Editorial by Bobby Tingle

 

The big news of the week, in some circles, is the promise that Wiernerschnitzel will soon reopen. The chaos of their abrupt closure several months ago will soon subside. Relief will be so sweet for some.

I have not eaten at Wienerschnitzel since the mid 1970’s. The guys I hung around with enjoyed driving over to Orange from Mid-County for kraut dogs and fries. Kraut dogs were always garnished with my favorite condiment, mustard. I no longer crave this delicacy, but in those days it was quite satisfying.

My co-workers cried for a week after it closed. It is very convenient to our office, according to them. It is close, only three city blocks away, the drive through is convenient, the service is fast, the prices are fair and the quality of the food is compelling.

I, on the other hand, believe the chaos will resume when the restaurant reopens. Traffic on MacArthur Drive, at the drive through entrance, backs up in the middle of the day. Hot dog lovers converge on the restaurant eager for relief from their craving. It is next to impossible to turn left on MacArthur from Dal Sasso Drive during this convergence of the masses.

One man’s jubilation is another man’s chaos.

One of our subscribers called the office this week. After the question about her subscription was answered, she continued to chat. Our conversation moved very quickly from newspapers to our current President. We had a very good laugh. In a very jovial and engaging manner she described the current President of the United States as ‘crazy’. She believes his actions and attitudes display his insanity.

She was very entertaining. Frankly, her and I are on opposite ends of the political spectrum. But, we enjoyed a good laugh together. She laughed, probably because she believes our President is a joke. I laughed because I think characterizing him as insane is the joke.

The national media coverage of the initial days of his administration is very entertaining. Some in the media are reporting the current president’s need to deal with the ‘stumbles’ and ‘mistakes’ of the initial days of his administration. His actions have created ‘chaos’ and he is constantly scrambling to correct his ‘missteps’.

I suspect he has made some mistakes. But, it is a stretch to call what has happened ‘chaos’.

His assessment of them is fairly entertaining as well. He is quick to dismiss their reporting as ‘fake news’. There is no doubt the ‘news’ reported by many in the national media is ‘tainted’. The events and issues are real, but the perspective is often exaggerated in favor of a political preference. Liberal media and conservative media are both guilty.

Of course, this is nothing new.

We take sides in multiple arenas. Politics, sports, fashion, entertainment and every other aspect of life are fair game for strong opinion. The challenge is in how we handle our differences.

In my life, I have made more than one person mad with my ‘cocky’ attitude about my team’s superiority over their team. I have made folks mad about preferences in religious doctrine. I have probably made people mad about food choices. Hot dogs are not high on my list.

It was refreshing earlier in the week to laugh with a customer whose perspective on events is far different than mine. I admit I was compelled to go along with her because she is a customer.

For now, I am going to enjoy the clear vision of MacArthur Drive as I seek to turn left from Dal Sasso. It won’t last forever, it could end in April, but hot dog lovers will be happy.

 

Bobby Tingle is publisher of The Orange Leader.   You can reach him at bobby.tingle@orangeleader.com.