Items

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  2020-03-31

  Free Beans

  I didn't think to take a picture at the time, but while out for a walk I saw a paper shopping bag at the end of a driveway. It had "free beans" written in black marker on the side, and lo and behold the grocery bag was full of lots of bags of beans! It's a great thing to do, and I didn't need anything so I walked on without thinking too much about what it all meant. I'm in San Jose, CA which is in one of the first counties to order a Shelter in Place. Everyday it feels like reported cases are skyrocketing, and then they go up further. I was walking around a poorer neighborhood. Stores are so close to empty of food (and puzzles) and many people don't have cars to load up and panic buy for long stretches. Of course, I can't know what the exact experience of the gift giver was. But I know that they put the community above their own needs, and they didn't even need to be thanked for it. Could have kept the beans for themselves, for sure. They trusted that those who would take the beans would need the food more than they did, and that the rest of us wouldn't be greedy. After all, it's hard to be greedy when you are surrounded by such selfless people.