This is a rant about money.
It annoys me that we need money just to survive in the modern world. We have lost touch with the land. We have lost touch with each other. I find it ironic that in this age of instant communication people cannot hold a simple conversation without a cell phone/text message interruption. God forbid you should try to eat a meal or watch a movie.
About money though. I don't mind working. Hell, I take pride in my work. I don't particularly enjoy the company of the people who request it, but the job itself I truly enjoy. Do I wish I made more money? Yes.
And that is part of what bothers me. I realize we are in the middle of a recession and times are hard for everybody but that is exactly my point. I have a customer that is trying to start a community farming project in a poor neighborhood. He is trying to establish a co-op that will train kids how to grow their own food and hopefully a surplus to sell at the local farmer's market. He has been trying to raise the initial investment for the better part of the last seven years. He has met with at least two mayors, tons of city councilpersons, several local corporations and many philanthropic organizations to no avail.
Now, anybody who knows me or who has read any of my rants know that I am far from what anyone would call a 'people person,' but I admire the Hell out of this guy! He's trying to get people to do for themselves. He's trying to put people to work and he's trying to get some land that the state has claimed for back taxes and put it to work. He wants to turn vacant lots into gardens and farms. He's trying to train malnourished and under-educated adults and kids into a situation where they can at least provide food for themselves. I am all about self-sufficiency so I think this guy rocks!
Now, as you might expect in Hellabama, his command of the English language is not exactly stellar. I polish his letters. I don't claim to be a master, but I can definitely clean up the five to seven pages of scribbling he brings in to the store into something coherent and (hopefully) persuasive. He actually asked me to "dumb it down" on one letter I wrote for him. He was afraid that if it sounded too smooth they would think he was a con man.
Now I ask you: Why has he been fighting this fight for almost seven years? The land he wants is sitting vacant and has been for years. It's centrally located in a very downtrodden part of town. The city doesn't want it. The state doesn't want it. Nobody wants to buy it. Someone owes back taxes on it and they obviously don't want it either. Why not put it to use? It would generate jobs for the neighborhood. It would help people put food on their tables. And more importantly it would give people in a neighborhood with little hope, beyond athletic scholarships, something to be proud of.
I learned a bit about gardening when I lived on my grandparent's farm. Maintaining a garden of the size he imagines is time-consuming, hard work. But he has people willing to learn and willing to work. I guess Hellabama politicians, who are more than willing to set aside a special fund so they can go to a six week long conference in Alaska, are also willing to let the poor and dependent stay poor and dependent.
Hmmm...I seemed to have veered wildly off-topic again. Oh well, it all needed to be said.
Have a great day and never let the bastards get you down!
