I was handed three cobs of corn this week while hanging out in a parkette. This was to be added to a growing number of cobs in the fridge at 201 Cowan Avenue, the building that we consider The Dale’s ground zero. Every cob has come from the same community member, someone who is at nearly everything we do, including our monthly potluck.

The potluck is something that we relaunched just this year after a long pandemic-forced hiatus. The invitation is always the same: bring something to contribute as you are able, whether it be a bag of chips from the Dollar Store or something you cook. We will pile together whatever we get (we never prescribe what to bring) and turn it into a feast. 

I am often reminded of the story of Stone Soup when thinking of this gathering. The folk tale is about a traveler who enters a village looking for a safe place to sleep and a hot meal. The villagers can offer a bed but because of a poor crop they have very little to eat and are just getting by. The traveler offers to make stone soup, something unheard of in the village. He asks for a pot, some water and wood to start a fire. He drops a special stone into the pot, smells the aroma and mentions that stone soup is even better with a bit of cabbage. By the end of the story the villagers all contribute whatever bits they each have- cabbage, a carrot, a handful of mushrooms, creating an amazing soup that they all share. 

Apparently, there is a grocery store in Parkdale right now that is selling corn for a great price. This sparked the imagination of our community member, who felt they could manage to gather together enough change to buy and contribute corn to the next potluck. I have agreed to make sure it is cooked and will also be bringing butter and salt. I love the look on our friend’s face every time they manage to bring a little bit more. It reminds me how necessary it is for every person to have opportunity to give. 

I get handed a real variety of things on the street. I can honestly say that before this week, corn was never one of them. I’m really looking forward to a steaming platter of corn being added to the table, all thanks to our friend. In the Stone Soup story there was more than enough for everyone to eat their fill and afterward they declared it was the best soup they had ever tasted. Hopefully the corn and everything else that fills out the meal will hit the spot in the same way.