getting things done 16 oz. at a time

When I have bad days, I feel like kicking the dog. Flint has had a bad half-century – and then folks who should have known better poisoned the water. I handed out cases of water to folks for four hours today, loading cars with water that comes from places as exotic as Piggly Wiggly and as well-known as Wal-Mart. Cases of water that were for drinking, cooking, washing dishes and hands, and in some homes, the bottled water is used for bathing and washing clothes. If you can imagine bad days, imagine not trusting your water source, and then getting the daily tasks that require water done in 16-ounce increments.

Yet not a single Flintstone failed to smile, and no one forgot to say thank you, and nobody complained or took the time to blame politicians or bureaucrats for the fact that they can’t drink the water. People were genuinely happy to receive the water, and grateful that there were folks to distribute it so that they could get on with the other parts of life that go on even when crisis makes it seem impossible. Folks did not want more than they could use, and nobody asked for more than was offered.

I have done a lot of angry complaining about what happened in Flint, both environmentally and economically, but a lesson I learned today is that life goes on with or without resources, and there are folks who are negatively impacted by the mistakes of others, as well as their own poor choices, who have a basic understanding of mercy and grace that is absent in the ongoing discussions about Flint when people who don’t live here look for somebody to blame and hold accountable for, well, for the condition of Flint. While we all need to be held accountable for the reality of American urban centers, the fact is that when one goes to urban neighborhoods with eyes open, they see strong and resilient people who come together when it is really needed to make sure life goes on while people in charge figure out what to do next. In Flint, folks are doing day-to-day business without a chip on their shoulder, and that is remarkable.

Back to work tomorrow, and, planning begins for some urban farming ideas. I met a guy named Mark today interested in poultry and goats. He has acreage, yes, acreage, in the city. He has plans. I have a mission. We’ll work together.