The image this week that stays with me …

Last Saturday morning I took a grocery bag filled non-perishables and personal care items (OK, bars of soap) to the local food pantry. I timed my trip intentionally because I have learned that in the weeks leading up to a holiday like Easter, people are very generous. And then, right after the holiday, the pantry shelves are empty and slow to fill again.

Anyway, as I was dropping off, I noticed the parking lot was filled with the cars of the neighbors who were picking up their free groceries. Maybe it's because Earth Day has made me sensitive to these things, but I never noticed so many cars before.

My community offers extensive, affordable public transportation. Everything is centrally located, too. I haven't driven since Ronald Reagan was president, and it hasn't been an inconvenience.

So why were all these people DRIVING to the food pantry? Why don't they walk or take the bus or share rides? Gas is so expensive these days! If a household is so strapped that they are getting their groceries from the food pantry, wouldn't their paychecks go a little further if they drove a little less? (And let's not forget how good it is for all of us to shrink our carbon footprints a bit.)

I think long-time drivers look upon their cars the way old cowboys looked at their horses. I guess it's simply inconceivable that they would leave the house without their wheels. But it's such a waste of their money and resources! If I get the chance tomorrow, I'll mention this to my minister (he's one of the food pantry organizers). Maybe the pantry itself can begin encouraging walking or car-pooling …