On the Street Where You Live

As we all work our way the through the uncertainty of new virus fears, restrictions, and lockdowns; of parceling out our sambar and our tender coconut water and our red and yellow and orange capsicums; of wondering how long, how many, how deep will be the ending, we can remember that there are so, so many around us who may suffer more than we might.

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Since Sarah and I moved to India three years ago, we’ve always been impressed by the enterprise of so many people all around our neighborhoods—first, in Besant Nagar, and then, for the last year, a bit farther south in Thiruvanmiyur. Many of our neighbors have been professionals—like the architect who designed our independent villa—and even movie stars and company owners and government officials, along with many of Sarah’s fellow teachers at AISC.

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But so much of the heart of our neighborhood springs from those who keep our lives in order, who sweep the streets, watch the homes, and handle so many of our daily needs—the ironing man across the street, the mending man who’s been in the same location for a couple decades, the auto rickshaw drivers who line the corner a block away, the shoe repair man sitting across from the temple, the fish sellers where Shanthi, our housekeeper/cook, buys the fresh prawns I enjoy nearly every day, and, especially, the Thiruvanmiyur wholesale veg market, a teeming, crowded warren of colorful vegetables and even more evocative people—the very essence of the spirit of hard work and enterprise.

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With the lockdowns and curfews—all surely needed and appropriate to flatten the curve of the spread of the virus—we wonder as the supplies dwindle and the demands continue, as the need to stay home and stay isolated is observed, as we all lean into the headwind of the pandemic, what may happen to the livelihoods for these crucial people and their role in the turn of the wheel.

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As we all trace our way forward on this new journey, we wish these beautiful people, and all our neighbors, the best in walking this new path. I miss their smiles, so regularly shared with me on my walkabouts, but their memory strengthens my yearning to see them again, at work and striving, once we are all back out on the streets of the world. Enterprise and smiles, connection for us all.

Sarah and I have found at least two different websites where we can donate to help feed hourly wage earners who may have lost their work during this time. We don’t like to share websites here, but we do encourage you, wherever you live, to help those most impacted by the downturn until they can return to their daily enterprise.