Ain't That America?

My sister's S.O. doesn't particularly appreciate John Mellencamp--in fact, he has a rather creative epithet for the rock'n'roller which is not terribly flattering. But I dig this song of his--Pink Houses--because it gives you vivid snapshots of American life, each one tinged with underlying social commentary (read for yourself at the above link--each verse hits on something that really rings true about our paradoxical, mixed-up society). I think my favorite verse is the first one, because it speaks to what folks here are living through and how they react to their situations with humor and grace and gratitude:

Theres a black man with a black cat
Living in a black neighborhood
Hes got an interstate runnin through his front yard
You know, he think, that hes got it so good
And theres a woman in the kitchen
cleanin up the evening slop
And he looks at her and says:
Hey darling, I can remember when you could stop a clock

Folks here are up against forces outside their control; they are living in desperate, undignified, seemingly hopeless conditions; and they still thank God every day for waking them up in the morning, for the blessings of family and friends and good food and blue skies and soul-stirring music.

This is not to say that we shouldn't fight the systemic injustices in our world--that we shouldn't protest freeways being built through disenfranchised neighborhoods, or hurricane relief funding getting held up in state and local bureaucracies which deprive storm victims of the funds they urgently need to rebuild their lives***--but it does speak to the fortitude and resiliency of our neighbors. The ability to look at what you have around you, no matter how little it is, and appreciate it--that in itself is a gift, a small miracle.


***Help get HR 1227 passed! HR 1227, already passed in the House with an overwhelming, bipartisan majority, provides funding for hurricane survivors to secure temporary and long-term housing, including public and affordable housing, housing vouchers for elderly, homeless, and disabled people; it also extends the FEMA trailer deadline to December (instead of this summer). In addition, HR 1227 provides increased oversight of the funds the federal government has already earmarked for hurricane rebuilding. Send a letter to the Louisiana senators who are waffling over this bill:
http://www.colorofchange.org/hr1227/?id=2084-124616
or call your Senators to urge them to vote for HR 1227:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt?command=congdir