"Well, That's Inconvenient."

One night last weekend, almost all of my housemates decided to go out for a night on the town.  One of my housemates and I decided to hang back since we were both tired from a long week and in the mood to just stay in with a good book or movie.  As we both sat in the living room, we got to talking about different things that had been happening at our service sites and in our community, and just about life in general.  As we were talking about some trivial thing that had happened, she said, “I thought to myself, well that’s inconvenient.”  I agreed, and as a lull came over the conversation and we both were a little lost in thought, she said, “You know, that phrase is kind of what Amate is about, I think.”

At first I didn’t understand what she meant, but as she continued I understood and agreed.  “Sometimes things are supposed to feel inconvenient here.  That’s part of the solidarity, you know?  We don’t need everything at our fingertips.  That’s not how the people we serve are living.”  She was right.  She had put to words what we had both been struggling with recently.  Sometimes it is easy to feel frustrated with the inconveniences we encounter here – things like having to wait a few extra days to cash your monthly stipend check because your train was late and the bank closed before you got home, or having to walk to the store because someone forgot to return car keys to the cork board in the kitchen.  Yes, these are little inconveniences we face living in a community of volunteers that sometimes feel like the most annoying things possible.  But how many inconveniences do the people we are serving face?  Waiting in line at a food pantry and being told you can only select a limited quantity of items from an already limited variety – that’s inconvenient.  Calling a legal aid firm because you’re about to be evicted from your apartment, only to be told no one can help you and that you should try another phone number (and another, and another) – that’s inconvenient.  Having to eat the crummy school lunch put in front of you because your parents can’t afford enough food for the whole family and it might be the only thing you eat all day – that’s inconvenient.  Hell, let’s be honest – those are BEYOND inconvenient.  They are unfair disparities people face because of their economic status.  They are stupid hoops people have to jump through just to survive.  So maybe this calls for a change of attitude.  Maybe my having to wait in line behind eleven other people to put food on my plate at dinner isn’t so inconvenient, because I have a dinner to eat.  Maybe riding the packed, hot, uncomfortable subway train for 55 minutes to and from my service site every day isn’t so inconvenient because at least I have a job to go to.  Maybe this year little inconveniences are put in our way to remind us just how privileged we really are.