As the evening wound down last night, Riley suggested we run to Fred Meyer for some microwavable pulled pork to make sandwiches. As we drove the short run I was struck by how the pace has changed in my old stomping ground. It’s much faster, the energy is higher and the diversity of the inhabitants is striking.
We parked quickly and efficiently in a parking lot I’ve parked slowly at over the years. This was a stop for my old Shopper Shuttle buses and I spent many a years bonuses buying Christmas gifts here.
The walk to the meat department was rapidly paced and the checkout was electronic and without human intervention. In what seemed mere seconds we were driving out the main entrance.
That’s when I saw her. A woman in her thirties was sitting there with a large sign and a child by her side. The sign was descriptive but all I could make out was I need help!. As we sped out to the main road she made eye contact with me and I saw a woman who once had a life and now has none.
It struck me how much of this I’ve seen here on this trip. A lump formed in my throat and my eyes welled up as I told Riley that if someone sat on a corner in my small town with a sign like that, a hundred people would swoop down on her to find out what’s up, and help her out!
I obviously live in a completely different reality…
Wow, that was powerful. You see people like that in Idaho Falls. Not here in our small town. If people need help, the church helps. It is a shame that people have to sit on street corners. They need to find a helping church. This made me stop and think!
Gotta love Idaho
Makes you wonder where the help we donate to goes. People give billions of dollars to help the poor ones that set along our streets. But they never get it. They try and get help but are turned away . I don’t understand why. My heart cries also Jim. Then I remember the man just off 410. He had quit for the day and climbed into a 2004 S.U.V. Makes a person wonder about that also.
Things have gotten to fast. No one wants to slow down and smell the roses or see the sun rise. Oh well it’s their lose. For me I love smelling roses and watching sun sets.
Love some pulled pork.