An Act Of Kindness, 2/9/14

Dear Reader, many people express skepticism that other people are kind and thoughtful. But I often find kind and thoughtful people and thank those who so graciously do nice things for me or for others. What follows is a letter I mailed today to the General Manager of the hotel where this act of kindness took place, telling the story on behalf of the lovely ladies who did such a nice thing for me:

February 10, 2014


Ms. Kathy Faulk
General Manager
Omni Hotels& Resorts
251 South Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Kathy,

Yesterday in celebration of my birthday (I turned 69 today), my wife Anne bought tickets to a show at The Ahmanson Theater.

But the show started not at 1 pm as we thought but at 3 pm. We drove in from Palos Verdes and multiple trips there and back would have been impractical. I have a slipped disk and for two hours needed to relax my back, which I cannot do by sitting in a chair.

Anne and I discussed this with Robin Lee and Toi Clark at your front desk, prepared to pay for a room so that I could rest on a bed for two hours. But these marvelous ladies wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, they provided a room with a fold-out bed, at no cost along with smiles, warmth and birthday congratulations.

Their kindness made a wonderful impression on us about them and about your Omni Hotel, and we have retained their business cards. I’ve also begun sharing this story with family and friends.

Today, my back feels good rather than sore as it might well have without their kindness. Anne and I thank them and thank you very much, for being the friends we needed at so important a time.

Dick Kazan

Dear Reader, That concluded the letter but as a note to this Journal, it was an 80 minute one act, one man play, entitled "A Word Or Two," in which 84 year old Shakespearian actor Christopher Plummer told us the story of his life weaving in everything from Shakespeare to George Bernard Shaw to the Brooklynese of Samuel Goldwyn. It was a joy and just what I wanted for a birthday gift.

Because of the Omni Hotel's kindness, my low back felt so good afterward, that Anne and I had dinner at The Counter, a fancy but informal hamburger place, in which I had a double veggie burger.