Never Has He Ever

Editor, Times-Union:
There is a popular social activity among groups of family members, friends and neighbors called “never have I ever …” during which participants in turn reveal “secrets” about themselves in answer to this phrase. The revelations typically evoke laughter, surprise and maybe even embarrassment while also drawing the participants closer in their understanding, support and acceptance of each other.
The whole pretext of this “game” has made me wonder about all the things President Donald Trump might reveal about himself should he ever honestly engage in the activity. Following are the admissions I’m guessing he could — but would never — reveal: Never has he ever…
— helped coach a children’s T-ball team
— stopped at the grocery store for a gallon of milk on his way home from work
— stayed up past midnight assembling toys for his children to find Christmas morning
— helped his kids with math or history homework
— changed a baby’s “blowout” diaper
— rocked a crying, teething baby to sleep
— fired up the grill for a BBQ with neighbors
— dragged out a hose, a bucket of soapy water, and washed his car in the driveway
— made a trip to his child’s school to hand that child his/her forgotten lunch money or art project or gym shoes
— helped a spouse rearrange the living room furniture … just for a change
— walked the family pet around the block
— delivered meals on wheels to needy or aged folks
— put on a costume and took the kids out trick or treating
— put a worm on a hook for a son or daughter or grandchild while teaching them to fish
— used any kind of tool to tackle any kind of common homeowner’s fix-it project
— worn cutoffs, a tank top, and flip flops on a hot summer day while enjoying a popsicle
— taught a child how to ride a bike, fly a kite, or drive a car
— worked overtime on a Saturday to make extra money for utility bills
— dug up a plot of ground for a vegetable or flower garden or just plant a shrub or tree
— sacrificed an expenditure for himself so a family member might be granted a wish.
How sad to think our president, our leader, may never have ever experienced any of these things like all the rest of us have. Perhaps this explains why he cannot relate to any of us, why he feels no empathy for any of us, why he continues to feel superior to us while not having to deal with the mundane tasks of our “common” lives.
Never have I ever felt so proud to relate to my friends and neighbors, my fellow citizens, and never have I ever felt so sorry for the leader of my country. My pity, however, does in no way excuse or accept his indifference to or derision of all who are not included in his circle of “the best people.” Saddest of all, he most likely does not even realize what he has missed.
Jeanne Tuka Schutz
Winona Lake, via email