Tuesday, September 20, 2022

look up

I had to run an errand on the far side of town and found myself getting dejected by it as I always do... the houses seem to be falling down a bit more than normal, the cars seem rustier and noisier...

And I say this as someone who lives in a house whose roof has leaked for at least three years and has not been fixed although roof-work started [... and stopped] at the beginning of summer and as someone who drove a car with a busted-up headlight for nearly six months this year after my 'deer incident' as there were no replacement parts available.

But I know it's not really the same thing. My dejection is because how that is yet another nudge about how we live in a world of inequity, recognizing how huge this is, and coming to terms that it's not something I can ever begin to fix by myself. 

And then on my way home I came to this crossroads (It reads: ML King Jr. Blvd and Malcolm X St). That made me smile so big because sometimes I talk myself through social situations by asking myself if I want to do it "like Martin or like Malcolm?"

Dr. King's uncle was a local Lansing pastor and Minister Malcolm, of course, grew up in Lansing. A gray-ish day and an unexceptional photograph, but a good reminder of a moment that lifted me up.

3 comments:

Nicole MacPherson said...

Wow, what a cool intersection!!!

I have found myself feeling dejected about the very many young people I see lately, who are clearly addicts and suffering very much. These young people are often just holding cardboard signs around very busy intersections - which also makes me nervous, because what if they get hit by a car - and just lying in parking lots (ditto on the nervous front). I honestly don't know what to do. I don't know how best to help. It's very sad.

StephLove said...

Take those moments where you can get them.

maya said...

Nicole--same here. Usually not very young though. Cash and a conversation are usually welcomed, but I'm never convinced that it is the "right" thing and of course it's NOT enough to just do that...

StephLove--certainly! That's probably my motto these days.

what we are built for

in the days when the kids were smaller and my parents younger and they lived here  six months of the year                                   ...