American generosity

Americans blow my mind.

A call from the office alerted me, "They'll be bringing up some Thanksgiving stuff."

She didn't say who they are. She probably doesn't know.

That caused me to think I had best put on pants. So I did then walked up to the door to open it so whoever they are won't have to wait for me to walk to it, but before I got to the door someone knocked. It was perfect timing.

There stood a very young man holding a large box. I'd say the lad is seventeen years old possibly. Six feet, very thin, 145 lbs. thereabout, not necessarily athletic, angelic clear face, blond curly hair, blue eyes, clean clothes, well groomed, spotless aspect and well socialized regarding eye contact, speech and the like. "Where should I put this?"

"Right there."

He looks at the surface, looks back at me, places the box on the butcher block cart, turns and heads for the door, turns back before dashing down the hall, stops, pauses and looks directly at me, "Have a nice Thanksgiving."

"Thank you. You too."

*ping* Gone.

I have no idea who he is. No idea where he comes from. I haven't a clue who organized this, nor how or why they chose me or my address. I read all the paperwork included. There are offers for dinner at a church, information about social services, coupons for food, business cards to get hooked up to food stamps, but still no clue about where this package came from. And  I'm stunned by the open generosity. It's an expensive box.

Filled with things I wouldn't buy.

Only because I would make different choices. Still, I'm impressed. Deeply impressed. It's not just generosity in the cost of food, it's the generosity of thought extended to people unknown with zero strings attached.

It's the generosity of time. This whole effort took a great deal of time. Of the sort usually expended to organize political movement.

It's the generosity of energy as the presence of the boy shows. Someone has harnessed his physical strength and his physical energy and channeled it along lines of generosity.

Then the boy himself is learning the life of generosity and that's a generous thing to instill.

I had just looked at turkeys at Trader Joe's and walked passed them deciding I didn't care to cook such a large thing. But if I did, then those would be perfect because they're well chosen and they've never been frozen, and they're right there convenient and ready to go.

I don't use canned vegetables. Two cans of corn and two cans of green beans. Nothing against them, they're just not what I choose. Same thing with cornbread. Those boxes are great but they're for beginners. It's cornmeal, flour and sugar, and I really like milling my own corn for its explosive corn flavor.

I have low-protein cake flour to make whatever pastry I want, while a boxed cake mix limits me to chocolate.

I use fresh potatoes for all those potato-y things so that I can do anything with them. However, packaged mashed potatoes are surprisingly good and it's very useful for making soft bread.

Just yesterday I bought 5 lbs whole wheat grain malted (toasted) intended for beer. I'll mill it myself to desired fineness. I just made two loaves of whole wheat bread from it, one yesterday and one the day before. The first one to give to the people downstairs who sell me the grain so I can show them how incredible the bread is. I brought along all the things needed to make sandwiches. Their lunch. I imposed it on them, fairly insisting they eat this bread RIGHT NOW! I made excellent sandwiches, unique with this bread, the likes you just don't see. And I taught them how to think out of the box. Their box being their vast assortment of wheat is for beer. I showed them it makes outstanding bread too.

So the 5 lb. bag of white whole wheat flour included in the Care box is not something I'd buy. But the thought of including it in their package is simply outstanding.

It is a thoughtful package of food and my mind is properly blown wide open with brain bits all over the place. I will use all of it. And this package delivered so brilliantly really does go a very long way in making the season into one of thanksgiving. I love being American. This is why. These people are well brought up. These people make me love them.

I wonder, is this what the people of Honduras know and want to be part of? Why not do this in their own country. If this is what Hondurans want then this is what they must create for themselves. A boy brought this box. Some group of adults here is teaching generosity to their young.

I can suppose that Mexico has similar things. I can feel fairly certain that Canada has its own version of this. There is not a good reason that generosity extended to strangers is a uniquely American impulse. My own mother organized her own personal holiday turkey drive doing this same thing by herself every year. She did it to give her own life meaning, she used her own resources. She drove through blizzards to deliver her turkeys and fixings. I've been given holiday dinners delivered unannounced but this is the first time I've been given a whole frozen turkey. I am American so that's what I see, and what I see is outstanding. I really am filled with pride compressed to the point of bursting, and I really am filled to the brim and overflowing with thanksgiving, the very real grace of being American.

14.5 lb. frozen turkey
cranberry sauce in a tin
stuffing mix in a box

The prepared boxed and canned food tickle me to no end. Seriously. It's all things abandoned decades ago. I'm not being judgmental, rather, I'm describing. I have to go far back in time to use them. It's the Imgur version of Thanksgiving dinner all loaded into a box. It's lovely. And it wouldn't do to bring the elemental versions of each thing because the unknown recipients wouldn't necessarily know what to do with them and they're all highly perishable.

They're trying to help me without knowing me. They haven't the faintest clue if I need this. Needed or not this is a tremendous blessing. 

I must now pray. 

Dear God, thank you for all these beautiful people. Your children are gorgeous. Amen.