“You never look a gift horse in the mouth"

By IVY JACOBS

“Just Ask Me”

As part of my job, I had the pleasure to witness a rare and unique event Tuesday evening, August 15.

The City of Brazil, Duke Energy, Clay County Emergency Food Pantry, Brazil Rotary members, and local volunteers gathered at Forest Park to pass out $10,000 worth of meat products to Clay County residents who lost food during the June 29 storm.

In an upside-down world, I watched these people put on smiling faces and prepare to do something wonderful.

Even though cars were forming a line in the Forest Park Pavilion/Cow Palace as early as 2:30 p.m., they helped the cars park to get through the line.

Many volunteers had helped during the COVID-19 food distributions, so they believed this event would be similar.

As more and more cars lined up as the time clicked away, there was an anxious feeling for the event to start. I felt it too, and I was only there to take pictures.

Around 5 p.m., the cars began going through the maze in the parking lot for the food distribution, in which details had been posted about the two packages of hamburger meat supplied by a local farmer and a ham from a local grocery store. But $10,000 only buys so much.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Janet McClellan helped check in 500-600 vehicles, many with multiple families inside.

Brazil Mayor Brian Wyndham and Duke Energy Government and Community Relations Manager Rick Burger personally greeted each vehicle with a smile and a “Hope this helps.”

Many accepted the packages graciously; some even said,” God bless you all.”

Watching it, I thought it was inspiring and beautiful.

But I also wondered how long it would last as I returned to my car. There were so many cars in line I couldn’t put a number on it all.

As I left, the line was around the park going out to Pinckley Street, with a separate line coming off State Road 59 trying to merge into the line already in the park. Side streets were also filled with cars trying to get into the park.

On SR59, there was traffic backed up in both lanes. How far south? I don’t know because I was going north to go home, but the line went beyond the US40 and SR59 intersection.

My only thought was that social media would not be friendly to this, and honestly, I was worried about the people I had just left in an overwhelming situation.

As the evening wore on, I could not help but think of my grandmother Iva.

“You never look a gift horse in the mouth, Ivy Sue.”

As a child, I never understood exactly what that meant. Still, after watching the negative fall out on social media, I now heartbreakingly know what it means: To show a lack of appreciation or gratitude when receiving a gift.

I am so happy that I was raised in the time I was and not now. I felt an overwhelming shame for a large part of this community, who critically destroyed something great by spreading malicious comments.

This disturbed me so much that I had to call one of the organizers to say “thank you” for their efforts and apologize for our society.

Yet, the person I called was sweet and positive about the evening.

“We are not paying attention to the bad, only the good that we were able to do last night. And if the opportunity comes around, we will do it again.”

That, dear readers, is this community’s heart and soul.

And society needs to accept the challenge to be like these volunteers so our children have a brighter future.

That gives me hope that we are not so far gone in this upside-down world.

IVY JACOBS PHOTOS