What plans do you have for this summer? Will you go to the beach? The mountains? Maybe you’ll just go to a nearby park and have a picnic and lounge around outdoors?
If you are able make plans such as these, you must have some resources. You have access to transportation. You can afford to put gas in your car. You have visions of a world beyond your immediate environment. You can take time off from your job. You have energy after working all week so you can enjoy time away.
I love taking time away from my community…even with a day trip to a town 60 miles away. I remember how astounded I was when I asked a homeless guy whom I’d gotten to know fairly well if he had special plans for the weekend. He said, “Yes, I’m going out of town.”
I asked, “Oh, where are you going?”
“I’m headed to Fountain inn.” What surprised me is that Fountain Inn is only about twenty miles away and is considered a bedroom community of Greenville, my hometown.
That dialogue made me aware that so much of what I take for granted is not available to people with few resources. There are people in my community who have never been more than 10 miles from home. They will never eat in any of the renowned restaurants downtown, unless they happen to work there. They have not shopped at the shopping centers in the suburbs. And even though the beach is only three hours away, some people in our community will never see it.
We can still enjoy our time away from home. And we can also be aware that many things we enjoy are not possible for some of our neighbors. Maybe then, we’ll be more active in trying to improve the opportunities for our neighbors.