Last night at Medina Mediterranean Grill, I had a farewell dinner with Sari Al-Thubyani before he headed home to Saudi Arabia. We met in the Maryville parking lot on the first day of school in August 2017 when I gave him a hand pushing his BMW. He returned the favor many times over in the years ahead by troubleshooting my aging Mini Cooper. He took two humanities courses with me and is one of the most pro-active learners I have known. I was fascinated that he came to 20-some-odd Share the Wealth evenings, to which he invariably brought delicious falafel and during which he increasingly participated with gusto. He also did a few Shares himself, including one on his passion for deep-sea diving. He’s an inspiring embodiment of Arab hospitality.
