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Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Friday, November 19, 2010

The kindness of strangers

Roberto, my would-be chauffeur, continues to be so kind to me - despite my not hiring him! When I pull into the road leading into the park, he blowing a exaggerated kisses with his hands as he dances across the driveway, and I return his enthusiastic greeting as I park my truck.

Once again, he asks me if I came in from the coast. And once again, he ushers me into the park.

I jog around the entire park - very slowly - but still jogging! Then I return to my truck to cook my 'breakfast'. I need to cook a pumpkin and some sweet potatoes so I throw rice into the pot and soon add lentils as I'm chopping up the pumpkin and sweet potatoes.

I add a couple of limes - which I'm trying to eat every day - along with a healthy dose of cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, and a dab of oil. When everything is cooked, I stir in miso and pour into a cup. It's yummy!

I study in between chopping and while I'm eating. When the soup and my meal are done, I take my books and flash cards outside and Roberto waves me on to a picnic table. I ask him in Spanish if, when I finish studying, he thinks I can fill up my water tank with a hose.

He says sure. I study for a couple of hours and as I return to the gate and my truck, Roberto is there with a hose, directly me to pull up so I can fill my tanks.

We fill the tanks, him at the spigot ready to shut it off when I give the word, me in the truck watching the water level approach full.

I leave, we wave good-bye and I hope Roberto knows how grateful I am, not just for his help, but especially for the kindness he has so generously heaped on me.

I will probably never see him again but I will never forget him either. Or any of the other strangers who have gone out of their way to care for me.

I'm off to get some new veggie oil. I have decided that I better add some of the pure stuff to my tank to offset (I hope) the other oil I added yesterday.

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