I say I live in the "suburbs"...and I do...in a declining, probably now a lower-middle-class neighborhood. And I live here with a precious grandson whose parents bought a house across the street from me. My other daughter, her husband, and baby girl live almost inner city.
Though my home is in a suburb, it is smack-dab in city limits. With a pawn shop and a liquor store and a Pilot gas station and a drug rehab center and a Strike N' Spare bowling alley, all within walking distance.
The other day, there were two attempted robberies in "my" grocery store. I was there for one of them. The manager confronted a really large, braless, belligerent black woman about some stolen items in her purse.
Three steps away from my Cracker, under 140 Pound Self.
She threatened the young male manager, also white, and smaller than (even) me. Then she bolted towards me. I literally ran away, pushing my buggy. She ran past me, only to be blocked by a few male employees, who tried to form a human enclosure, to contain her until police came. It was loud and scary.
Depressing stuff, I won't lie.
But then I read stuff like this.
(A wonderful blog post that will challenge your ideas about the sweet country farmhouse/Catholic school/private school/home school life you think you want to give your children...)
And like www.flowerpatchfarmgirl.blogspot.com and her entire October "31 Days of Going" series.
This stuff will mess with you, if you read it. You might want to leave it alone.
On a bad day, I still want to go all Pioneer Woman, and move to the country, milk cows and live in benign seclusion.
But then I hear my neighbor's granddaughter, abandoned by her mother, living with her grandparents - my neighbors - and she is loudly singing in the yard under my window. Someone has to admire her 5 year old soprano, and show her the love of God. I sorta want the job.
Deep thoughts, here at the cottage. I am proud to be a NOT country blogger...a NOT wealthy, suburban grandmother...proving every day that I can be earthy and wise and eat from farm to table without property and livestock. And I can be politically aware, and don black sunglasses and carry a Michael Kors bag without living in a hip urban loft.
I am more like most of you. We can do this thing...we can live lovingly and compassionately and artistically right where we are. Right where we are, we can be a fragrance of Christ.
