Two kinds of people

What’s so funny

The Laguna Community Concert Band will present a free program of

American music, featuring Native American, big band, traditional,

patriotic and specialty pieces, at 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Artists’

Theatre. It’s an ambitious event, to be emceed by award-winning TV

producer Bob Henry.

Putting such a show together calls for great organizational skill

and energy. In this case, the paper says, the program chair and

source of that energy is Carol Reynolds.

I am also involved in the show. It’s odd that Carol and I should

be teamed up for this venture.

You’ve seen those statements that begin, “There are two kinds of

people ... .” You know, hosts and guests. People who like Adam

Sandler and people who don’t. Another distinction is between people

who get involved in community events and people like me.

People such as this Carol Reynolds, who on further investigation

turns out to be my wife’s mother, take on community tasks

voluntarily. They wrestle with the scheduling tangles and ego clashes

attendant on such undertakings. They interact with everybody.

People of my type aren’t so much on the interacting. I’d say we

sit on the sidelines, except that we don’t actually attend the game.

We’re not social. We don’t volunteer. We consider ourselves good

citizens if we’re not actively breaking the law.

We’re not heartless though, so I listened the other day when I got

word through my wife that Carol needed assistance.

This was no reflection, I reflected, on Carol as program chair.

It’s no disgrace to ask for help. She probably lost a musician. She’s

heard me play “If I Only I Had a Brain” on the piano at her house. Of

course, she’d think of me.

But she’d also know I only play for family and close friends. I

haven’t faced an audience in years. How could she expect me to

perform in public with less than two weeks’ notice, even to help a

beloved mother-in-law? I remember saying that: “How could she?”

It turned out I was mistaken as to the exact nature of the help

she needed. So on Feb. 9, you will see two contrasting personality

types working at their full community potential. Carol will be

overseeing the show, and I’ll be helping my wife and daughter sell

cookies out front. Be sure and stop by.

Exact change would be nice.

* SHERWOOD KIRALY is a Laguna Beach resident, and that’s about

it.