Walking towards Greater Awareness

On one of our recent walks, Benja and I walked by a house where people were offering soup.  I had not brought my wallet, so when they offered, I declined.  Not to discourage them, I inquired if they had a website.  They looked at my strangely, then told me that no they did not.  As we walked away, Benja explained that they were GIVING away soup, it was not a business venture.  My bad.

Then as Lotta, Zibbi, and I were walking home from ice skating, Lotta noticed a bunch of tents erected along the Yahara River.  She muttered, "Wow, look at

all those people camping."  To which I responded that I did not think they were camping, I was pretty sure they were people who had lost their homes during this pandemic. Then I immediately regretted sharing this.  I mean, how much should she know about what is happening in the world?  How much should I shelter her?  I know next year in middle school is when she will be exposed to the holocaust and all of its atrocities.  Then, I ponder all those families whose parents have no choice but to expose them to awful truths of racisim, poverty, injustice as they are living them.  How is it fair that I can protect my children?  Is that my own privilege that I CAN shelter my children from the ills of the world?

I guess what I am saying is things have changed so dramatically and so suddenly it feels like the whole world has shifted.  Yesterday there were photos of someone leaving the White House with an Abraham Lincoln bust.  Just walking out, as if it were a party favor.  A national historic treasure being removed from its home right before all of our eyes.  Being a rule follower, this act was both astonishing AND utterly repulsive to me.  It is outrageous to me that this man would steal a national treasure in front of us all.  Four years of mind blowing corruption in plain sight.  Again and again and again.  It is exhausting.  

Fact Check by Susan Zafer:  The bust that was seen being carried out apparently belonged to a private person.