Yo necesito mas angelitos

7/23

Los angelitos de Angelo

Max and Gabe are back. To provide RL with the muscle needed to begin cleaning the place out. To get ready for Matt and Stan and the Representatives but more so to just get the place open and empty again. Remove the last remains of #ows. And associated collateral space fillers. There is the beautiful arts and radical spirit of the place. And also the ever threatening spirit of decay. We gird our loins, dig in, get to it. RL’s goal to make the small chapel a truly useful and appealing performance space.

Bella has also come in to help us organize the massive amounts of paperwork, files, boxes of unsorted histories.

Walking down 86th Street, I see the wheel chair. Oh man, it’s Sean again. We talk. I am asking you, please don’t put me in this position, OK?

Just gimme a little, OK?

I sigh. OK.

Two hours later, the same. Two hours later, I’m messed, OK, man? Can’t get in the wheel chair like this. It’s embarrassing. I need some time...I sigh again. OK...

David comes in to join RL and his muscle. It’s sweltering in the gym. Tomorrow is big stuff pick up day, and that's what they’re up to, taking out the big stuff.

Danielle and I are talking and in through the door breezes Angelo and a woman friend come in  to look at his artwork. He is a will o’ the wisp. A character in a magical realist novel by Marquez. Before he leaves, another bevy of angelitos flutter above my desk and land. I had said to him Yo necesito mas angelitos...I wonder how his upscale exhibit on 57th worked out. If I could ever get him to land long enough..

Back from a neighborhood meeting on food justice. There’s a food cliff looming November 1 when the SNAP food program will be cut back yet again. Food stamp recipients will see their benefits cut by $30-50 a week. One legislator said the way to end hunger is to end food subsidy programs.( Uhhh...like the way to end drought is by getting rid of water. (They’ll figure it out...) Who even remembers that in the ’70’s, hunger was all but ended in the US?

My old activist friends continue to argue for didactic advocacy programs. My experience is that they don’t work anymore except with faithful septo and octogenarians. Unless we can come up with a way to experience and then reflect, it’s a pointless activity. We begin talking about getting members of our congregation ot try living half a week on the current snap budget and then the rest of the week on the post cut budget. As a beginning. A doorway in.

Mayor Bloomberg, our health conscious mayor, believes school breakfast programs promote obesity. I can’t even respond to that.

Ralph and Ethel are in and playing. Mysterious chamber sounds dancing in midair.

Sean. He’s still there. I go out to speak to him One of the owners of the condo next door passes by. Gives me that, O there’s West-Park again look. I just nod and say, hello.

And still later...Sean, it s]'been nine hours man...

Just leave me alone man, just leave me alone.I can hear in his tone my friend is not currently present. Soon begins a tirade. A threat to tell the world what an uncaring pace this is. How I wouldn't let him in, even during Hurricane Sandy. How the people across the street have no idea what it’s like have no feet. (True, that...) I never offered him water. Yesterday’s tickets don’t buy today’s rides. He’s flying a mile a minute.

When I try to talk to him, a youngish woman walks over. Excuse me sir, is he bothering you?

He’s been here 9 hours, no good for him...or anyone else..
ou have to understand sir, not all of us come from the same place. Others come from different circumstances. You need to understand...

Wait, just wait, I’ve known him for over a year now...

And what is a church supposed to do? How can you call yourselves Christian when..

I can see where this is going..do you really want to hear the story here?

We expect more of a church...so between the condo people who believe i’m irresponsible and disrespect the neighborhood and the liberal middle class subway commuters who  believe I’m a non-caring non-Christian ..basta ya...come over on this side awhile...see how you like it...how the world works...

But as Sean continues to rail, my visitor begins to back away.

I come inside to write these things down. Marc looks in, says Don’t work too hard....