Yesterday my beloved took me to dinner at Blanco Cocina Cantina in downtown Phoenix where we both feasted on the best fajitas we have ever enjoyed in our entire lives! It brought back memories of the first time we ever tried fajitas. Both Jerry and I grew up in the Midwest in an era when Mexican food was something we thought was consumed only by Mexicans way down south of the border. When we first moved to Texas in 1974 we cautiously tried cheese enchiladas with beans and rice at El Chico’s, a chain restaurant. At the time we thought it was just great. With several moves across Texas (always a step ahead of the Texas Rangers because we were criminals on the run……kidding!) our tastes evolved to include taco salads and burritos. It wasn’t until about 1984 when we were living in Carrollton, Texas that we met a couple from church who couldn’t believe we had never tried fajitas. They invited us to their home for dinner and we had our first sampling of fajitas. So yesterday as we were enjoying this culinary delight, my memory exploded with wonderful thoughts of our first introduction to fajitas. Thank you, Don and Janie Wimberly, for this precious memory!!!
The downside of this story makes me very sad. On our way yesterday to Blanco’s, we drove down Jefferson Street where we saw many little tents occupied by homeless. To drive past that scene and then sit down in a beautiful restaurant to enjoy amazing food wasn’t as pleasurable as we had hoped because our conversation kept returning to those precious souls living in tents, most likely cold and hungry. We recalled the few times we joined folks from a local church to take sandwiches, water bottles and some basic life essentials to the homeless in downtown Phoenix. Sadly, we haven’t done that for a long time. I am uncertain if caring for the poor and marginalized is the central tenet of the gospel, but I was reminded of Matthew 25:40 where Jesus commands us to “care for the least of these”. Then Jerry and I discussed the thousands who will be pouring into our country from south of the border, most likely exhausted and hungry and certainly not arriving legally. How can we help them when we cannot even begin to care for the thousands of homeless already here in Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA, Chicago and NY? You get the picture, and you have seen the pictures, incredibly and seriously sad. I wish we had the answer to this crisis in our country. Perhaps you have some ideas like giving up that $600 stimulus check to help the poor. Maybe if all those citizens who say we should tear down the wall would be willing to tear down the walls and gates around their homes and communities and would agree to take in at least one family each, we could make a difference. In closing, If Only I Knew, a favorite little book by Lance Wubbels, here are my thoughts he so beautifully expressed: “If only I knew that no one ever sees the same thing, in exactly the same light, I would have found more pleasure in others’ opinions, even when they did not share mine.”
We would seriously love it if you would share your opinions in the “comments” section. Until next time, Happy Valentine’s Day, stay well and may the Lord bless and keep you in His care!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and Jerry, too! I agree with you that it is so sad seeing so many homeless people not only in tents and on the sidewalks, but also
on street corners! We cannot understand how President Biden wants lots more
immigrants to cross over into the USA when we can’t even house and feed our
own citizens!
Your story is a great one and one that I am sure many couples share, A walk down memory lane. It is always fun to relive those memories again as it strengthens your relationship and you recall why you are in that relationship. Memories are good for marriages, family and friends alike. I love to sit down and go through old pictures that brings those memories to life.
It is very sad to drive our streets and see the homeless, some are forced to live that way, some live that way by choice and we all want to do more for them. I think many families would open their homes, if these were different times. Us older folk can remember when streets were safe to walk, where children could play in a safe environment. Times have radically changed and they are not safe anymore. Many crossing our borders are criminals and come to this country to commit crimes. Who do you choose to open your doors to?
What a wonderful memory. We had a good Latino population in the Columbus, Ohio area (brought in by the housing boom) so we have been exposed to good Mexican food, including fajitas (!), for decades. Which brings up a memory from visiting my friends in Australia in 2018. They took me to I think was the only Mexican restaurant in Melbourne….and the food was awful! Needless to say Australia, or at least Melbourne, could benefit from some immigrants from Latin American countries!
As to the homeless. What a problem this country has! The west coast has been hit so hard from rising housing costs pricing way too many out of being able to afford the rents.. And now Phoenix, with its rising costs of housing is joining the fray. Certainly there are other factors…job loss, low wages etc. But with the pandemic causing so much food insecurity, we have been giving our charitable dollars to St. Mary’s Food Bank. As to thinking illegals will be flooding into the country along the southern border, think again. Biden wants reform but not without guardrails (his word) as to not tax a system already overloaded. Plus, did you know that, even though illegal crossings make headlines, the largest number of illegal migrants settling in the US each year are those who stay here after their visas expire? And mostly employed. And has been so since 2007! By a 3:2 margin! Biden isn’t going to tear down what little wall has been built. His primary focus is going to be reuniting those 500+ children with their parents as well invest in technology to secure the border, not physical barriers.. The criminal element of illegal drug and human trafficking from south of the border is all coming through the legal border crossing check points. He wants to secure those. (And shipping containers from all parts of the world which pose a danger to our shores as we often have no clue what’s really in them, over and above what’s on the manifest. But that’s a different subject). We’/you are talking homeless…mouths to feed. We should be addressing all the issues causing its rise. And individually help as much as we can These are difficult times for so many Americans. Those people need help. Not our worries over the southern border, when the numbers have been dropping since the Obama yrs.
So, just Just wanted to throw in some facts. 😁 As an aside, always have felt fajitas are the healthiest of Mexican food. Might be wrong but with all those veggies….!
Thank you for taking a lot of time to provide all this information.
While you and I have disagreed over the years on some issues and likely will continue to do so, I love the fact that we remain friends and are able to respectfully share different views! I hope to see you soon!