Slapdash’s Neighborhood

What I Believe (At Least In Part)

Barry
8 hours ago
2 comments

Earlier today an online "discussion" about - among other things - ideology and who was "worth" helping got me to thinking about a friend:

The first time I saw Iris she was shepherding half a dozen kids through the computer center in Howard University's Engineering building. She declared rather matter-of-factly that she wanted someone to teach "her kids" about computers.

They weren't all hers (none of them were actually) but that didn't keep her from wanting the best for them. I gave them a tour. And eventually students from the engineering school began tutoring those kids - and others from the neighborhood - and volunteering at "Mother Dear's Community Center" which Iris had been running since her mother (the original "Mother Dear") had passed. Iris had a degree from Boston U, and a child with a disability to care for, yet she took on the thankless task of heading a truly 2-bit operation that ran entirely on meager donations from the greater D.C. community.

They never had enough to ever be "comfortable" but they were an effective force in that community. Mostly because of Iris. She was fearless. She was relentless. She was practical. Iris was about 4 foot nothing and weighed about 80 lbs sopping wet. Yet she made her presence felt. She'd walk right up to you, look you in the eye, and advocate for her charges. Mother Dear's provided hot lunches for anyone who walked in the door. They ran a second hand clothes shop and Iris's sister, a nurse, provided blood pressure screening and prenatal care.

One Thanksgiving Mother Dear's provided dinners at local mental health clinic on Georgia Avenue, near Howard's campus. I volunteered to dole out food that day. Even baked a couple of pies. I was the youngest volunteer working and the only male. Iris had leveraged several local businesses to provide turkeys for the event. The rest of the food was prepared by the volunteers.

We had a regular assembly line going. Each "guest" got turkey (dark or white meat), the choice of stuffing or mac and cheese, the choice of one of three vegetables and a dessert. I worked the dessert table naturally. I have a basic affinity for desserts, a "calling" if you will.

Most of our guests were from the clinic and we had plenty of staff on hand to assist the more incapacitated patients. Everything was running smoothly until I noticed a backup at the beginning of the line. A patient was throwing a small fit and the ladies serving him were visibly afraid. For whatever reason all of the clinic orderlies were occupied at the moment, so I moved down the line to assist.

It seemed that even though rules had been explained to him, the patient wanted "everything." The line had come to a complete standstill and this guy was making like an immovable object so I took his plate and served him. Piled his plate high, gave him everything he wanted in the portions he wanted. It was worth it to just get the line moving again.

When we reached the end of the line the plate was packed high and wide. I ceremoniously handed it over to him and declared, "Happy Thanksgiving bruh!"

He rather casually responded, "I don't want this slop," and turned the plate over onto the floor. He obviously wanted a fight and I was happy to oblige.

However before either one of us could lay hands a couple of orderlies appeared and dragged him screaming from the room while Iris jumped in front of me. I wanted to follow after but she stood her ground. What followed was one of the strangest exchanges I've ever had:

Iris: "You're angry"

Me (fuming): "Oh Ya think?"

Iris: "Why?"

Me: "What?"

Iris: "Why are you angry?"

Me: "Iris that idiot just wasted food that somebody else could have eaten!"

Iris: "Where are you?"

Me (after a bit of a pause): "I'm in a mental institution."

Iris: "I ask again, why are you angry?"

Me: "...."

Iris: "Look everyone you help is not going to appreciate what you're trying to do or even understand what you're trying to do. It doesn't mean that the work isn't worth doing or that the need isn't there. Now get back to it.

My little lesson in humility. Not everyone I attempt to "help" is going to kiss my ring in return for my altruism. I'm not suggesting that assistance be doled out to blindly either. There be scofflaws aplenty. But it seems to me that society has become so distrusting and "exasperated" that the "poor and needy" keep coming back for more that we've decided that they "deserve" to be where they are. When actually "there but by the grace of God..." A well worn cliche, but true nonetheless.

Or put another way, it occurs to me - especially these days - that we're all just one step from the asylum doors.

Dirty Thirty

Happy Birthday Janika!

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kingdom of life entries

Pada'lagh -- In the Kingdom of Life, the most popular drink and smoke come from the same plant. The Pada'lagh grows on a tree near the western foothills away from the sandy soil of the coast. The trees are tall and bushy, dark green leaves and large red fruit like pomegranates. The tree flowers all summer and the fruit grows in size throughout the winter. In late spring, they ripen splitting open, revealing small seedlings of pink & orange. The seedlings are highly sought for their narcotic nature and the most popular Pada Wine is made from it. The skins of the fruit themselves are harvested, dried and shredded into a weed smoked in pipes.

The groves of Pada'Lagh draw a creature left over from when the otherworldly creatures ruled & haunted the Kingdom of Life -- the panther like monster called the Displacer Beast. It eats the fruit, getting drunk on the seedlings for weeks at a time. Prides of the creatures will eat the contents of an entire grove. The worst thing are the weeks after they have eaten the fruit. Going through withdrawal they start prowling the lands of the Tupari, killing indiscriminately. Thus it is always in the best interest of the Pada'lagh pickers to get their fruit before the displacers show up.

The tupari used to hunt the displacers but in these times when good men are either taken for the armies of the Druids or just ... taken, the Tupari are forced to hire outsiders. Adventurers, mercenaries and sailors needing quick coin often do the work but even they are in short supply these days.

December... Umm.

Daniel
5 days ago
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This is a crosspost from ...was i there?

So yeah. It's (ugh) Holiday time. How's tricks? I'm doing alright, thanks for asking. I figured I'd... yanno... blog tonight.

I know.

So here's one! Remember how the past three years I have been forced to work 6 days a week from Thanksgiving to New Years? Well.. Heh. This year, not so much!! I am soo zen about this Holiday season I can't even tell you. It's a nice feeling knowing I get my days off. Really nice. Although there are no weekends off. But hey, I can drink on a Monday! Woo hoo!

That said, tonight's really our Wednesday so no going out to play for us. One of our best gal pals came over though! Now how awesome is that? Sitting home with us on a Friday night cause we have to go to bed early... We have awesome friends. Like, srsly. And OMG what is
THIS
. LOL. My friends rawk. I wanna know what picture that was tho, I had my "new" facial hair in that. OMG.

It's Noon Somewhere

Beau Smith
Nov 29, 2009
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Happy Birthday Alex!

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Get Your Holiday On

Daniel
Nov 27, 2009
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This is a crosspost from ...was i there?

Oldie but goodie!!

MERRY KISS MY ASS!!

Merry Kiss My Ass

Daniel
Nov 27, 2009
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This is a crosspost from ...was i there?

Hey all!! If you are here, and not seeing a hottie Santa in his undies, please *CLICK HERE*

Love ya!

Miso Mashed Potatoes w/ Carmelized Onions + Mushrooms

Beau Smith
Nov 26, 2009
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My contribution to Thanksgiving dinner.

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Plated...

Beau Smith
Nov 26, 2009
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That's Maldon salt on top. The peanut butter / honey filling is poping out the cracks. Next batch will be cooked less and have either habañero, cayenne, or jalepeño.