Disparity
Monday, June 17, 2013 Point K Little
Axe, Oklahoma Day 10
dis·par·i·ty
/diˈsparitē/Noun
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Synonyms
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Life in and around Oklahoma is moving
at break neck speed. And crawling at snails pace. Booming. And
busting. Life is standing still in some areas and whizzing past
without a second glance, without a passing thought in others.
You thought Route 64 was a challenge.
Experience driving on Texas and Oklahoma highways when you aren't
from around here. When exits are closed and the GPS does not know it
and sends you around to the same exit again and again. When there is
not enough room to merge and two other lanes are merging into one and
everyone is driving past the speed limit. Whoa, horsey!
Then you get on the country roads,
where neighbors stop in the middle of the road and say hello or ask
for directions. Wave at perfect strangers. Smile. Stop to say hello.
Where there is a dedicated community man willing to drive lead to a
carload of women from Virginia to see the tornado ravaged area, when
there's most certainly more pressing matters that need attention.
My oldest lifetime friend oriented us
to what's going on in the area. Moore is getting a lot of press
probably because its the Home of Toby Keith and it's devastation can
be seen everyday passing up I- 35 North. It is receiving a lot of Hollywood attention, and a lot of Press coverage. Its a middle class area from
the looks of it from the highway. JCPenney's is right down the road
from there. No body can forget Moore. The media and its proximity
demand attention.
Then there is Little Axe. A little
town. A hidden town. A poor town. Where at first pass drive through,
we missed the tornado path except for the sheared off trees every
where and the tarps covering some roofs. Where its citizens are
composed of people like Greg. Lisa. Joy. Teen boys who drag trees
across acres and acres of red land to the roadside for pick up on
summer vacation.
A self proclaimed nobody, who got a
phone call from his pastor one day after the tornadoes hit, Greg was asked to cover
the pastor's ringing phone. Greg did not feel qualified for that task
but became the community's overnight hero. He is no longer retired
truck driver, and former trucking business owner due to disability. He is dispatcher for volunteers who
show up from all over the country. He is master community networker.
He knows where the hungry people are. He knows whose fence still has
trees tangled up in it. He knows where the out of state volunteers
are working. He knows about the victims without insurance. The ones
who are OK. The ones on $800 a month disability who don't need a one
time Red Cross handout of $500. (They need their life rebuilt.) Greg
is the go to guy for help.
He is part of the kind presence at the church which has
become more of a warehouse for bottled water, diapers, tools, canned
goods, and hot meals for the hungry, than a church. It is open 9 AM
to 6 PM Monday through Friday for Tornado Disaster relief. The youth center across the road is more warehouse space, with mattresses on the floor for volunteers who come here from out of state.
And life goes on as usual here in
Little Axe, too. HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign plastered across a mailbox. A
graduation sign with balloons marked a driveway. A hawk flew high
overhead like a kite keeping watch over the church grounds. Wild flowers are in full bloom against the backdrop of green and more green.
We ministered to Greg on the side of
the road. His home was hit too, and he selflessly dedicates his time to
help those without insurance. Those worse off than he. He shared his
story with us. Humble. Kind. Dedicated community man, I surmised. We prayed for
him for healing in his body and in his emotions.
Then he took us to
meet Lisa at Pecan Valley Junction gas station and pizza place, who made
another Disaster relief station under tarp covers and borrowed
trailers.
She owns a hairdressing business, Tangled Up, there. If you are in
this area, go get your haircut, washed and blow dried. Her prices are
incredible. She says she lives alright, even though bills are tight as a single mom to teen boys.
She believes people should be able to afford to be beautiful.
sign on Lisa's shop wall
Lisa connected us with Bobbie who
connected us to Margaret. Margaret is a grandmother who lost her home
completely. Her grand daughter's pony was found a town away, laying
down. When the horse heard their voices, she perked up, got up and
only had a scratch. Margaret's children live right nearby. Two of
them lost their homes. All three places were completely wiped out.
Only one family home remains intact. They all live together on
Margaret's land in campers. All of the kids, grandkids. Dog and pony.
We went back to town and got them groceries. For all three families.
God bless them and their strength and unity and give them rest, as
life goes on with jobs in the city and destruction at home.
Greg explained that many of these
people came here from the city, with only their truck campers, and a few clothes. They
built over decades, and lost everything. Old trailers are not
insurable, he explained. Disability checks do not pay for repairs let alone
replacements. These folks need MANPOWER & BUILDING SUPPLIES. They need Strong muscles who can cut
down and haul trees to the road, bulldozers, Bob Cats, fence menders,
builders, building materials, LONG TERM HELP. Groceries for short term. A new trailer for the long term.
Pray that the church
who is considering building 6 new homes comes through. That more
builder volunteers come through. That money comes for rebuilding the many uninsured, poor great grandma's tar paper houses and wiped out 50 year old trailers. That able bodied men, women and
teenagers come through until the last place is finished and livable
again.There are hundreds of unlivable homes here that still need bulldozed and rebuilt. Don't forget Little Axe, Shawnee or the other little poor
towns here that were virtually wiped out in one hour's time, that
will take years of dedicated effort to rebuild.
If I ever complain again, or murmur
while my brothers and sisters are suffering so, please remind me
to remember Margaret, Greg, Lisa and
their community and the disparity between their lives and mine. Of
their lives and yours. Of their lives and the lives of those
unaffected one city over. And God be with them.
Reminder posted on First Baptist Church wall
