You Can't Give This Stuff Away

Can’t give this stuff away…

     Last year a week before  Thanksgiving, I discovered I would have the day off, rare in nursing on a holiday, so decided to make a baked ziti to give away to some deserving organization because who doesn’t like baked ziti?

       I called the Helping Hand Rescue Mission  on the  Tuesday prior and even though my call was allegedly very important to them, I still haven’t heard back.  Next I called my childhood parish, St. Hugh of Lincoln ( or as its graduates refer to it: St. Yooz).  I was instructed to call a guy named Sal who would be handling the donations for the church auditorium feast.  I was encouraged when I heard that name as I had never met a “Sal” who was not a brilliant fellow, splendid and top-notch in every way.  Okay, no more British T.V. for me!  Sal sounded like a very friendly guy but said they had more than enough food, however  I was welcome to come over to his house anytime with the ziti at which point his wife  got on the phone and signified the end of this transaction.

      Lastly I called “ Food Not Bombs” a group that gives food away on the street.  I know they don’t use meat but this was just a cheesy ziti with a little spinach,. surely that would be okay. They refused it on the grounds that they are vegan.  “ Its right there in our mission statement,” was their rather snippy reply.  I am an experienced vegan cook but have come to the distressing realization that no one is as excited about a chickpea/lentil/brown rice casserole as I am,  so I do not inflict my concoctions on other people. 

     Eventually my husband and I ate all the ziti ourselves, it took a week but we heroically go the job done. It reminded me of the time I tried to donate books.

     As part of improving the energy flow of my dwelling, as per the  principles of feng shui that I was studying, I began a de-cluttering project.  This is supposed to help get rid of negativity so good energy and even prosperity  can find its way in. It seemed like a generous thing to do, as in the rule of 3s in the Wiccan religion , (whatever you do good or bad is reflected back to you thrice) and also adhered to a design principle I think I heard on HGTV: Only keep things that you love and  are useful.  The hundreds of books had served their purpose to me and now it was time for them to go enlighten or entertain somebody else.  What could go wrong?

     First I vacuumed all the dust off them and then cleaned them with a mild vinegar/water solution because it is  not right to give away dirty things.  I opened up a cafeteria style table on my front yard and put a sign up which said : “Free Books”.  I went out for awhile and when I came back the books were all over the yard and the table was gone.  I really miss that table.

     Next I took them to an assisted living facility and was told the books did not “ match”.  Evidently they were of different sizes and colors and would not look good in their library. I went to DAYTOP thinking that people who have decided not to be drug addicts anymore might have more interesting things to think about than procuring drugs  but I was told that the books were not about” recovery”.

    Finally  I went to a thrift shop and they said they  did not have room for them, “ people just want clothes and dishes”.

     Having tried everything I could think of, I decided that perhaps my good intentions would be somehow rewarded and took the books to the recycling center. I tried to stay in a giving frame of mind but the act of pitching the books into the bins aroused some anger in me.  A woman drove up behind me and made my day complete.  She sneered, “ I can’t believe you’re throwing BOOKS away”.

Ann Rita Darcy lives in Huntington Station and is contemplating buying a Kindle.