I Can't Print Magic Money

I paid a visit to an old neighbor of mine from another subdivision. It's been quite a while since I've seen her and although we aren't close friends, we were good neighbors. We shared a lot of laughs and stayed in touch through the years. My friend is in her early seventies and is pretty much alone. A remarkable lady, she often has many wonderful stories to tell, especially of her youth growing up in the South, and of her adventures with the men in her life.

It didn't occur to me that due to the economy, my friend might desperately need help. These past few months had been very tough on her. Her air condition had broken down and she didn't have any funds to repair it. She had to drive to the Catholic church every week to get a bag of free food. My friend, who had always been an independent lady, told me that it was the hardest thing to do, to drive her nice car to church and, instead of donating, stand in line to get help. She also told me that the church had asked her to come back once every two weeks now because there just wasn't enough food to give out to everyone.

My old neighbor is not your typical idea of someone in need. She lives in a relatively nice house and owns a vehicle. Her deceased husband had left her ample funds on which to live. However, much of it had been wiped out by Wall St. and hospital bills, so she's now alone, trying to make it with the few checks coming in. She has quietly sold most of her jewelry and nice clothes, along with some of her collection of pretty porcelains.

Today, I went out shopping to buy her some food and although she doesn't expect it, I hope to be able to help her out as much as I can. This has started me wondering about all the other neighbors around us who might be living in quiet desperation that we're just too blind to notice because we're busy trying to make it too.

If you have an elderly neighbor who lives alone and seems not to have too many visitors, please give him/her a minute or two and check up on their needs. Sometimes a gift of a rotiserie chicken dinner might be the first non-canned food they've eaten in weeks. Or, if you're able to, consider donating a sack of food to your local church. You don't have to be religious to do this. The Catholic church helping my friend didn't require her to be a member of their church or to attend any services; they have been giving out as much food as they can but there are just too many families in need right now.

I feel it's important to share this because many people feel too ashamed to ask for help. There are some who actually think such requests coarse or "unclassy," blaming the plight of the one in need on his/her inability to save enough money for rainy days. Sometimes, that rainy day money can be wiped out without a peep of warning. Think Bear Stearns, one of the largest investment banks, and those millions who had their accounts/investments with them when it went down like a house of cards. Some of those millions are older folks like my neighbor, who have no other means of income and are too old to go back into the job market. And too ashamed to ask their friends for help.

These days and these times, with that magic government printer churning photoshopped Lincolns, Washingtons, and Hamiltons in the background, we just need to take care of our friends--close or mere acquaintances--in our own way.

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