Back in April a
tree fell on our house. I was at work but the rest of the Tribe was home –animals too- and spent several hours trying to sort it out. I felt like a sideliner because I didn’t even know until I rolled in around 4 am.
In our time of need, our neighbor gave us roof. She’s an elderly lady with a small trailer but she made room for us.
We got back in our house a little over a month later and YAY we’re still friends with that dear neighbor –I know living together can destroy the most idyllic conditions, but we made it!
I mention this to explain what’s happened recently. Diva befriended the parents of one of my daughter’s many exes. They’re from out of state and had no transportation, so Diva runs Ms. W around while Mr. J bikes to work @ Wal-Mart (it’s not uncommon down here, really). They have 2 sons in-house (16/14), 2 ankle-biter dogs & a ferret.
I took W with me & the Herd to the town Christmas parade this Saturday past and we had a great time. Sunday at work Diva texts me: They’re being evicted.
Shock? Certainly. W talks to Diva about everything. No mention of pending homelessness had come up.
I don’t know the owner’s reasoning or anything, and I will refrain from expressing my uncomplimentary opinion (mostly), but my first reaction was: Are they staying in our living room or the spare room at your Dad’s?
There was nothing to consider. Of course we would help them. They didn’t ask, and probably wouldn’t have, but we can’t allow them to be on the street, knowing we
could have helped.
So, yeah, we got 4 extra peeps under this shrinking (newly replaced!) roof, but we’re getting along. They’ve already been scoping for new digs & Diva is assisting them with filing formal complaints against the owner (snarl).
The eldest of their boys has had some trouble, as teens are wont to. His is getting frightening for his mother so Diva and me have slipped a lil unconventional (pagan/hippie/goth style) wisdom into the cracks in his armor. I hope its working. We have a boy his age & I’d be beside myself if Ben was getting into the things this kid thinks are funny (refraining…).
The other kid is quieter, studious & hangs under his mom. Both are interested in computers and technology.
Drooling over all the gear being offered by Hewlett Packard in their
HP Magic GiveAway got me thinking. I’ve got a few thrown together systems here. We have Ben, at 16 in high school, who really does need his own computer. Tweety has a lil laptop we managed to snag for cheap, & KJ & Steelio would be thrilled with that PC. Gryff is almost as puter-geeky as me...a laptop would put a shine on his face that would eclipse the sun.
So I very quietly waited for word of the opening, and it happened to come just after all this went down with W, J, and their boys.
So I began rethinking. We have systems, albeit thrown together. The boys share a computer and W & J share. W is a mature lady and not overly comfy with technology. She’s trying, even let Diva convince her to take a puter course @ the local library. Her health is up & down though, so she misses a lot.
If she had a laptop…Diva and me could help her out at home, or even here at our homestead. She’s getting into digital photography, and her younger boy takes homeschooling courses online.
This is too much gear to keep it all, I mean really. Even if we didn’t have the W & J sitch, Diva’s pop has been puterless for months & Ben really does need. I have a brother going to Iraq this month. I would love to set him up to make sure we keep in touch. His twin sister in Texas is without a computer & wants to continue her education…
The possibilities are truly endless.
It’s been my observation that there is no coincidence. There are reasons under reasons why things happen, why certain people are in some places at certain times.
We as a people have lost that *my brother’s keeper* mentality. We aren’t villagers closing the gates at sunset to keep the Boogie Man away from
our sheep,
our kids,
our homes. We have shut ourselves off from each other. We cannot make this trip alone. We have to reach out to each other, even if that reach is denied, the attempt, the offer –and the sincere desire to give and help- is what matters.
If I won the HP Magic Give Away, I would give away all but a system each for my son & Gryffin, and the printer. The rest, we have no need for. And we have more than enough people around us who do need.
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