Random Thoughts

I learned this lesson years ago, but apparently I needed a refresher course this evening: We “pay” with what we can.   “Currency” does not take one form. The first person to visit the Little Yellow Free Pantry gave me my reminder of that concept.   The pantry has been open since 2:00 pm on Saturday, but as of 6:00 pm Monday night far we had not had any shoppers, only DONORS!   And we have had some amazing donors!!   But I have been busy trying to figure out how to best get the word out to people who actually need the food. But then I looked outside, and in the darkness, I saw the little glow of the pantry lights…   I thought, “Someone is putting MORE in there?   It is chock full right now!”.   Then I saw a bag on the ground…   I grabbed a mask, stepped out on the back porch, and said, “Hello!”.   A woman answered back, and I walked closer to the pantry to talk. I introduced myself and she told me her name.   She was an older black...

It is a dull, drizzly gray day out today.   I am tempted to crawl back into bed (which would be ridiculous, since I only got out of it at 2:15 pm….).   But instead I will think about YESTERDAY, a day that the sun shone and people reminded me that there is good in the world. For 4 or 5 weeks I have been writing a daily poll on a piece of bright paper and taping it to a corner across from our house.   The polls have asked “important” questions, such as, “Carrots:   Raw or Cooked?”; “Glitter:   Shiny, glorious goodness or The world’s most horrible craft supply?”; Elsa or Anna?”; and “New Olympic Event:   Eating the most marshmallows or Holding your breath the longest?”.     Normally by the next morning around 40 people have voted.   Every day I watch people come up to the corner, stop, read (and often smile) then vote as the poll instructs them to with a rock or stick.      The pile of rocks and ...

I have work I should be doing this evening to catch up.   And I am taking an online class where I am behind in the reading.   And the house is still a mess, even though we have barely been outside it the last 5 ½ weeks. But instead of focusing on any of those “should do”s tonight, I am focusing on a “want to do”.   Or perhaps, in this case, it is a “must do”. I am spreading out my blood money.   Or, as the trump administration likes to call it, my stimulus check. Our government check got deposited this week, all $2400 of it.   But instead of making me feel happy or hopeful, it sort of made me feel dirty.   It feels like an attempt to placate the masses and to buy votes. So, I sat down tonight and I wrote this letter: “Our blood money got deposited this week.   Errr, I mean, our “stimulus check”.    I for one feel like it is too little too late, and had this pandemic hit at any other point beside NOW (i.e., a few months...