The give and take of America
She appeared to be in her eighties. Standing alone, tightly clutching her purse, anxiously watching the cash register.When the total was announced, she handed first one, then two cans of soup back to the cashier. She didn’t have enough money.So begins an incredibly powerful column in today's Washington Post by Colbert King, which I am going to urge you to read and to pass on.THe woman is able to leave with all of her intended purchases because the person in line behind her quietly offers to make up the shortfall. She thanks him and then leaves, with her less than $20 in groceries.
King uses her to start a broader reflection, reminding us
There are people in our community, in our midst, who live like that. Choosing between a can of soup and a package of rice because they can’t afford both.Stand with me at the bus stop in the early morning hours. Look at the passengers traveling to their low-wage jobs beyond the city limits. Their faces are mostly brown and black. They used to all be