A day

Time actually flies, apparently, because we've made it to through Thursday and are thinking about the logistics of leaving town already.

Today was interesting, for sure. We were greeted by the rainiest of days which had us all feeling some type of way. We were welcomed at Earthworks by friendly faces and the cozy atmosphere of the garage-office we've spent hours in this week. Because of the weather, we were assigned to work in the greenhouse once again. Today, this involved more pricking--this time of smaller tomatoes on the vine. We complete 62 trays as tasked, and mixed buckets of soil for future planting. After getting our work done, we were released for lunch earlier than usual and enjoyed one of our last meals in the soup kitchen. We all split up during this time to branch out and heard some interesting stories and met some incredible people--Stephan, Bobby, and Willy, to name a few. We had the opportunity to talk for a lot longer than usual, too, as our coordinator had scheduled a workshop with us for the afternoon to follow our morning of service. Until he was ready, we enjoyed mingling with friends, old and new. 

We all eventually gathered in the community room next to the public shower/clothes swap room to discuss topics of power, privilege, and oppression in terms of race and class, mostly to connect the ways in which these are related to our food system. We started off with some lighter questions, but eventually worked our way to questioning the policies and attitudes that act as "wedges" or roadblocks to people trying to live their lives at a reasonable standard. One instance of such policies in the area has been the division and obvious separation between different demographics of people and their access to clean water throughout the city of Detroit. 

Though emotions were high, this gave us the opportunity to really apply our experiences in the city and at Earthworks to the reality that people in high power have and will continue to dictate whether or not a person will be treated as such in the context of even basic necessities. 

When we finally left, we decided to take the route home that showcased some of Detroit's hugest and most expensive homes (aka. $40 million). Even through the downpour we could make out the exquisite facades of the homes that make up the much wealthier side of the city. We kept driving until we made it home and got ready for our dinner planned with Mizzou alumni. We ate at the famous Buddy's Pizza and enjoyed conversation over square pieces of all kinds of pizza. The dinner was a great opportunity for us to finally start sharing with others the mission of our trip and the things we have been doing thus far. We left with lots of thoughts and curiosities and discussed these over canolis before heading home. 

We then were off, with the pizza leftovers that were so kindly given to us, and made it home just in time to debrief the day before bed. We did yet another activity to get to know one another in a different context, and then were off to bed...

until our fab site leaders called an emergency meeting to discuss some important things, but mostly to announce the birthday of Claire (tomorrow-Friday) and consider our action plan to make it the best a birthday could possibly be when you're a trip participant with a bunch of strangers. 

Finally, we went to bed and enjoyed another too-short night of rest to recharge for our last day at Earthworks. 

It has been a ride, and we're not quite sure how it could ever end. But, alas, some of the greatest things in life are the ones that take place briefly and candidly. After the friendships that we made, that won't continue tomorrow for the simple reason that we are the only volunteers scheduled for Friday's, we gave hugs that felt they'd last forever. We have known some of these individuals two days tops, but now there is a different energy in the air. We will miss the times we've had, but that might be expected. The real killer of it all, though, is the uncertainty we are faced with. What will become of the friendships that we've made? Do they have a chance at lasting even despite the distance and the time constraints? Nothing is guaranteed, but if today has reiterated one key idea, it is definitely is that Being Gumby and rolling with the punches and the pats alike is a lifesaver.

Possibility is out there, and we will carry pieces of the passionate souls we have met this week for a lifetime. 

We are tired and hungry, as per usual, but now we've really got to sign off. 

Until next time,

MO in Motown