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Posts Tagged ‘homelessness’

24 December

A Christmas Story for You to Consider

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I know this is an SEO blog and all, but well… Give me a minute here, will you, please? I have a story to tell you and it’s Christmastime. Time to think about why we’re blessed and how we can help our fellow people, right? I mean it’s not about the presents (though you wouldn’t know it, if you’ve been to the stores). It’s about the joy we feel because love came into the world at this time of year. Right? Anyway…

Last week, I was out shopping for a Christmas present for my daughter. Now, she needs nothing. She wants nothing, and she’s now gainfully employed, so she has money. What to buy???

Well, she’s also an artist, so I went over to Michael’s and got her a gift card so she can choose any art supplies she wants, on me & her dad. Cool.

I’m getting back into my car when a woman with a shopping cart comes up to the window. “I’m homeless,” she says to me. “Here’s my registration card. I’m number 497.”

I had no idea that homeless people have numbers and cards. Hmm…

So, we live here in Florida. If you’re going to be homeless, this is probably a pretty good place for it, but this particular night was supposed to get frosty. It was going down to 36 degrees.

She says, “It’s going to get cold, and I just don’t know what else to do. I’m sorry I have to ask you for money, but look… I have some really great Christmas ornaments here, and I’ll give you one of those.”

The woman didn’t look like an alcoholic. She looked sane and normal. Of course, what would I know from any of that? I just felt her humanity and her helplessness. Maybe I’m gullible, but I don’t think so.

So, she continued, “I had a tent to live in, but the city came and took it from me. Now, I just have a crate to live in. After we cleaned up that lot, too. They didn’t throw us out when we were working to clean the place out. Now, that it’s done, they took everything I had.”

“Do you have any blankets? ” I asked her.

“Yeah,” she said, “a lady bought me one. I had one, but I have to use it over my crate to keep out the wind, you know?”

So, I took out what money I had in my wallet and gave it to her. She insisted that I take an ornament, as a way to allow her to maintain her pride, I think, so I did.

What’s wrong with this picture? Why do people have to live this way in this United States of America? It’s not only ludicrous, it’s sinful. We give money to foreign countries and we don’t take care of our own. Something is terribly wrong with that picture.

And I’m mad.

I cried all the way home. I wanted to do so much more for her. I wanted to get all the blankets in my closet that we’re not using right now and take them to her. I wanted to invite her to my home to stay the night, just so she wouldn’t be cold.

And I didn’t. Shame on me. I let her down, too.

We’re so worried that people are going to be killers or whackos that will hurt us or our family, and we ignore what’s going on.

Here’s a Christmas wish:

  • I wish that each and every one of you who has the wherewithal to donate money to the homeless do it.
  • I wish that everyone would write to their Congresspeople (They’re tired of hearing from me.), and ask them to do something about this!

We sit in our cozy homes, and we just pretend that stuff like this doesn’t exist.

Shame on us.

It’s time we helped our own.

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