Okay, I thought, knowing what the answers will be. I'll try the churches. By now, the search for transportation has mutated into a sociology experiment. Can the do-gooders who promise to serve the community's needs, when called upon, actually serve them?
May as well start at home. St. Edward's, in Lakeport, down the road.
The source of all knowledge at St. Eds, the cat lady who answers the office phone, let me tell my story -- that I'm walking distance from the church and need a ride to Flint to attend a funeral -- before informing me, without offering to make any effort whatsoever to actually help solve the problem, that, no, we don't do that . . .
Let's apply some critical thinking to the situation.
St. Edward's Incorporated isn't the little church down the block. Its buildings occupy a sizeable chunk of real estate. Its congregation numbers in the hundreds. Somewhere in this deep pool of resources, I know, is someone who, knowing the facts of the situation, would offer to help. If only the gatekeeper in the office could somehow be bypassed.
BTW: St Eds isn't exactly poverty stricken. I read their bulletins and, for the month of February 2018 and the first Sunday of March, they're $1200 ahead of what they expected to get in the collection plate over that time (they print the numbers). However: let me point out once again that money is not an issue here. At least it shouldn't be. Each time I tell the story, I make sure the cat lady who hears it knows that I can cover expenses, and that all I need are four wheels and a driver.
Well, who next? Not the Methodists at the end of the block. I go to their rummage sales, and they need GPS to find the men's room. Hitting them with the funeral story might overload their circuits, and I don't want to be responsible for any meltdowns.
What about the Unitarians? You know . . . the ones who send money to any and every third world shithole this side of Timbuku where the natives aren't shooting Christians, who were marrying faggots long before the Supreme Court said they had to? Certainly, they'd find reason in their hearts to help someone here at home. Wouldn't they?
Called the number. Said the Source Of All Knowledge: "Nope, sorry, we don't do that . . . "
Now, I didn't want to play this card, but it appears that the time has come.
When the estate is closed, it'll be worth $526K and change in property, cash, 401Ks, whatever else, before the lawyers take their cut. Even after they
do, there will be quite a lot left for me.
I'm 64 and have no heirs. I'm in pretty good shape, should live another 20 years, and am sure I can, with careful investing, increase myshare by at least
half. I also have no will, and have no idea who would / might inherit my estate when I go.
Do you see where I'm headed with this?
A little help now might result in a big reward down the road.
At this point in time, I've had enough churchianity for one day. There remains the organization my Council friend told me about, Operation Transformation. There's still time, and I'm working on something that just might fill the need anyway. Tomorrow, even though I pretty much know what the Source Of All Knowledge there will say, I'll give the Transformers a try.
------------------------------------
Previous "The St. Clair County Council On Aging, Part Three"
Next "The Transformers"
-----------------------------
PS -- "My Sister's Ashes" is now on Facebook. You can read text-only versions of this and all future posts at https://www.facebook.com/mysistersashes/?modal=admin_todo_tour
No comments:
Post a Comment