My husband and I just ran out for breakfast - we stopped to get gas down the road and since I didn't want to write a check for an entire tank, I grabbed a $10 out of my purse. David just finished and was screwing the top on when a very small person came up to me and was crying - she was late, could we give her a ride to WalMart at 75 and 121st - that new Glenpool WalMart. She's small built but not a child - 31 years old. Her car is broken, she has to be at WalMart by 10 and it's already almost 10 after.
Of course we can, I opened the back door of the station wagon and started throwing things off the back seat that is laying down. David runs to the other side and also begins the fast flinging of garden flags and cardboard and signage materials. We get the seat raised and she jumps in. I asked her her age - I could tell she wasn't a kid after she spoke but wasn't sure how old she really was - younger than my own daughter at 31 she is. I told her we didn't shop at WalMart anymore and if she had been late lately - No she replied hoping not to get into trouble. She lives near the high school but her three kids are staying in Tulsa. Probably can't pick them up to bring them home and her accent indicates she's not local. She's lived here a while but is from New York originally.
Times are rough and this is just a speck of what is underlying in this nation. As we drop her off, I hand her a napkin with my first name and phone number on it. I tell her I can be called here and there for rides - in case she needs further assistance. It scares me to think of my daughter walking to work.
David and I begin to talk after we head back to the house - about how the economy is affecting those in our country - the widening gap. There's the Haves and the Have Nots. David is angry and says something about the Haves not sharing and I said it is worse than that. I said that those who don't have, really don't have much at all - car broke, probably can't afford to fix it, new cars can't be fixed with duct tape and wire. Children being cared for in Tulsa while she lives in Sapulpa - that's another indication of lack of food or space. And I said gently to my husband, David we are the Haves. No we aren't rich, we live just a bit above paycheck to paycheck but the bills are paid. Our credit scores are high enough and we just refinanced our house - our payments are cheaper than buying a car now. My car is paid for - I have. We have. If David got laid off, we'd Have Not. It is a scary time - I'll teach anyone how to grow food. Anytime, anywhere I can afford to go.
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