Preparing for the Florida Catholic’s 4th annual Lenten Long-Sleeve Relief Drive I find myself thinking about Rudy Martinez. He was one of those mystery people of my childhood. You know, someone God puts in your life briefly, then they’re gone, but you don’t know where in the world they went; yet somehow you know they’re still alive.
Over the years, I have thought about Rudy every once in awhile. Typical of the way God helps me be closer to a situation, I thought about him today while designing a full-page ad for the Long-Sleeve Relief Drive, which this year includes a Food/Diaper/Personal Hygiene Drive.
I was in the sixth grade at St. Bernard’s Catholic School in Green Bay, Wisconsin when Rudy walked in the classroom door. It was three weeks after school started and I wondered why Rudy was just showing up. Where had he been the past three weeks? I remember going home and talking at the supper (not dinner) table about Rudy. Without giving much time for contemplation, I remember my dad saying, “Sounds to me like he is from a migrant family — probably here to pick the apples.” Dad didn’t explain “migrant family” and I didn’t ask. I figured in time I would figure it out by myself.
Rudy had a great tan and what I would call the beginnings of a soft-hair moustache. He was much taller than anyone else in our class but he stood with his head down and only spoke when called upon by Sister Mary Helen, our teacher. We didn’t wear uniforms at St. Bernard’s but Rudy wore the same shirt every day. Something I found to be odd. To get to my desk each morning I had to walk past Rudy. Somehow, I always expected some kind of foul odor but Rudy always smelled like some kind of fresh soap.
On the playground at recess Rudy would stand looking away from everyone other than his seven younger brothers who wore the same shirt every day as well. I remember thinking about all the fun he was missing out on and for some reason I just didn’t get why he felt so uncomfortable around the rest of us. We were nice kids and back then you didn’t dare poke fun at anyone or you’d end up with a pair of horse blinders taped to your head like Terry LaTour did after he refused to stop looking around the classroom making ugly faces.
One day on the playground a break through occurred when Scott King walked up to Rudy and asked him to join in a baseball game. I still remember the transformation that took place on the face of that sixth-grade kid at the thought of being included — the thought of being just a kid having fun — the thought of being accepted — the thought of being in communion with the rest of God’s children at St. Bernard’s Catholic School.
Rudy changed that day. I’m not so sure Scott King ever knew what he did for him, or if, like me, he even gives it another thought after so many years. Every day after, Rudy came to school with his head upright and he would joke around with the rest of us before the school bell rang day’s beginning. During class he showed more of his humorous side always putting a funny spin on his answers. And you should have seen that lanky kid run the bases at recess. Holy Olympics material.
One day at the beginning of November, Rudy stopped coming to school. As the week ended, I had a strange and sad feeling Rudy was gone forever and I was right. I walked up to Sister Mary Helen the next week and asked her if maybe Rudy was sick. Sister Mary Helen looked up and said nothing about him being from a migrant family only that his family had to move south.
Today, this moment, I reflect on the many Rudy’s I’ve been privileged to know and to grow closer to God with as they share their stories and I share mine. In today’s economic environment the concept of migration has expanded beyond class conventions as the majority of Americans are affected in some financial and emotional way. Many store owners, construction workers and lawn maintenance people, to name a very few, have lost their jobs, their homes, and have been forced to migrate to other areas and move in with family members. And those who have migrated for years to pick the apples in Green Bay, oranges in Florida and other crops of the earth, are being turned away from work as farms close down and ferneries shut doors.
So now, right now, I ask God to move you to action and get into your giving heart even if it hurts a little. I ask you to please look in your closets and if you have two cotton shirts, consider donating one to the Long-Sleeve Relief Drive. Then look in your pantry and if there are two cans of beans put your faith in God and donate one and add one bar of soap and sacrifice a week of desserts to buy a pack of much needed diapers. And one final thought that has helped me prepare for the work that must be done for our Lenten drives — Rudy Martinez, in the midst of your family's migration, if you made it as far south as Florida, I hope you are well and if time permits, please give me a call so I can stop wondering what happened to you. And Rudy — if you have two cotton shirts or two cans of soup ...
The Florida Catholic’s Long-Sleeve Relief and Food/Diaper/Personal Hygiene Drive will run from Feb. 25 to April 5. For more information, please e-mail me at mstpierre@thefloridacatholic.org. Information will be on our Web site beginning, Friday, Feb. 13 at www.thefloridacatholic.org.
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