For the longest time we have heard and read about
homeless persons. Homelessness was big
news. When my husband and I lived in
south Florida the plight of homeless persons was always in the news and they
could be found everywhere. Many people were trying to help them and many just
wanted them gone or at least out of sight.
Have you noticed that there isn’t that much said about
homeless people anymore? We have them
though, and we have many thousands who are on the verge of homelessness.
Last winter a young friend and her family became
homeless. Neither of her parents could
find a job nor manage to keep one if they got one. Consistently, that is. They ended up losing their trailer when they
couldn’t pay the rent and the water and power got cut off. She said they were going to move in with
family. They still haven’t found a
stable home. She changed schools three times last year and is unsure where she
will be going this year. How is she
supposed to be okay?
When my husband and I were on our recent anniversary
trip we stayed at a beautiful hotel connected to a river walk by a
walkover. The first morning we went
toward the river walk there were two people sleeping in a covered area near the
steps.
The next morning there was one person sleeping
there. We pushed the elevator button to
go down to walk along the river. It took
the elevator a long time to reach us and when it did there was a young couple in
it.
It was obvious that they had spent the night sleeping
in it and I am afraid we woke them up.
We spoke. It was a small elevator
and I had to stand close to the young woman who was pregnant. I hoped that she didn’t feel like I was
invading her personal space. I already
felt like we had walked into their bedroom.
She looked at me smiled and said, “You smell like
baby powder.”
I looked at her, smiled and answered, “I don’t have
on baby powder. Maybe you smell my
soap.” She smiled again. She was so beautiful and friendly. We went on our walk. As we were returning we passed them again and
we all spoke.
I felt so helpless.
I hate a world where people do not have homes or a safe refuge. I look at the news and see all the refugees
from all the wars. People who can’t go
home or if they can there is no home or job to go back to. Probably, they have lost loved ones. I want to see them sheltered and safe.
There are people in every community, town and
country who fall into these circumstances.
Many times through no fault of their own. People who survive natural disasters
frequently have not recovered years after them, and what about people in the
U.S. who lost their homes during the great foreclosure crisis?
Recently, on the news they were telling about all
these big beautiful hotels that are closed or closing down in Atlantic City,
New Jersey. They are so close to where
people lost homes and businesses due to hurricane Sandy--many of whom are still
trying to rebuild.
I would like to see all the hotel rooms and all the
foreclosed houses filled up with people who do not have a place to call home. Think how good those beds, bathrooms and
mini-fridges in those big hotels would make people feel. They could lock their
own doors and hopefully have a greater sense of security. Can you imagine seeing their children
frolicking in the pools? I know that you
could count their smiles!
I would love to see the businesses around the hotels
and homes reopened providing people with year round jobs so that they could pay
a reasonable rent. I would want to see
disabled veterans and disabled persons get their benefits if they do not
already have them. These enclaves could become
refuges where people could live, work and build communities.
We are supposed to be a compassionate nation. A nation that helps people who have had
setbacks in their lives, or perhaps never had a chance, become more
self-reliant given a hand up. I do not
see that as a description of our nation at the present time, but we could
be. I want us to be. Do you share my dream?
I cannot get the picture of the young couple we met
in the elevator out of my mind. How does
it make you feel? What can we do about homelessness
when there are so many politicians who cut funding to every kind of helping program
and by their actions seem to want some of our fellow human-beings to just drop
off the face of the earth?
©Patty F.
Cooper, Elizabethton, Tennessee August 18th, 2014
All Rights Reserved
Bull's-eye! Right on center target
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