I watched CBS news last night and wondered what year was being shown. Was it 1938 or 2008? It seemed as if I was living during the depression. The images, the need.
Here's the story. A farm north of Denver CO had had a successful year. The harvest was over. There was still produce in the fields. In gratitude for a good year, the owners opened the fields to local people to come and harvest the remaining potatoes, carrots and beets. They expected maybe 5,000 or 10,000 people and over 40,000 people turned up to glean food from their fields.
It was the film that left me with the feeling.
Men and women, bent over dirt fields with hoes, shovels.
Small children sitting in the dirt, playing. A scene reminiscent of Dorothea Lange, but in color, a kodak moment .
The gleaners harvested over 600,000 pounds of food.
So many people came, the fields were stripped, the second day was cancelled.
I am aware how fortunate I, and so many I know, are. And yet I can only wonder how many of those I know are needing food, or feeling desperate. Of what more am I not aware? Are there would be gleaners in my circle of friends? In yours?
Dorothea Lange images used with permission - © 2008 - The Multimedia Library (http://www.multimedialibrary.com.
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