Homeless conjures up images of
what?
Most would think someone smelly, living on the street,
digging through
trash cans.
Think again; look at it backwards less a home.
Home is where you lay your head at night but what if
you don’t have that luxury. Homeless happens for a variety
of reasons:
mental illness, alcoholism, job loss, etc.
I have heard stories but I have my own.
My first memory of being homeless was
spending two weeks in a
car parked under a shade tree. It was summer in the South.
Dad
had a job but places to rent were few and those available
would not rent
to families with kids. There was a park and big oak trees. A
station at the
edge of the park allowed us to use the restroom where we
could wash up each day.
Dad walked to work for two weeks. At the end of that time,
Dad moved us
to his mother’s for a week until he could find us a place of
our own.
Another time, my husband left me. I slept on
my mother’s couch; I had no
Job. Are you technically homeless? The next time I had no
home,
I stayed a while with my brother. No place to call your own
is hard but having
Someone to help makes it bearable.
I balked
or more like I froze trying to explain what it feels like.
As a child, you accept things as they come. Everything is
new and exciting.
We played in the park all day, slept in the car at night but
we were together.
As an
adult, it is different. You go to bed when the last person does and get
up with the first one. There is no privacy. I long for a
good night’s sleep.
I keep my clothes in the car at the ready. I had
responsibility. I had two young children.
I asked for help to find a job. I was told that since I had
a college degree and
could teach school, there was no help. OK granted but
remember this was June
and not a time for employment. I made it but I had a bad
taste in my mouth.
I had help from my family. What do those who have no family
to help do?
Don’t
judge to harshly until you know the facts. What is the saying,
”There but for the grace of God go I.”
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