Friday, October 23, 2009

Chutzpah in theory and practice

If chutzpah wasn't originally a Yiddish word then the Jews would have had to abscond with it and take it as their own. It's a match made in heaven: Jews and chutzpah. Never have two things been so well suited to each other.

And while it is a Yiddish word which by default means it belongs to Jews of Eastern European descent and not those of Middle Eastern or other geographical descent, it seems that the entire concept has been adopted by Jews of all backgrounds instinctively. I bet that if you checked a world Jewish genome project (no, there isn't such a thing) you would find a genetic marker for chutzpah.

I would be less than honest if I didn't admit that I received a fair share of that gene myself. Many times I say things in public and people just stand there looking astonished. I am pretty sure the ones who received less of the chutzpah gene are quietly thinking to themselves: "I can't believe she just said that." The ones with more chutzpah in their own genes just say the same thing out loud.

However, for all my chutzpadic (the adjective) moments, today I stumbled across one of the living masters of the concept. I didn't immediately recognize her as such, but within moments of our paths crossing, she did the most obnoxious thing.

I was changing back in to my street clothes in the gym changing room. The change room was about 50 percent full -- in other words, there were lots of places for her to deposit her bag. Unfortunately for me, the only spot that seemed to interest her was precisely where I had placed my things.

Being a chutzpah master, however, she just ignored my things. She simply tossed them on to the floor and put her own bag down.

Now here is where things got complicated for me. My innate politeness habits resulting from my 40 years of being a Canadian automatically directly conflicted with my chutzpah gene. I am glad to say that after a moment of politely standing by and watching my belongings head south, my chutzpah gene rose to the surface.

Here's what happened: (Remember, I had to have this conversation in Hebrew, so this is what I think I said.)

Me: "Oh, I didn't know that this was your spot. I thought that it was my place."

Chutzpah master: "It's near my locker."

Me: "Well that explains why you put my things on the floor. This place is only for you. You must be very special."

CM: "I want to be close to my locker."

Me: "So it's okay to put my things on the floor?"

CM: "I want to be close to my locker."

Me: (I switched to English and used some of my best choice four-letter words. Of course, she couldn't have cared less.)

As you will note from CM's dialogue pattern, I could have told her I was with the KGB and she was going to the gulag for her crime, but I doubt that would have fazed her. For someone like her, chutzpah gives her divine rights which she uses to the fullest.

After spending a summer in the UK and a recent week in Canada, I know full well that that sort of moment wouldn't have happened in either of those countries. Neither people (this is a bit of a generalization) seem to have the need to dismiss all others as unworthy. Brits and Canadians may both have their own faults, but chutzpah just isn't one of them. But if you want to see real chutzpah in action, meet me at the doors of my gym's change room on Sunday. We have many chutzpah masters here.

1 comment:

  1. Yes, there does appear to be a (what I Googled) "chutzpah gene!" Unfortunately, Obama (although he's a Leo, 8/4) doesn't have it. The new governor of Michigan, Rick Snyder,(a.k.a. "the Ricktator") just signed away Michiganders' rights to retain their elected officials, unionize, etc., if/when he appoints an overseer for them, so he clearly does.

    But I'm not about to despair just yet. You are a very talented and delightful writer! So glad I visited your space!

    Posted by another Leo, 7/29/44,
    HereNow
    in Detroit

    ReplyDelete