Talk To Scott

Before I write, let me confess to several things: First, I am an unabashed bleeding heart liberal. Now I understand that is not in vogue in West Texas, but I’ll put my liberalism in a context that I know everyone in our community will understand. For me liberalism is making an impact, doing something that makes what I’m part of better. When I was a high school coach, the key question for a player to ask himself was, “Is the team better because I am part of it?” If everyone from the best player to the least talented could answer in the affirmative, you had a pretty good team. As a community member, I have to ask myself, “Is where I live better because I am here?” Secondly, I must confess that the thing that I believe that all of us have an obligation to do is help the least among us. I don’t believe that there is someone who is undeserving of a helping hand. I left the judgment business a long time ago. So I have been looking for a place to do something “good.” More importantly, I want my two young children to have a social conscience. I want them to know that part of “American Exceptionalism,” in which I believe, is an obligation to serve their community, their fellow man, and their country. By the way, I think my two older kids are doing very well in this regard. My son, Kris, is a Major in the U.S. Army and has hit the service mark well. His sister, Kathryn, just ran a food drive for the firm she works for in Los Angeles that collected 40,000 cans of food for a local food bank. Wow.
Having said all that, what has inspired my liberal self into action was a visit by Bob Knox from Rust Street Ministries who described all of the ways in which a person could help make San Angelo a better place. Of course, there is the chance to donate canned and packaged food, clothing, and sort and distribute the donated items. All these are very good things to do. But the thing that grabbed me was the Garden of Eden. There community members can grow food, keep some for their own use, and donate the majority of it to Rust Street. Wow! This was cool on a lot of levels. First, I do not want my kids, Kort and Abby, to think that vegetables come only from cans, bags from the freezer, and the shelf at HEB. I come from a long line of Central Texas Rednecks, who raised their own food. I want my kids to know what that is like, and do something worthwhile with the bounty of the harvest. This is absolutely a great deal. Volunteerism as it should be. So I am off to Rust Street to join up. The plan, which is percolating as I write, is to ask some of my similarly inclined friends to join us in tending our part of Eden, and learn about planting, tending and harvesting vegetables. Then, assuming that my black thumb does not cause blight to visit the crop, do something worthwhile with the harvest.
I think this is a great opportunity for service and a great chance to teach my kids something that will benefit them more than those they serve. I would hope that many of you would find a way to contribute. So I hoe, I hoe, it’s off to Rust Street, I go. Bad pun, I know, but I couldn’t resist. See you at the cabbage patch.