a neck scratch. Matthew has a special touch which all the doormen are trying to copy. He can make Fritzli's back leg come off the ground and shake because he loves the massage so much....

A narrated essay from The Pressures of Privilege.
Subscribe for more essays and reflections: https://dianaoehrli.substack.com/subscribe