The Inspiration And Aggravation From A Good Deed

Sometimes, I wish I could be like Moses
Round up my people, move out the ghetto
And live a better life
Sometimes
Bilal - 'Sometimes'

Living in this urban environment can be complicated sometimes. There are a lot of times when I find myself feeling really good about something and then really pissed off about the same event as time goes on. It’s not confusion because both feelings work independently of one another. Today was a good example of that.

Two wonderful ladies in my office decided to purchase some groceries and give them to a family in need. I was asked to chip in by finding the family and dropping the items off since they wanted to do it anonymously. I was happy to help out. I called around and found a family that really needed it. They went shopping this weekend and today I dropped everything off. I drove over there with the case manager and carried everything inside. Sitting on the sofa was four little innocent looking kids. I knew we picked the right family because their mom really needed a little help. There were two boys and two girls. The baby was sitting on her older brother’s lap and just kept waving at me every time I would walk pass. I almost took her home with me for a few days. I was going to take a picture of them but since the ladies did it anonymously then I didn't think they needed that. I hope next time they choose to drop off their own groceries for the feeling. I am glad I got to be the one to deliver the stuff for them this time around. The next time we do it I am kicking some extra cash to get some other things that a mom can use that her food stamps may not cover like pampers and baby wipes. That was a good way to spend a lunch break.

On my way to my daughter’s school this evening I thought about those four little kids and how they looked so much like mine. They could have been mines or my brothers or sisters. I was thinking that those babies have no idea yet about what’s waiting for them if some of these social issues don’t get turned around. It’s a sad innocence. You can almost imagine them skipping down the street right into a stress filled daily struggle as they get older. I bet that’s how their mama feels now when she has to fulfill the demands of all those little voices. That’s when I got mad. We are not giving these kids a chance. The fact so many families are living like this in the city probably won’t come up during the mayor’s race because everyone is worried about who gets contracts. The president can’t talk about it without making people nervous unless the speech is about their absentee fathers. And where are any of those guys anyway? I don’t know if those kids had different dads or the same dad but someone should have been beating me there with a few bags of groceries. In that short ride from the office to the school I went from inspired to angry just that fast. It doesn’t matter because those kids were cool and I am sure they will enjoy everything. I just wish they could know they were going to have what they need all the time.

P.S
Good job ladies. The babies always make me emotional.