I had an interesting, thought provoking, experience today. I was sitting in my car outside of a store (non grocery type), waiting for hubby to come out… I had the window rolled down and was just diggin on the day! From the right-hand side of the building an overweight woman ambled around the corner. She was dressed in a man’s tank-style T-shirt (just like me) and was wearing pajama bottoms with a cute little puppy pattern print and flip flops that “might have been” slippers. She was carrying a shopping bag that was clearly a long way from full… as she walked past the front of my car, I looked to the left, because I feared she would think I was staring.
She passed the front of my car and came to a stop directly in front of my line of sight. I smiled, and she said “hello”. I noticed she was in need of teeth or dentures, and I distinctly got the impression that she was not the sharpest of tools in the shed. I replied, “Hi there, how are you today?” Her reply was “not to good”, then she mumbled something about life, and it is what it is, and her voice just trailed off to a whisper. I asked her, “Oh no, I am sorry, why is your day not so good?”
Her reply stopped my thoughts in their tracks – “ I am just looking for bottles and cans, and I can’t find none. They are all gone! And i need them to buy food cuz I ain’t got none in my kitchen” What a stunning and horrific statement in the United States of America. This woman was roughly my age. She was Caucasian just like me. I suspect she depends on government assistance to survive, and here it is the 18th of May and she needs cans and bottles to EAT. I replied, “ I have noticed that they aren’t just laying around everywhere any more…” she just shook her head sadly and said “no … no they sure ain’t.”
I didn’t have any cash in my pocket to give her. I didn’t have any food in the car to give her. I didn’t even have a bag of bottles or cans to help her. I felt GUILTY! I have the means but I didn’t have access to help!
I have decided to carry 1 bag of cans and bottles in my car. 1 care package in my car, simple but nutritious foods like baked beans and canned vegetables, maybe some Mac N Cheese . I have plenty in my pantry I can spare. In the future – I want to be part of the solution instead of feeling guilty about a problem I had no control over in it’s creation!
I challenge each and every one of you that reads this – to do the same. Don’t ignore the suffering, but instead be a leader and be part of the solution! We can’t save the world, but we can make 1 life momentarily better – Let’s DO this Thing!