Behind closed doors

This is a photo' of Glen Oaks Ridge, Sarasota where I live.

It's a modest community for people of modest means.  None of us who live here are super-rich, though about 25% of us also own homes in northern States -  so on a world scale they are very rich.

I would describer us as comfortably off lower middle class folks, very comfortable (and very white)..

Above all else we are respectable, smug,  and highly complacent.

Because I get out and about and talk a lot and listen a lot I am also aware of some residents who are in dire poverty.

There is the 90+ woman who at one time lived high off the hog in a very wealthy SRQ community I am told that when her husband died she discovered that he had signed a/some promissory note/s which robbed her of most of his estate.  Now she lives with a sixty something son who has crones disease (or lupus),.

Their car has been repo'd and their power cut off  (I thought that this was illegal). Imagine not being able to cook, watch T.V. or have air conditioning in Florida heat.

And the 74 years old woman who is all alone with no friends and no family members. She is unemployed and unemployable due to ill health.

I chatted with her one day last week and tears descended from her face as she told me that she is so depressed that she is not even doing any housework.  She is so alone.

It would take an army of social workers to address the issues these neighbours have,

I am entirely unable to render them significant help,

But before sunrise this morning I left gift cards from my local supermarket at their homes, cards which might enable them  to buy a few groceries. I did so anonymously, simply signing the cards "from a neighbor".

The cards will do next to nothing to solve their long term problems.  But God willing they will convey a message which says "somebody cares".