Hello lovelies, I don’t know where any of you are located, but I am in Portugal. Right now I am sitting at a table in a cafe in Lisbon, just down the street from Parque Eduardo VII on a wet Tuesday. I normally spend my Monday’s and Friday’s here, but today I am filling in for a colleague that wasn’t able to staff the cafe and co-work space today. They are very nice and I have really enjoyed getting to know them since they started working here. I have had occasion to chat with them several times and found them to be quite charming and engaging. Much smarter than myself. Much younger too.
While I am now retired and taking my foot off the accelerator, to coast the distance to whatever is in store for me, they still have their foot – pedal to the metal – so to speak. I wish them luck. This is not a world I would like to navigate. It has become something of a mystery to me. How did we end up here? How did it come to be that these things have passed. I guess it’s my generation’s fault. We raised them. Fed them the bullshit that they believe. Caused them to suffer while we tried to make it through. Gave them a participation prize when they should have gotten a swift kick in the ass. Maybe not. I don’t really know what happened. I’ve read so many differing opinions, from economists, psychologist, realists, politicians, you name it. Everyone has a theory about why we are where we are. I don’t. I see truth in most of them, except for the aliens one.
Bottom line is that people are people and when push comes to shove, most – not all – most are only concerned with their own well being. That’s why there’s poverty, inequity, greed. All the seven deadly sins. If you believe that sort of stuff. Me, I just think people are generally rotten. Again, my qualifier, most people. There are always exceptions. I am no saint, I have my flaws, I try to provide for myself and my loved ones. Sometimes at the exclusion of others. So yes, I am guilty as well. That’s why I try to do the small nice things once in a while. Like fill in for a colleague when they need to take a day.
Since I’ve started working here, I have met a number of nice people. Truly nice people. Very sincere, salt of the earth people, as my grandfather used to say. Generally speaking, these people don’t have hidden agendas. These people that I’ve met. They can’t afford to. They are marginalized, victimized, hated, reviled and discarded. Many are not only outcasts but refugees. Unwelcome in their own homes, their own countries, their own families. So they come here. And make a family, a family to support each other. Openly and honestly. And without judgement. So when someone needs a day to do whatever, then I can fill in for them.
I’m nearing my seventies, never thought I would say that. But at a time that most my age are sitting around watching television, or sleeping. I am here working. Not for a living, but for support of the community that has been my home for most of those years. I have learned a lot in my time, from literally how to build a house, to how to plan an event. To filming movies and television shows, to directing and producing projects. I have been very fortunate to be able to be surround by beautiful creative minds all my life. and some of it has rubbed off on me. I’m lucky. So why not fill in for someone. I built some shelves while I was here because they needed the space for the coffee cups and other supplies above the coffee machine. They didn’t buy the shelves. I had them and gave them. and put them up. Why not. I get here in the morning and clean up, empty the trash, clean the toilets, wash the dishes. Whatever needs to be done. Hang some curtains. Make some racks for donated clothing. Not enough though. But I do what I can.
Why? Because this is a House. A house for people who have been marginalized, victimized, hated, reviled and discarded. Not because they need me, but because I need them. Because this house is a home. And I am happy here, and it’s just another day and it’s never enough.
Jaunty-Rabbit 