Where are the Decent People?
I had a terrific holiday weekend, in large part because of the things I was able to do for others. Saturday was the day the families moved into their houses at Habitat. The homeowner, Martin, had a barbecue for all the people who helped build his home. Friends, neighbors, cousins, etc. were all there. The house still has power tools all over the place; mismatched chairs and folding tables turned the garage into a makeshift dining room. But the spirit of hospitality was genuine. It was more enjoyable than so many fancy parties I've been to where things were just so, but the atmosphere was cold as a fish.
Later that afternoon, I went to a second barbecue. The field where I play softball has some barbecue kettles. I’ve long thought that after we play softball, we should have a Saturday evening cookout at the field, where we could invite wives, girlfriends (not at the same time, of course), kids, dogs, etc. to spend that last few hours of sunlight together and grill up some food. We finally agreed to do it on Saturday and it was a lot of fun. The people involved were not in need of a home like the Habitat folks, but it was just a nice opportunity to spend time together.
In both instances, people took time to thank me for the contributions I had made to the respective communities over the year. In the softball scenario, I had done little more than suggest a good idea and bring some charcoal. In the Habitat scenario, I had merely showed up and done what was asked of me. But it was uplifting to know I had made a difference in other people’s lives.
On Sunday, there was yet another barbecue, our local block party. It too was an enjoyable evening, but what I liked even more was the day after (Monday). We got up and helped clean up the block and met our neighbors. Then we all went to the beach, more or less together. It’s nice being in a neighborhood that’s both friendly and tight knit. And at times like these, it’s reassuring to know that although our president and his administration may be the lowest of scum, and although the people who voted for him are ignorant, selfish bastards, there are still some good people in the world.
They may not be the majority of the people, but if I can spend the majority of my time with them, it allows me to think there are more of them than there actually are.
Later that afternoon, I went to a second barbecue. The field where I play softball has some barbecue kettles. I’ve long thought that after we play softball, we should have a Saturday evening cookout at the field, where we could invite wives, girlfriends (not at the same time, of course), kids, dogs, etc. to spend that last few hours of sunlight together and grill up some food. We finally agreed to do it on Saturday and it was a lot of fun. The people involved were not in need of a home like the Habitat folks, but it was just a nice opportunity to spend time together.
In both instances, people took time to thank me for the contributions I had made to the respective communities over the year. In the softball scenario, I had done little more than suggest a good idea and bring some charcoal. In the Habitat scenario, I had merely showed up and done what was asked of me. But it was uplifting to know I had made a difference in other people’s lives.
On Sunday, there was yet another barbecue, our local block party. It too was an enjoyable evening, but what I liked even more was the day after (Monday). We got up and helped clean up the block and met our neighbors. Then we all went to the beach, more or less together. It’s nice being in a neighborhood that’s both friendly and tight knit. And at times like these, it’s reassuring to know that although our president and his administration may be the lowest of scum, and although the people who voted for him are ignorant, selfish bastards, there are still some good people in the world.
They may not be the majority of the people, but if I can spend the majority of my time with them, it allows me to think there are more of them than there actually are.
posted by John Rosenthal @ 2:40 PM
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