On occasion, we should all shut down the television and computers for the weekend; then, pick up a newspaper or phone a friend. Chances are we’d each find an opportunity to spend a few hours with a bud; and, very likely perform a good deed as well!
One barn short of a barn raising, the energy is infectious none the less! These individuals have a mission: they have decided to pitch in on this not-so-warm Sunday morning; it is dirty work ahead, not exactly anyone’s idea of a fun-filled weekend activity, but for sure the personalities will add some levity. We will need it; there is lots of lifting and shoving and piling and pushing in order to unload a forty-eight foot truck. This gaggle of buds is determined as they systematically unload yesterday’s treasures and place them under cover before the threat of rain. Yes, it is spring, but the threat is real; with some good fortune, the majority of items will be out of harm’s way before the storm. A friend drops by with two flats of donuts from the local bakery…ahhh, yes, there are chocolate bars and cinnamon rolls; the bigger kids bite into the delicious memories and the rest of us transplants just savor the moment. Time for a break!
A few more introductions, and some light barbs and one understands what community should be. There are all kinds of personalities and ages here this morning; some with a sense of humor that serves to lighten the load and the too often depression that such a dreary day might normally cause. We are an elite few, not because we have, but because we share. We share the same vision; once these items are auctioned off, a start up fund for the new non-profit will exist.
And thus far, it is our secret! Cars pass by this Sunday morning, drivers stretching their necks to see what is happening inside the once busy corner space of Main Street. Rumors have already been flying; citizens are surmising; it’s a guessing game and of interest, especially to the older citizens who have lived through so many changes. What is going on? What are you going to do? What is it that you are going to provide? For now, we let the imaginations wander and continue rather teasingly, dropping little bits of info; none enough to really answer their questions. This is much more fun this way, especially until we are ready to “make our official entrance” in the downtown business district.
Even the little ones get in to the act; two small little critters whose mother is teaching them to produce; to help; to give; and their only reward was a donut or two at break time. But they are happier than most little ones I’ve seen these past few years; and if truth were known, they most likely have less than their peers in material things. I am watching these two, who certainly have confidence in their own abilities thus far. One continues to perform a few cartwheels in between the carrying of small child-size boxes; the other asks for some guidance on occasion but, for the most part, makes her own decisions on where to group similar boxed items, and then comes back for more. Their joyous little faces are nothing short of comfort for those of us who had begun to wonder if the young would have the heart to carry on some of the same customs; but these little critters have convinced us! America’s giving spirit lives on!
So, I needn’t pay too much attention to the claptrap that poses as national news or “alerts” these days. I can, instead, return my focus to the grass beneath my feet. Time to see what the next truckload holds for us here in God’s Country…