Dear Editor,
Ever heard the anecdote about the panhandler on a park bench in Central Park, NYC? As the story goes, a tourist unable to find his way to the Empire State Building, passed the hobo twice. The beggar waved each time, giving the disgruntled tourist a knowing, benign smile.
The visitor, on the third pass, stopped and asked to be shown the way. The old man gave him the directions in practiced confidence. He had helped many others visiting the city and finding themselves in the same predicament before.
The traveler left and, following the directions, arrived at the landmark with ease. After completing their tour, his wife suggested they go back to the hobo to thank him.
They did, and he handed the beggar a large tip. As he moved to his car, he pivoted and turned back to the hobo.
“How can you know your way around this great city?” he asked.
“Practice! Practice! Practice!” replied the hobo.
I remembered this story as I listened to election ads on the radio and TV stations and read the weekend papers. The most popular word leading up to 11/11 has to be “corruption.” So, who should we believe are the most corrupt, the Red or the Blue?
Enter the hobo and his unforgettable advice. Practice! The question as to who gets the garland for being the most corrupt would seem to turn principally on who’s been working the graft craft the longest.
Hart Tillett
BELMOPAN.