My friend Kenny Boldt always preaches to me that wisdom.
I’ve never met an organization or system that fully stays true to that commitment.
Just yesterday I was at the health department getting needles. I was trying to pull a fast one on them. You are allowed to use fake information. So this week I tried to be another person so that I could get another 100 needles. (you are only allowed 100 every 2 weeks.) Our house had run out days ago.
She recognized me and said I couldn’t do that. She said I needed to bring my friends. I told her I had brought 5 people with me that day.
She was the gatekeeper of the system. She could have “not recognized”. But she did.
This is not a slam on her or the health department. They are both amazing. All the health department cares about is keeping people safe. No judgement. Just safe.
But even this amazing institution has protocol that you simply do not buck.
This is merely a story about how even the most amazing, uncorrupted system I’ve ever worked with has limits to staying true to it’s mission.
But in actuality it’s a juxtaposition to systems and to people. Kenny ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS taught me the truth of Do The Right Thing.
A pregnant couple came to our house and garden desperately needing shelter. Josh Imler knew I had a rule about not accepting new people. Do you know what he did: he took care of them and gave them a tent. He was right. I was wrong.
The people are always showing me the path. Always showing me the right way.
Your community is the greatest “institution” you will ever be part of. My great wish for you is that you have as good a community as I do with my houseless friends and their supporters.