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Ben Stein's Diary
Beverly Hills Night
Amid the jasmine, the swimming pool, and the Lakers.
(Page 2 of 2)
I talked for a while to a beautiful poll watcher, who turned out to be Judge Claypool’s mother.
Then I walked back out, on a cloud. How lucky can one man be? How BLESSED. Not luck. BLESSINGS.
I went home and changed into my bathing suit and waded into my fabulous pool. Then I swam black and forth, smelling the night blooming jasmine, the chlorine, blown onto me by that perfect breeze.
After a while, I started blessing and praying for our armed forces with every stroke. I thought of my nephew, Paul Landau, a well-known historian about Africa. He lives in D.C. and also loves to swim. “It’s the closest there is to flying,” he told me recently and wow, is he right.
I took a shower, got dressed, walked up the steps to my office. The evening sun was sending its last rays onto my tile and stucco stairs. The dogs were right behind me.
I slept for a short while, then watched the Lakers-Celtics playoff game. What a great game. I love especially Pau Gasol of the Lakers. Spanish guy, tough as nails. Nobody pushes him around. Most of the players on both sides are black, of course. They are so talented, so smart, so determined, it is as if they were beyond human. To think that within the lifetime of my great grandparents, men and women like this were routinely owned by people, could be worked to death, could be beaten, raped, had no rights at all. It is incredible. How horrible and how far we have come. To think that in my lifetime Jews like me were consistently murdered just for the “crime” of existing, is blood curdling. Nothing quite like that could happen again, could it? Only in a year if Iran gets the bomb. Well, no point in worrying. Mr. Obama has it well in hand. Hahaha.
The game fluctuated wildly and at the end, The Lakers won. I LOVE THE LAKERS.
I had some leftovers and just thought, “This has been a perfect game. PERFECT. I thought that all of the sacrifices and blessings of the whole history of mankind have devolved upon me. Thank you, God.”
I slept happily with my Brigid by my side. No one dares think how late it is. Certainly I don’t.
About the Author
Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He writes “Ben Stein’s Diary” for every issue of The American Spectator.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (20) | Leave a comment
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Brian Mc| 6.14.10 @ 7:05AM
"Not LUCK. BLESSINGS."
Nice eye opener for the morning coffee, Ben. Thanks for "Expelled", another eye opener.
Perez Bertolucci| 6.14.10 @ 7:51AM
Well, I'm just . . . dazzled . . . by your day and your . . . sweet . . . observations. I've just dropped my tissue on the floor . . . let me bend down and fetch it.
Alert1210| 6.14.10 @ 8:27AM
Thank you Mr Stein. I loved this story and the last one you wrote. We are indeed blessed.
Ken| 6.14.10 @ 9:18AM
Ben ....you have such a gift to verbally paint a picture. Thank you.
Maddox| 6.14.10 @ 11:00AM
I, too am blessed, blessed with the ability to work hard to afford the swimming pool sitting in the middle of the lawn, and the house I work to keep up. I am grateful to GOD for all HE has given me the ability to do.
Too bad our country is not blessed with leaders to do what is necessary to allow us to continue to enjoy the things we have earned.
Ed Elberson | 6.14.10 @ 12:15PM
Great!! I signed up.
F. Hannon| 6.14.10 @ 12:31PM
Take nothing that we have for granted, even, perhaps especially, the luxury of being able to smell the roses without that simple pleasure being unthinkable because, say, you've not a clue where your next meal's coming from, or maybe because ideological savages are roaming your neighborhood looking to shoot those who don't subscribe to their way of thinking.
Yes, never take what God affords most Americans for granted, including that a 2010 Boston Celtics Championship is now all but a fate accompli!
Dagny Taggert| 6.14.10 @ 12:53PM
Ben, you had me until the Lakers. I love your writing, but being a Bostonian, there's little on Earth I loathe more than the Lakers, and their fairweather fans. Now I can't recall with 100% certainty, but I don't believe I've heard you comment on the NBA before--maybe you are a tried and true fan. But I suspect like all the other Hollywood phonies that show up at the Staples center only when the national TV cameras are on, you "love" the Lakers now that it's down to the wire.
Pau Gasol isn't "tough as nails." Hardly. He's as euro-weenie and un-tough as the U.N. The C's exposed him in 2008, and despite all the talk of the "new and improved Pau," he only looks tough when his teammate Andrew Bynum is there to pick up the low-post defense. Since Bynum is playing with a torn meniscus, his twice-drained knee has let him down since the Tuesday game you've written about--thus two no-shows by Gasol, and a Celtics 3-2 series lead.
If anything, the Lakers are the anti-American team. Last night's loss featured Kobe lighting it up for 38 points and the rest of his team scoring 48. The primadonna stud player trying to do it all on his own in a team game. Personal glory versus the unsung team approach of the work-pail Celtics. The Celtics haven't had the same player lead the team in scoring two games in a row since the playoffs started. Kobe leads the Lakers almost every night. The Celts have taken down the #1, #2 and hopefully #3 (with the Lakers) best teams in the league. They have shut down 3 of the best players in the league (Wade- MIA, LeBron-CLE, Howard-ORL) and working on #4. They are the underdogs who selflessly fight toward team goals.
I love you for your patriotism, but if there was ever a team that represented all the best that the USA has to offer, it's a lot more Boston Celtics Green, than the LA Lakers Purple.
Michael P. Walsh, MM| 6.14.10 @ 2:21PM
Ben,
You said, "To think that within the lifetime of my great grandparents, men and women like this were routinely owned by people, could be worked to death, could be beaten, raped, had no rights at all. It is incredible. How horrible and how far we have come. To think that in my lifetime Jews like me were consistently murdered just for the "crime" of existing, is blood curdling. "
The operative copulative is "are". Plenty of Africans are still being held in slavery, plenty of Jews still liable to be killed for the crime of having been Chosen. Guess by whom.
Old Soldier| 6.14.10 @ 4:57PM
I get the same feelings driving around my town on the weekends. Damn this is nice.
charlene| 6.14.10 @ 11:39PM
Wow. Brilliant.
Highlander 747| 6.15.10 @ 12:02AM
Ben, you are truly a delight who I would love to meet some time. Your observations on life et al are such as to bring laughter, a few tears, and a sigh, to me a grateful reader. But as far as the Lakers are concerned, sorry dude, they are done. Go Celtics!!! Beat LA!!!!!
Johnimo| 6.15.10 @ 2:55AM
Isn't "Ben" the one who thinks the rich should pay higher taxes? No wonder his life is so delightful. I hike above timberline and have perfectly beautiful days. Nobody's taking an extra penny of mine without one helluva fight. And all the taxes from all the rich won't buy the dreams of the left ... so they'll need my taxes too. The beautiful days will be over soon because some think they can be purchased with higher taxes.
Rich Rostrom| 6.15.10 @ 3:20AM
Ben: "I am about to vote... something that did not exist until America."
Please. There were elections long before America. Switzerland had elections in the 1300s. Rome was a republic ("res publica") centuries before Christ. America is a great country, but we didn't invent democracy - the Greeks did ("demos kratos").
Todd| 6.15.10 @ 2:55PM
Iran won't get the bomb will it, will it any body knows?
Truth is I cannot believe Obama will not at least encourage that Green movement over in Iran at least once or twice a week. There was something a while back about some of the non-violent things we should do for the Iranian protesters. Give there leaders some semi-secure satellite phones. Sure the government can listen in but it is a lot harder and will miss a lot, will be harder to find and in general be safer. Second create a strike found so the oil workers can walk off the job for a couple of months and cut off Iran's money.
tony dancel| 6.16.10 @ 6:32PM
Ben, Don't rest too much, its great God gave America so much. So we need to defend the country from the lunatics and despots that want to destroy our country. It is just a matter of time when Iran will be bombed. Its long overdue, Israel will pull the trigger and there is nothing the U.N. can do to stop it. Wall st will take a hit but
may recover later. Buy more Gold, no stocks...
Bob Askey| 6.17.10 @ 12:16AM
Ben, you appreciate your awareness of the good life you have. We all have good lives of some degree, and we all need to think about how good life is and can be. Thank you for your plain speaking and clear understanding.