"luxury"

In the midst of this midwest (national) heat wave, this semi-retired vegetable grower has the "luxury" of sitting by a fan and drinking cold water. And because of circumstances I am able (as a possibly "endangered elder") to be out of the work awaiting me out there, the chores are done. So we are not talking about air conditioning or other luxurious here, it is a bit more basic than that.

My thoughts and hopes at this moment are with the homeless who must exit shelters so those facilities can be cleaned, and make their way to public libraries and other public places if they can through blistering streets. And with migrant workers and other such laborers who are either in or preparing to enter the fields, yards, work sites and such, with no or utterly few resources to comfort them.

The silent minorities who are either living out the legacy of poverty and homelessness in shelters, abandoned buildings, under bridges and other locations,* or are working in substandard conditions (doing work which other people do not have the stamina or desire to do, or need to do it) are most often forgotten in times like this. Why? Because it is too hard to look at them, they are denied by the denial of consciousness, a basic shift of focus.

How long has it been since you have been on the street or on a work site without water, without the access to a bathroom or finding shelter? Have you ever been obligated to go to work day after day with no or little amenities available, live in a home where the water and electricity has been shut off? "But someone has to do it.." I can hear the refrain out there somewhere.

How can our humanity enable us to limit the number of endangered people as much as can be, and help those who are "out there" as much as we can? Not with charity (although that is better than nothing) but with mutual aid, as Frederick Franck reminds us in his book on humanness. Working, active compassion is part of who we are and should. Denial hasn't and will not work.

* I am talking about substandard facilities for the elderly too, of course, people sitting in wheelchairs, on benches and chairs in hot. uncomfortable hallways, waiting for the next move.