By Irene Conlan -
Back in the days when I was a congressman’s wife I had opportunities that aren’t offered to me now that I’m happily not in those circles any more. One of those opportunities came in the form of invitations to see new places belonging to prominent people in Washington, D.C. and one of them was most remarkable.
In 1974 Congress voted that the home of the Chief of Naval Operations located on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Obseratory in Washington, D.C.become the home of the Vice President of the United States who was then Nelson Rockerfeller.
Please note that the Congress authorized all the costs, including the refurbishment and furnishing of the almost 100 year old house. This means tax money paid for it. The decision was made as a safety measure because it was becoming more and more difficult and costly to provide security to the vice president in homes outside of D.C.
When it opened all of the politicos and well known people were invited to visit.
It was obviously very old and had been beautifully restored and furnished and we were allowed to inspect every nook and cranny at our leisure.
When we got to the master bedroom there it was – a mink bedspread on a king size bed. Say what? A MINK bedspread? Yep! We were told that it was paid for by the Rockerfellers and not provided at taxpayer expense. Well, I certainly hoped so.
Obviously it made an impression on me because the memory has lasted these thirty six years, but it wasn’t a positive experience.
Don’t get me wrong. The Rockerfellers were philanthropists, creating foundations to help people and organizations around the world. They were generous with their large amounts of money.
But a mink bedspread seemed over the top, opulence more than good taste. It really wasn’t very pretty (in my opinion and, you know the saying – beauty is in the eye of the beholder). It certainly didn’t seem to fit in a house built in the late 1800s.
Close to the area were people unable to afford food or housing. I’m not talking about people who would not work but who could not earn a living wage and, therefore, could not feed, clothe and shelter their families in the shadow of the capitol of the United States. They’re still there by the way – with different names, faces and stories. And perhaps the poverty is now even greater.
I did my public health nursing in Washington, D.C. when I was working for my BS in Nursing. We were continuously cautioned to watch out for rats and other pests (including the human kind) and be alert and stay safe. So when I saw the mink bedspread I had the vision of what I’d seen and experienced still in my mind. Rather than being impressed I was disgusted.
The cost of the bedspread could have
- educated several men or women so they could get a better job
- fed many hungry children
- given school supplies to underfunded schools
- funded a serious rat control program
- etc.
I am NOT for socialism in any form. We live in a free country where we have the right to keep what we earn (well, most of it). We cannot be forced to give except to the government. But I am for using wisely the gifts we are given and I believe abundance is a gift – even if you’ve worked hard to obtain it. All the sacred writings talk about sharing and taking care of each other and the human heart speaks of it as well.
Probably no one reading this owns a mink bedspread and most likely has never seen one. But each one of us has something to share – talent, love, caring or money and material goods. Great joy comes from sharing. How joyful are you?
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Yesterday I cleaned out closets. When we moved here I just put the clothes in the closet anywhere they would fit. There was so much happening that I didn’t take the time to sort, arrange and discard. I have small closets here and can’t really store what I won’t or can no longer wear. Most of us save things just in case – in case styles change, in case we loose enough weight to fit in it again, in case elephants or pigs fly. We become pack rats with things that outlived their usefulness to us long ago but could be helpful for someone else.
