The calendar has changed. The time changes tonight. We’ve had our first real rain in many many months and a mere dusting of snow. But it is November and much comes with that. Those leaves aren’t really falling yet in my Pomona neighborhood, but they will. It’s a bit colder today. People are already thinking about Thanksgiving and the other holidays and the cheer of the season. There’s a couple of churches my sister and I drive past, one in Chino on Riverside Drive, the other on San Antonio, a few blocks up from the house. Whenever we drive past on a Wednesday, they are giving away food to those who need it. Not just on Thanksgiving. Or Christmas. They practice charity all the year-round. Some would say they are practicing their faith, not putting Christ back in the box until next Sunday. My sister and I have always been impressed with that. We compare that mentally to other places, wonder why some places don’t collect or donate. I look at the vast amount of food my students don’t eat when Breakfast in the Classroom (touted as one of former Supt. John Deasy’s great achievements) and wonder where it goes? Does it make it to those in need? Well, there are churches that don’t collect or donate, so I suppose that’s okay… Maybe these organizations have no mechanism in place. Maybe they’re content to look out for themselves. Maybe there are a lot of reasons, but maybes don’t help those in need. I’m tired of maybes. I think my sister and I can start donating to one of these local churches instead of wondering when some other place in L.A. might decide to do this. We’d know we are doing something, acting locally. Years ago, I remember a class at Fremont where I was talking about this kind of stuff. I mentioned that I would buy a meal a week for a couple of homeless people, then added, “What if we all did that, helping out those in need until they got on their feet?” It was that one class of “honors” kids who thought they were far smarter than anyone around them, thought they were above others. I remembered hearing laughter and a mocking voice, “Oh, I’ve got a tear in my eye.” It didn’t stop me from mentioning the idea, but there is that little sting, wondering how many think like that? But at least this would give Sunnie and I something positive to do. My sister, who is battling cancer, wants to do something to help others. As do I. It would be acting locally. Think globally, act locally? Okay, I can live with that.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 01:02:00 +0000
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