Great story!

An interesting thing happened to me over Simchas Torah, I thought I'd share because it's such a great story...

So I'm standing in shul during hakafos in Monsey, NY, rather yeshivish place, minding my own business on the side reading through an interesting pamphlet (more on that later) authored by a chashuv local rav. I'm wearing my brown srugie, brown sportjacket, striped shirt, no tie, white tallis. You could say I stood out (yay!) like a sore thumb. I notice a chassidishe bachur, about 13 y/o, approaching me with a gemara Gittin in his hand. He opens it up to the first mishna and asks me if I could discuss p'shat in one of the Tanaim's statements in the mishna. We proceed to have a lengthy discussion right then and there about it.

I felt like asking the kid - of all people in shul, you come to me? I mean, I really stuck out like a sore thumb. I didn't ask him though. I didn't need to get into that discussion since the moment was just really wonderful - here were two Jews from totally different backgrounds who probably disagree on a myriad of different lifestyle kleinekeit - sharing the beautiful Torah that really binds us together.

It was a great feeling.