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Mack's Corner

This Week

The "L" For a Memphis boy the idea of getting on a mass transit train that appears to have no driver is a little scary. The "L" in Chicago is way different than anything here. There really is a driver up there somewhere, you just can't see him, at least I never did. If you want to get off, you can't go up to the front and tell the guy to let you off. When I was growing up we rode the city bus to school every day. My Dad rode it all the way downtown to go to work.... Read More
Posted by Mack Oates at Saturday, October 29, 2016

This Week

The Day Off Every now and then I get to have a real day off. Usually when everybody else has a holiday there's something going on here at church…. To me a real day off means I'm not responsible for anything, nobody asks me to do anything, no chores, nobody calls me and wants me to come fix something or wants to tell me their problems. I'm totally irresponsible for the day. I don't worry about what something costs or if I could be doing something productive or if I... Read More
Posted by Mack Oates at Saturday, October 22, 2016

This Week

Crying over dinner If you've been in the Hope Kitchen in the last few years then you know that it runs full out, all the time, it's a busy place (1500 - 5000 meals every week). What you wouldn't know is that when it was first put in it was really just an afterthought. We didn't really think we would ever use it. It had a big stove and 2 ovens, a big commercial dish washer, a walkin freezer and 2 refrigerators. For some reason we also had plates and bowls and glasses and kniv... Read More
Posted by Mack Oates at Saturday, October 15, 2016

This Week

Every Day After Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 everybody was talking about the next big disaster, maybe another Hurricane on the coast or maybe an earthquake here in Memphis. People were buying survival kits and extra water and generators and all kinds of stuff thinking the world would look like it does in those movies where the Statue of Liberty is under water. Maybe we would all be Mad Max in a beat up muscle car with a machinegun. We were no different at Hope. We bought extra beds and w... Read More
Posted by Mack Oates at Saturday, October 8, 2016