THE TANGO OF GOSSIP
Author Raad Chalabi, Ph.D., invites you to eavesdrop in The Tango of Gossip where a simple grocer will offer a snapshot of life—and tell you how a simple move can make a difference in your existence…
Spend one day in Ramiz’s cash-only grocery store where you will have a chance to meet a number of his customers and friends. This play of six acts reflects life as Ramiz sees it, namely, that it is a series of random events punctuated by actions and decision, both minor and major that are made by individuals who happen to be exposed to these events. This collective process of actions and reactions by the many masquerades itself as a grand plan for each, thus giving you the satisfaction that you are important and is in control of your destiny.
In this narrative, Ramiz associates life to the game of backgammon, where the player must make the best move possible once the outcome of the throw of the dice is known—it is the unfolding of a secret that will allow the player to make just one correct move, whether it is to win or lose. Of course, in the game of backgammon and after many throws of the dice, there will be a winner and a loser on which all will agree. Life regrettably offers no such comfort. People keep reacting to each throw of the dice until they cease to be.
The simple but perceptive dialogues in The Tango of Gossip offer clear possibilities, applicable wisdom and deep understanding about life and its complexities, which eventually lead everyone to a life of meaning and purpose.