High Holidays

Today, as I was coming back from my Tai Chi class, I shared the elevator with this family of neighbors, who I always thought were Hindu. The father is about my age or even younger, but he has several teenage boys. They are all extremely handsome and polite. In fact, of the people I run into in the elevator, they are among my favorite. They are always sunny and unfailingly nice. They don't have that horrid NY custom of not acknowledging anyone you don't know, or going into an elevator without greeting people.
Today they were wearing these beautiful embroidered white Nehru suits and I told them they looked fabulous. Special occasion?,  I asked. "Our holiday, the end of Ramadan", they tell me. The father was carrying a small rug for prayers. 
So they're Muslims. Who knew?
"It's our holiday too, the Jewish New Year", I say.
"Happy new year!", they tell me. I ask if they are fasting. The fast ended yesterday, and tonight they feast. We feast tonight too, I say. In fact, I'm on a diet until feast time.
Through my mind, and maybe theirs as well, ran thoughts of ugly attacks against the downtown mosque and even uglier images of morons with ridiculous mustaches and retarded Koran burning notions. I almost wanted to apologize, but I figure that the whole point of our convo was that here we are, living in the same building, in the same city, following similar ancient customs, liking each other without the intrusion of prejudice, hurting no one.
So my point, children, is, that we can all fast and feast in peace and harmony. There is absolutely no reason not to.
I always wish for peace and health and joy during the holidays. Let's add intelligence and common sense to the mix.
Happy Ramadan
Shana Tova
Everybody behave!