Danger in the City??

I would've posed with of-the-period style fisticuffs a-blazin', but the hat demanded something more refined.

My friend Jessie & I made it out to Columbus last week to surprise her friend Brittany, who turned 27 and had a rather inviting 20s-themed box social at The Drawing Room on High St. We arrived at around 11:30pm, but found on-the-street parking to be in short supply, so we turned down 5th Avenue to pulled to the curb.

I turned the car off, and handed Jessie her keys, which she put in her purse. Looking over her shoulder, she saw 3 burly-sized individuals sort of loafing around outside the car, standing closer than comfortable to her door. It didn't dawn on me what they could be doing, but with their oversized hoodies pulled high in deference to their exaggeratedly poor posture, J was wise to their game.

So, she handed the keys back, we locked the doors, and pulled out of their lickity-split, found safer parking, and had a roaring-good time. Until a gentleman at the event remarked on how "unsafe" he always feels whenever he visits Detroit.

I won't elaborate too long on Jessie's and my subtle and irreverent take-down of said man's protestations, suffice it to say he apologized. When asked "where do you visit," he replied "downtown, by Comerica Park and the Fox."

What does it say that the most populous and safest part of the city could strike fear and discomfort in the heart of this Columbus-dweller? A reflection of the city, or a reflection of the heart of this man? I shall submit my experience - on my first visit to C-bus, I dare add - almost getting jumped as a prime rebuttal.

All cities can be dangerous. But that doesn't mean you write them all off. Detroit is no different.

Giving Thanks

First Thanksgiving in America since 2007, and the Lions lost. Welcome home, eh? As I ate turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole - the usual fare - I reflected on the 3 Thanksgivings I celebrated at High Tide restaurant in Chuuk. I ate the same food there (with the addition of spam-fried rice, of course), and I did so in the company of friends. Even though it was nice to be with my family again today, I miss my M74, 75, and 76 friends who made the past three "last Thursdays in November" a family experience.

So today I'm giving thanks for all the people who made my last three years in Micronesia a remarkable, unforgettable experience.  I'm thanking them for challenging my notions about what development means, and thus starting a process in my head of evaluation and criticism about what comes next for me. I'm thankful for the relationships which grounded my work, provided inherent value to the work I accomplished, and gave context to the larger questions and ideas (faith, spirituality, human empowerment, sustainable development) which are my passion.

Today's Thanksgiving meal was what I had been wanting for the three years I was gone - Mom's green bean casserole, Aunt Stacie's salsa, and the Lions' usual sub-par performance.  But I really missed the High Tide waitresses and the Ran Annim welcome as I walked through the glass doors.

Feed

The adage "give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for his life" is only true for the men in our world who live near water and have the capacity to fish. For the rest of the world's children, women, and men (well, at least those in Pontiac, Michigan), there's the Baldwin Center. Since 1981, Baldwin has been serving meals in its family kitchen to the homeless, the poor, the near-poor, and the people in-between who need a safe place with the lights on. We serve over 300 meals a day, at breakfast during the week, at lunch everyday but Tuesday and Thursday, and dinner on those two nights, and that doesn't include the meals served to our summer and after-school youth programs. People come to us on foot, by car, and on bike. Some are between jobs and are just trying to stretch their budget. Most come sober, and most walk through our doors on their own two feet. But a wide range of addictions and disabilities harangue many of the people we serve, and for them, lunch or dinner at Baldwin is critical to meeting their needs. The nice thing about having been around for 30 years is the depth and breadth of volunteer relationships we've cultivated. Some of our volunteer groups have been coming monthly every year since we opened. And that's a significant indicator of why we've been successful for all these years. Because without volunteers to cook, dish, and serve the meals, nobody would be fed. Today, we want to continue building relationships like the ones that have sustained our mission to feed, by incorporating new individuals and groups into our volunteer mix. Come join us fill bellies and provide people with a constant source of nourishment in this world of uncertainty. 248.332.6101.