My Community

I wrote a letter to the local paper about a year ago about a community effort to facilitate the recovery of a dear friend.  I was so warmed by the instant outpouring of expertise, facility, labor and love that I suggested everyone should have such a network.  Never in my wildest dreams did I expect I would warrant one.  I am gob smacked. After two days of a miserable head cold I answered the front door about 8:15AM to find my front yard crowded with cheering friends, human and canine.  It was an impromptu flash mob brought on by my not going to the “bench” this morning.  It was supposed to happen there at the bakery.   As I stumbled down the walk I saw the crowd was spilling down the street.  There were so many faces watching me turn scarlet with embarrassment.  There was a loudspeaker aided presentation by several of the primary instigators and a lovely young woman from a local bank informing me that in addition to the big white present in my yard I was also aided with an emergency fund [with an astonishing balance] which resides at her bank.  The crowd parted to give me a full view of the “present.”   I am now the owner of a fine automobile capable of taking me to and from the SFVA with no worries.  My auto guru, on last inspecting my Beemer suggested it might not be wise to take it on long drives.  It was getting old [20 car years is 80 in human years] and as he could not find anything specifically wrong he advised caution.  My community knew I was in the market for a new one and had my eye on one in particular.  This effort had been going on for some time and I am surprised I did not see the behind-the-scenes shenanigans at all.  I was anxious about getting the car but didn’t want to push.  I can’t believe that over 200 people [many close friends that I see almost daily and others I see at least frequently] could keep this effort a secret from me.  “Ask Mikey; he knows everything that goes on in Healdsburg.” I am venturing out this morning, feeling that the worst of this bug is over and will see many of these wonderful friends again, in the usual surroundings.  But I will see them in a much brighter light as caregivers, supporters, guardians, providers, philanthropists, advisors, and advocates.  They are everything that friends can be and what a community should be.  Thank you all; I am so deeply moved.

Oh, yes; hand-written thank yous will follow soon.