HoCo Holler: Esha Bhatti, Student

On most Thursdays I am getting dressed and getting ready to leave the house by the time my weekly issue of the Columbia Flier appears in my inbox. It’s a little luxury today to be able to peruse it before writing today’s post.

I often find myself headed toward the letters to the editor page to see what is on peoples’ minds. Some letters are eloquent, some angry, some comically bad. In general they are written to advocate in favor of something or to protest against. This week there was one which broke the usual pattern by aiming solely to inform.

A grateful Village Green/Town² HoCo Holler goes out today to Reservoir High School student Esha Bhatti who wrote a letter to the Columbia Flier to explain why Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas. It is a beautifully written piece which shines a light on Muslim beliefs and practices for a community which may be largely ignorant of them. The tone is forthright yet clearly respectful of other religions and traditions.

My understanding of this topic before today was rather basic. “Some faiths celebrate a religious version of Christmas, some don't, and that’s their business and not for me to judge.” But Bhatti’s letter illuminates the why in such a beautiful way. Those of us who celebrate Christmas are supported by a sort of default Christmas setting in both churches and popular culture, not to mention the retail industry. Being different this time of year must feel like swimming against the tide.

But this high school student’s missive is not a complaint, not a protest. There’s no sense of exasperation but purely a desire to inform. And I am guessing that it comes from a belief that with greater understanding comes better relationships and interactions. I heartily recommend that you read it. If you don’t have a subscription it’s worth one of your designated free clicks.

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog