Secrets and Such

Carrie and I shared a ride to school this morning. I drove. She is only11 yrs old so it made sense that I would do the driving.

I wasn't able to attend her math class this morning so I headed home.

I've had the strangest day today. On my return trip from school, I noticed a young woman with a small child in tow. The school is located away from town but with subdivisions close by. I found a driveway and turned around, rolled down my window as I pulled along side of  her and asked if she was going to the school. She was and I offered her a ride. This young woman was walking her second grader to school because her car wouldn't start. It was a couple of miles to that school from where I picked her up.  I waited for her as she ran into the school to sign her son in late. She continuously thanked me on the ride back to her house for helping her.  I offered to use my jumper cables to start her car but she declined the offer saying her mother was on her  way to loan her a car.

My good deed done for the day, I got back to my house. The wind was gusting at 30mph and leaves were blown all over the yard, carport and patio. I visited with my neighbor for a short while then returned back to my house to settle in and wait for the storm that was forecast to hit around noon.

Soon the sound of a chainsaw could be heard and it sounded too close not to investigate. Stepping out onto the patio, I could see the branches of a tall bush in the neighboring yard across the fence as it  came sailing earthward. I watched silently as the man raised the pole saw and began sawing off another limb of the tall bush. He noticed me watching and paused to say "hello". We exchanged greetings and I stepped back into the house only to be summoned a little later by the same gentlemen.

He had driven around the block and onto my driveway and was now approaching my house with a hand extended for a handshake. John was his name he said, smiling
to show a crooked row of teeth, beautiful brown eyes, crinkled corners from years of working outdoors. His shirt was a colorful combination of reds and soft greens woven into a plaid design, a pair of loose denim jeans and light brown work boots.
His full time job was working for a well know realty company  rehabbing houses and cleaning up properties for resale. Today he was working side jobs to make extra money.

The tree he was cutting was more then one man could handle and part of it was draped over the fence that portioned off my back yard from the owner of the aforementioned bushes. John wanted to know if he could access my back yard to check on the branches he had been sawing on saying he would return tomorrow with some help.
I followed him into the back yard after unlocking the gate for him. Soon we were back in the driveway in front of the house, chatting about our families, his children and mine.

The economy of this town eventually entered the conversation. This polite man said he was waiting on the new president to improve the work situation in this town that has been grossly impacted by the oil recession. He smiled his wide smile and said Trump was going to change things and make it better.
I gazed in wonder at this kind gentlemen. I tried not to show the bewilderment I felt at his statement. You see, I was having this conversation with a black man who had voted for Trump. This was not a religious zealot, nor was he a racist, a bigot nor a misogamist, Alt-right wingnut. This was a diligent hard working gentle soul and he was a Trump supporter. He voted because he was promised change. It didn't occur to him that Trump's campaign was based on outright lie after lie and that the hate he stirred was filtering down into riots and increasing racial tensions. The racists finally had someone to support their beliefs and out from beneath their rocks, out of the shadows they came, proud and unafraid of any judgements now.
I had to reassess my views on the Trumpets. I realized that the promise of a better future, and of jobs to allow access to those jobs was the only thing this man was hearing from Trump's whole campaign.

He did mention that he liked Hillary but he still voted for Trump.

I've been so ashamed of the USA after this election. As I watch who Trump appoints to his cabinet, my fear for the future increases. I only hope John doesn't suffer from his decision to vote for Trump, because you see, John is a black man and living in the deep south.

I bid John goodbye with a handshake and a promise to let him have access to my back yard tomorrow so he can finish his tree cutting. I'm concerned for this man's future, along with mine and my grandchildren and you and yours.

Peace out. It's been a very eye opening day. I won't be posting this on Facebook. I'll just leave it right here for those to find, either by accident or because they follow this blog.
I'm done.