Chains Jewelry

The writer of the following article is sure that her own father would never have associated these two words: man, gold chain. The writer has seen her father refuse to wear a pink shirt. Still, the writer has found that her two sons are willing to wear large pieces of jewelry. Since each became a man, gold chain jewelry has been on their list of “things I’d like to have.”  The writer’s two sons never met either of their grandfathers. The older son did meet with a man who once knew his father’s father. That meeting is recounted in the following article.

Why would anyone be asked to imagine that trio: man, gold chain and a computer? What would those three items have in common? The answer to that question will be revealed in the following story. It is a story about a man, gold chain and a computer.

One afternoon a computer technician in Los Angeles County needed to repair the computer at the home of an old, Iranian gentleman. While doing repairs on that computer, the young technician spoke with the man who had requested his services. The young technician had heard Farsi, the language of Iran since birth. He understood that language, and he could take part in a non-technical conversation in Farsi.

As those two males spoke, they discovered that the father of the young technician came from Shiraz, the former home of the older gentleman. The young man then shared with that older man his name. It was a name that resonated in the mind of that older computer user.

The young man’s grandfather had been much respected in Shiraz. Many residents of Shiraz had gathered in the hall where that respected man once spoke. The older man had only praiseworthy comments for the man who he had known while living in Shiraz.

The young technician could see that this older man might become a regular user of the repair services offered by his employer. The young technician decided he wanted to convince that man that he shared the strong beliefs of his grandfather. It was that desire that allowed the following events to take place, events that relate to a man, gold chain and a computer.

The young technician wanted to have some way that he could identify himself with the religious beliefs of his grandfather. His grandfather had been an esteemed teacher and a member of the Baha’i Faith. The young technician knew that there was a Baha’i Center in Los Angeles. He had been there before he became a man. Gold chain jewelry, he had observed, could be purchased in the Center’s bookstore.

The young technician later shared his encounter with his parents. He told his mother about his plan to visit the Center bookstore. His mother listened to her son’s story with mixed emotions. She was pleased to hear that he had formed a deeper respect for his grandfather. She was amused, though, to find that he wanted to go to a bookstore to buy jewelry. She would have preferred to hear that he wanted to buy a book.

Later, the young technician spoke with his grandmother.  She promised to buy for the young technician a gold chain, a chain with a Baha’i symbol.  Now many computer users interact with that technician. Many computer users see his gold chain.

His mother continues to hope that he will one day decide to read a book. In the meantime, she has chosen to write about a man, gold chain and a computer.