Yesterday, I did something I'd never done before: I bought homemade tamales from a lady selling them from her pickup outside W1nco.
She approached me as I was walking back to my car, pushing a cartful of Halloween pumpkins. I didn't understand her at first; I figured she was one of the usual panhandlers asking for money.
Once I understood, I looked at her and decided she looked safe - well-groomed, clean, nice hair, clothes in good repair. I followed her to her truck, also clean and in good repair, and I hoped no one was waiting in the truck bed to jump out and hack me to death - at least there would be witnesses.
Then I ate the tamales, which was also an adventure. (Don't try to eat the corn husks.) They were awesome, and never at any point of the adventure did I regret my decision.
I don't know if you've been following the Occupy movement, but a city I know and love, Portland, has been inundated with protesters. I know they're unhappy and ready for a change and that times are hard, but I can't get behind them in their current state. They don't know what they're about or who they're fighting or what exactly they want or what they're trying to accomplish. And they're making a beautiful place decidedly unbeautiful (and making the mayor look wimpy).
I would much rather give my support to people like this lady selling tamales. She performed honorable work, and she worked when there was no work. She put herself in an uncomfortable situation to sell her product - thick accent, approaching strangers in an unorthodox (unsafe?) place, exchanging money for tamales from her car, out in the weather. She was brave and industrious and resourceful, and she dared to hope that someone somewhere would want to buy tamales. She DID something.
I know it's not that simple - we can't put all those Portland protesters to work making tamales. But what they're doing now doesn't seem to be helping their situation much, let alone anyone else's.
Still experiencing some awesome heartburn,
Fisher Cutbait
4 comments:
Look here you are.
You scared me there girl.
and I love that you bought the tamales...yum!
And I think her story is exactly what this country needs, a shot in the arm so to speak.
Oh, I didn't either... you know me, I can't quit. ;)
I think people listen to too much negativity and it does weird stuff to their brains. It does mine.
I'd love to buy some tamales!
When we lived in Salem a lady would sell them door to door in our neighborhood. They were good!
We have had occupy Astoria here. Mostly just a small group of five or six walking up and down on the main drag...holding signs and getting rained on.
Poor Occupy Astoria, not getting respect from the weather.
These tamales were so good, now I want more. This lady was cute, she made sure to tell me what days she sells tamales there so I could find her again :)
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