Zelda and I just rolled into town after being gone for six days. That brand-new luxury Mercedes-Tiffin we bought from that Lazydays RV dealer in Portland, Oregon, still broken. Since day one. Reckon it’s 117 degrees out today. Wow. That’s a big number. Though we attempted to find a shady spot on the creek and at the local swimming hole, none were available. So now we’re in the multipurpose room in a church that’s been designated a cooling center, open 2pm until 8pm. There’s about thirty people in here. Mostly lounging on the floor though a few people are sitting at the card tables in folding chairs. One man offers us his chair. We politely decline and sit on the floor with great appreciation.

The air is a little stale, a touch of muggy. No. That’s not me filing a complaint. That’s a mere observation. Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful. I am thankful. I am blessed. I will add, for detail purposes only, that the television speakers are turned up a tad too loud. The blaring Fried Green Tomatoes soundtrack filling the space in the room and in my sanity. But the people seem to enjoy it. Or, perhaps, it is they who refrain from grumbling.

I know most of the people in here by name. Fellow people without houses. Some sleep in their cars. Some on the concrete. Others have camps out in the park. They are doing what I am doing. Being thankful to sit somewhere, indoors, out of the sun’s reach, sheltered from the heat. Eating the snacks provided. Plugging in any devices that might need a charge. Catching up on some sleep. Hydrating the body. Washing up in the bathroom. These are basic needs. And ones that often get overlooked. Unmet.

Can you imagine how thirty people full of themselves, all with their own agendas, own needs, own egos, would treat each other if they were crammed in a room for hours together, each demanding their own rights? It’s an interesting thought. How people who think they’re better than the next guy treat others poorly. Yet, those without often will give all they have. Even when all they have is a chair. And it’s all they ever wanted in the first place. Interesting indeed.

July 6, 2024
Chico, Ca
Faith Lutheran Church