I went to El Dorado this morning to pick up a collection of socks a group had done for the Go Bags. The meeting was in a very warm, meeting room.
I got there and went in at 10:30. There were a handful of people there that were busy getting themselves organized for the meeting. I stood around for a few minutes without anyone saying anything to me.
I finally went up to the man that appeared to be in charge. I introduced myself to him. He gave me an agenda and told me at what point he would call on me.
I finally found a chair and sat down as more and more people came in. No one said a word to me.
The meeting started around 11:00. It was a typical business meeting with lots of side conversations happening. Interesting to watch. When it got to the point on the agenda where I was to be introduced they said something and then I stood and gave a brief presentation about Love in Action and thanked them for their donation of socks.
The meeting went on for a bit until the pizza arrived. They took a break for the pizza. Several people gave me cash to add to the cash they had given me with the socks and thanked me for what I am doing. One lady came over and gave me her contact information. I am to call her when I have something for her to do. She doesn’t do Facebook as she doesn’t trust it. I gave her the website address but she wasn’t sure she could find it.
They came back after break and finished up the meeting. Two different women came up and introduced themselves to me. Both are members of Love in Action. One in particular seemed glad to meet me. It is always fun to get to meet personally the supporters of Love in Action.
I gathered up the donations and left after taking the picture of the man that was in charge of the group holding a package of socks.
It was a most interesting meeting for me. The people that were there are dedicated people working hard for their cause. Doing what they have been doing for a long time. Most in the crowd were my age or older. There were a few young faces but not many.
At one point one of the people that is running for office asked what to tell people he runs into while going door to door that ask for a ride to the polls. Most got a deer in the head lights look on their face. One finally told him to tell them to call their precinct chair. I wonder if people know who that is. I have no idea who my precinct chair is or what that person does.
He also said he is discovering a whole lot of needs our rural, elderly people have. I wonder what he will do with that information?
I felt most of the meeting like I was on a completely different timeline than most in the room. At one point I looked down at myself to make sure I was still here. I felt invisible.
These are good people, working hard. But what a reminder to myself that the way we have been doing things no longer works! We have got to start doing things differently if we expect different results. How easy it is to overlook the most basic of needs to get people involved like a ride to the voting booth.
Not sure I am finding the right words to describe what I felt and witnessed today. I have never felt so out of place and out of alignment with the people in a room before. And I am on their “side” if you will. Non were rude or mean or purposely ignoring me. They were locked into their “agenda” and I don’t think saw me.
Makes me wonder how often I do that. I get so tied up in doing what I am doing that I miss the obvious and simple ways that I could have built a connection with another human. It was a great lesson for me today.
Maybe it was a timeline difference. Maybe it was a build connection with those within reach lesson. Whatever it was, I felt it to my most inner core. It really had nothing to do with the people that were there and more about the Universe talking to me.
Has anyone ever experienced something like this before? Would love to chat if you have.
I did think today on the way home about how do I reach people that don’t do Facebook. What media reaches people these days? There are fewer and fewer newspapers left and who reads them anyways? Does anyone still listen to the radio? If one isn’t on Facebook how would anyone know about Love in Action and even if one is on Facebook how would I reach them? There is still a part of the population that doesn’t spend time surfing the internet. No wonder we have stopped connecting to each other. We don’t have many common connecting points anymore.
It has been an interesting day on many levels for me. Lots of learning points and things to think about. Love when that happens. Who knows what direction I will course correct after today. Really felt the disconnection of society today and the changes that have to happen on many, many levels to rebuild us into something that works for all.
I did appreciate the socks and the cash I picked up today. We have enough socks to give each Detainee two pairs and still have lots left over for our next round of Go Bags when they are needed. The cash was probably enough to pay for doing the laundry at the laundromat on our three wash days.
My mind has been busy since I got home today. Lots of things for me to digest and think about. When I expect it the least, the Universe fills my soul with questions and opens my eyes to possibilities and change. Wow! It was kinda a mind fuck day.
Grateful for the donations of socks and cash, grateful my eyes were opened in a new way today, and grateful for a beautiful, fall day.