Neither Poverty nor Riches

Photo by Melody Margrave

Written by Richard Margrave

Proverbs 30:8

This Covid-19 year of 2020 helps me focus on the necessities of life – what is really needed – health, home, family, prayer – not necessarily in that order, I hope.

Luxuries are few and well-chosen. By “luxury” I mean real tamales from Texas ordered once every six weeks, not a fancy car or silk clothes. Celebrating with a meal of tamales wrapped in corn husks helps me overlook what we are giving up nowadays, like restaurant visits. Others may celebrate with special wine, a trip to the mountains, or a Zoom call with college friends. We need to celebrate the riches of everyday life.

Driving by a laundromat, though, I wondered when do its customers have time to celebrate? How do they protect themselves from this virus? How do they stay safe? What a luxury it would be for them to have a washer and dryer at home. Without it, driving to the laundromat would be a necessity. Walking through the doors with a basket of clothes and a bag of towels would be a requirement for a parent with two kids at home. Entering this public environment would be mandated for them. They have to, whether others are wearing masks or not. They’re the adult. They have to tough it out and hope they don’t catch anything.

Worrying if you have enough quarters suddenly falls low on the list. Not worrying becomes a luxury. If you own two or three cars, you worry less about breakdowns; you can still get to work. Those who are poor have fewer choices for handling a quarantined world.

When I was a bachelor living in an apartment many years ago, I resorted to laundromats every weekend. It was a chore that could not be escaped. Sometimes it was crowded, sometimes not. I never worried about the closeness of others. Another person’s cough did not alarm me. (Since I smoked back then, it was probably me doing the coughing.)

Now we own a house, modest to us, luxurious to those without, I bet. Our washer and dryer are taken for granted. Checking the Come With Open Arms (CWOA) design plans on the website, the “W D” stand out. There is room set aside in each unit for a closet-sized laundry. The rental duplexes envisioned by CWOA are not luxury apartments. Unless you don’t have a home. They are not stuffed with technology that would impress anyone, unless you don’t have a washer dryer.

CWOA aims to help folks live a good life, neither in poverty nor in riches. But with a good comfortable place to live.

“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

“Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”    Proverbs 30:8-9 NIV

Richard Margrave lives in Virginia with his wife Melody and son. He is Brenda Hale’s brother.

Photo by Melody Margrave