I will go back. The food was quite good, but I needed to use the salt shaker on my mashed potatoes, boiled and mashed with the skin on...my kind of potatoes.
They served pork, bbq sauce on top, baked beans, mashed potatoes, roll, ice cream, brownie. I did not eat the baked beans or half my potatoes. The baked beans, mashed potatoes, and part of the roll along with oats from home was for Dominique.
The company was excellent. A couple who were retired from a school system in MO sat with me along with J and her bf. J did not come with me, but just happened to see me.
This dinner happens every Thursday night at some sort of center where they help people with GED, resumes, drug rehab, and such. One young woman from rehab sat and talked with me for a while before people came in. When parents are allowing a young girl to be molested for years and blame it on her, and she is finally raped by two men, how do these young people have any chance for a normal life? She said she is off meth and heroin but not strong enough, so she went to rehab, on her own...she said.
I tried to encourage her to be strong. She said she rejected men because of their mistreatment since she was three-years-old and turned to women, but she knew that was not what she wanted. She is only 24-years-old, and a very sweet, well-spoken person, not hardened like I would expect from her history.
This is working. Going places that are free and talking to her and the very well-educated couple pulls me from TV and the Internet! My mind needs this.
It is so hot I am just dying and it is after 8 pm. Friday night, it should be in the high 50s, so I am looking forward to sleeping well that night.
Your turn
Do you find yourself in need of entertainment that is not TV or internet? Anyone still suffering from the heat still? Do you ever talk to people who are or were addicts and marvel at the evil in their worlds? Are you thankful you were never on the same path and had parents who believed you, protected you, and were not addicts themselves?
Linda, I have a past part of my career when many of the young parents I worked with had pretty horrific lives. My work, hopefully, helped them be better parents and break a cycle. I am impressed with your community. Getting people together to socialize from all parts of life means the community can grow and find its own solutions.
ReplyDeleteI was given a paper with a web site to give input as to what the community needs. I will fill it out. The woman brought a tablet to help those who are old and not computer literate or those who have no access. In many ways, it is a good community.
DeleteHearing some of their hard lives makes one understand how they could turn to drugs to deal with it. The one's I do not understand are those that lived good childhoods, had responsible, encouraging parents, stable lives, a good education, etc(like my son) and yet choose to do drugs.
ReplyDeleteIt's still so hot here that I get away from the tv/internet because I have to water all the plants and flowers haha!
One,
DeleteI know that some have everything and throw it all away. However, when you look behind the scenes, often life is not so good. I don't believe your circumstances would lead a child to do drugs. Sometimes, it is coming in contact with the wrong person. But, there are so many children with parents that are worthless and have children who are on the straight and narrow.
Yes, getting out in the heat is the best way to get away from screens...lol. You are funny.
yes, you are definitely correct about coming in contact with the wrong person(s). That is exactly what my son did and just keeps surrounding himself with people like that now. Sad.
DeleteONE,
DeleteDon't lose hope. However, I understand your worry.
Hot, hot, hot and insane humidity!
ReplyDeleteI have lived long enough to see wonderful adults who lived through unbearable childhoods, and conversely have met horrible people who were raised in an encouraging and nurturing home. Of course I have also known wonderful folks who had an idyllic childhood and troubled people who came from troubled beginnings. Life is a crap shoot I guess.
Anne,
DeleteI know there is no formula for trouble or for staying out of trouble. The problem is that people expect young people from bad homes to be bad, pushing the unfortunate even further from the best in the world. There is just way to predict who will survive. Yes, a crap shoot.
I meant to say--no way to predict...
DeleteI'm changing the subject here but my kids came back from dumpster diving last night with 5 gallons of A2 milk.
ReplyDeleteIt's like the perfect story to tell you!
kylie.
DeleteYes, it is the perfect story for me. I hope they don't discontinue a2milk because it was not bought! Anyone who drinks that milk will have not gastric distress! Thanks for telling me. It makes me want to dumpster dive again!
Some people are dealt real bad hands. I am constantly thankful for having responsible, encouraging, well-educated and wonderful parents. I think that is one of the best gifts in life.
ReplyDeleteT'Pol,
DeleteYou are truly lucky, but you did not stray to the dark side. It is a gift that children often do not appreciate. I hope you tell your parents!
What a wonderful community you have and how wonderful you are to talk to someone so young who has had such a hard life. So many older people I know simply reject the young recovering drug addicts with the attitude that 'it never happened when I was growing up'. No, we had alcohol abuse until the Vietnam War brought home so many addicted to marijuana and other drugs. Don't they remember that?
ReplyDeleteWhile we don't have a community like yours both my hubby and I try hard to make eye contact, smile, say hello to anyone - homeless, old, alone, looking down on their luck - hoping to make them feel better. We don't have money to spare but we donate unused items to a couple of local thrift stores, and we shop there too, that feed the homeless & those in need. It's the least we can do to make a better world.
Bellen,
DeleteI am just as comfortable talking to a young, uneducated, recovering drug addict as I am talking to the well-educated, older, retired couple. People have described me as down-to-earth and approachable. I try to be encouraging, at least.
Our times were our times, but it is so easy to white-wash our past. It is easier to pretend the past did not happen and we lived in a butterfly time.
Everyone cannot do everything to help others. Being tolerant, friendly, and doing what you can is the important thing. It seems you do.