Munificence and Turkeys

 

munificence - noun - quality or action of being lavishly generous; great generosity (Google).

It may be rare, but on occasion, particularly around the holidays, generosity can be seen in abundance. Yet if you are not in the right place at the right time, it is possible to miss it. Fortunately, today I positioned myself serendipitously in just the correct spot so that I could witness first hand what many cynics might consider to be up there with a lunar eclipse in terms of frequency: munificence.

In remembrance of Thanksgiving, a holiday that reeks of atavistic magnanimity (Think: Native Americans feeding Pilgrims and vice versa), I had signed up to volunteer for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey's annual turkey drive to be held at a local elementary school. This morning, I showed up on time, 8:45, and was told that an anonymous someone had assigned me the leadership role of captain, a bit disconcerting as I had not been informed previously and had no knowledge of the job's responsibilities. So I did what I normally do under similar circumstances: I proceeded to "wing it." You know, go with the flow of things. 

The flow of things surprised me so pleasantly that after my shift was over and done with, I was floating on Cloud 9 for the remainder of the day. From 9 until 11:30 a.m., people stopped by with car loads of groceries-non perishables and frozen turkeys—that we volunteers carried to a parked truck poised to take the donations to a warehouse where they would be distributed. In two hours time, we had collected 35 turkeys and filled numerous bins with boxed and canned food for hungry families throughout the State. The other locations throughout the county also seemed to be doing as well or better. Because I did leave after three hours, I do not know how many additional turkeys and other items were dropped off, but I would predict the same amount or better. 

No doubt, our turkey drive was one of many that happened or is happening or will be happening throughout the United States this week. Strangers are stepping up to satiate the stomachs of strangers. Magnificent munificence is becoming a reality. What a concept. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all embrace and practice it daily? 

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