Thursday, December 06, 2007
Where I'm At?
“Yo man, where you at?”
I was just reflecting on my lifelong trait of being creative then dumb in the same moment. I am not gullible, just situationally stupid.
Last December I was trying to find a battered women’s shelter in a town called Milford where the coach and members of a high school basketball were passing Christmas cookies to citizens at a shelter for battered women without gun permits. The coach called me on the cell,”Yo man, where you at?’ I responded “I be at the tire store and if the shelter ain't underneath one of the bays I’m in the wrong place I be guessin all up in here know what I'm sayin?”
I am so stupid, that I couldn’t find the place, and stupid enough to think it was a photo opportunity.
”yes I get my ass kicked every holiday, please take my picture for the community newspaper so my husband knows “where I’m at.”
Later in a town called Milton we were allowed inside a homeless shelter where some residents were watching Hogan’s Heroes on a black and white television.
One guy slouched on a metal chair said,”oh look, a paper plate stacked with Christmas tree cookies with green and red sprinkles. My life is about to take a turn for the better.”
He was a homeless smartass and why not? We always think people down on their luck are going to be appreciative of gifts given by those more fortunate.
How happy are you if Christmas carolers show up on your front step. You stand and smile, freezing your butt off, and think ”Hark the Hair balled angels sing-what do it mean? and if they go three songs deep looking like the spiritually anointed and chosen people you send a grandchild who's reading is up to grade level with instructions “it’s the brown bottle with the name Jack on the front.”
I will visit some of my former students serving long prison sentences-does life count-because my mother told me to do that 50 years ago saying ’some friends you have yet to make will go to prison for a mistake. Make sure to visit them over the holidays.”
How did she know that?
I’ll make sure to bring my camera.
Freddogg
