Today, after I woke to sirens. I heard a voice tell me to leave the building. When I realized that I wasn’t dreaming and that the voice wasn’t in my head I promptly left and waited across the street with the rest of you. Altogether we stood amassed at the crosswalk confusing people who intended to cross. An old lady screamed, “Don’t hesitate,” thinking we were afraid of the car or two that passed over the crosswalk when the hand was red. She walked across, without hesitating.
Today I didn’t have to go into the office. The office manager had something to attend to and so I decided to head to Great Lakes Coffee on Woodward to work and for my morning joe. For part of the day I worked in their outdoor section. I sipped coffee and conducted a literature review before working further on lesson plans and freezing in my shorts and short sleeve button up inside. It still amazes me that every time I wear shorts this summer I’ve managed to freeze somewhere.
I overheard a barista there say he was going to see, “The Book of Mormon,”tonight after work. If you’re not familiar it’s written by the creators of South Park. I felt the sudden pang of jealousy. Immediately, I directed my search to investigate the going price for tickets to the show tonight. It was $77 for the cheap seats. If only I valued humor that much…or rather, if I wasn’t aware I can laugh at most anything else that isn’t as expensive…If I spent that much to sit down for another couple hours (after sitting for nearly 8 hours working on lesson plans and literature reviews at Great Lakes) I don’t think laughing would be possible for the rest of the evening, unless I laughed at myself. So I ruled that one out.
However, this whole ordeal did cause me to briefly reflect on the contrast between the $77 cheap seats and the lack of running water for many of Detroit’s residents; such a split between the haves and have nots. Well I suppose that divide just appears more and more plain in this country these days. No wonder it can be dangerous to walk around at night if you have anything to lose. One website I read mentioned not wearing college gear if your walking home late at night. It singles you out as one of the privileged, which can be dangerous. I know many cities can be dangerous and it is not only in Detroit when erring on the side of caution may be beneficial. I know many people echo the sentiment of revitalization, but I do wonder how deep the divide runs in this city. Intellectually I think I have an idea, but experientially I don’t have a clue. I think what makes me worry the most is not knowing what I would do if I were in the situation of the hungry, homeless, or struggling homeowners without running water. How would I behave? I know I’ve never had to deal with the reality of homelessness, hunger, or no running water.
A week or two back, while eating at Shangri-La a women walked by me and asked for money or food. I had made my order, but didn’t have any food to offer her. I declined, and she passed, only to walk back a few moments later and into Shangri-La. As you might’ve guessed she was tossed out in a minute or two. She was cursing up a storm, and bitterly, she ambled to the other side of the street without a crosswalk and in front of traffic. I watched her across the street. She pinched her face, scowled and cursed under her breath. I ate my food. Stir fried vegetables over rice in a ginger and garlic sauce, at a modest price of $12 after tip…sure…modest.
I was able to save some leftovers so I carried them to the other side of the street in the styrofoam box the waiter at Shangri-La gave me. As I approached the lady I recognized the scowl had not left her face, but as I approached I asked, “did you want something to eat?” I gave her the leftovers. She thanked me. I didn’t linger, and I realized it wasn’t really a big deal. It was necessary. Who wouldn’t be upset, or seem unruly when food or water is hard to come by. The truth is, that wasn’t the only time I’ve given food to a person who begged me for it. There have also been times when hungry people ask me for food or money and I walk past…Sometimes I try not to look because it can be a difficult thing to see. Especially when it’s directly in front of you… and I feel like I get asked for food a lot. Some people also ask for money for the bus when I walk home from the Detroit Center on Fridays.
However, that’s also why these non-profits are important. I’m optimistic for the successes of my organization, and I’m glad that my skills will be able to help them continue to make important strides in educating children and teens. I’m even more pleased that they have been around for almost 20 years helping students achieve a voice through poetry, and go on to publish work and participate in slam competitions and win awards for their writing. I’m glad that we can all talk about community and are given a chance to show we care. I’m glad that I gave away my leftovers, that I really couldn’t save anyway without a refrigerator, or even fit in my already full stomach for that matter, to someone who I knew needed it. This is what revitalization is about to me. Revitalization is not a word only tied to non-profit work, but also to helping when we can, in small ways, and at other times when we are able to show we care. I’m not saying we can’t treat ourselves to things occasionally, just that we should also consider other options before treating ourselves compulsively.
I also sometimes really wonder, if the things I do, are enough. But as a philosophy professor I had at NMC once said…”You have to choose your battles.” Boiled down, I assume that means pick something to stand up for, and do it with all your heart. Make sure it gets done. The people who started these organizations truly have minds and thoughts that don’t skirt around problems, or sweep them under carpets, and that is truly inspiring to me, when even discourse about common problems seems only to lead to misunderstandings or false representations of people (or cities) in our society.
I sometimes refer to Peter Singers talk on ethics to reflect on the money I often spend on clothes. It is important to consider these ethical situations, even if we find that we have difficulty changing them. http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVViICWs4dM&feature=kpit is truly important to consider these things.
