No Permanent Address
Thursday, April 27
How It Feels Right Now
I have a compliment for the Earth Day 2006 volunteers and officials who cleaned up this year. This year, there was a kindler, gentler spirit in the cleanup efforts around homeless camps; at least, that’s how it looks and feels right now. It could be there were fewer volunteers and officials to clean up this year, but I’d like to think it was because folks were just plain kinder and gentler.
Past years’ Earth Day Celebrations have been tough on our homeless friends. Earth movers and dumpsters were called in to bulldoze entire camps, taking everything in their path; including the library and the shitter. (Two different places; I’ll explain another day, Lord willing.)
This year, it looks like some camps have been spared and in fact, cleaned up! Litter left by years of traffic was collected, sorted and recycled to a whole different landfill in a whole different world. The litter included tires (from trucks), rotting railroad ties (from the railroad) and construction demolition debris (from neighborhood redevelopment), items which could not be moved by our homeless friends. Of course, the litter collected included anything and everything left by the homeless, including personal items. In one camp, all the pails and stumps and seats were taken (items that might offer one moment rest for a wearied traveler), except for a single, solitary chair.
Was the chair left in the bush as a stroke of kindness by an official? Or, was the chair just missed by a volunteer - out’a sight, out’a mind - completely overlooked, kinda like the old man that’s going to sit in it? Can you imagine how much a simple place to sit might mean to a broken-down, handicapped man whose legs have done tuckered out on him right now?
When a fellow man or woman or child is trapped in the bonds of a handicap without even a chair to sit on, there’s not much the handicapped can do but put ‘er down whenever, wherever, however one can.
I hope your legs never stop working for you and your Creator.
¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments
I have a compliment for the Earth Day 2006 volunteers and officials who cleaned up this year. This year, there was a kindler, gentler spirit in the cleanup efforts around homeless camps; at least, that’s how it looks and feels right now. It could be there were fewer volunteers and officials to clean up this year, but I’d like to think it was because folks were just plain kinder and gentler.
Past years’ Earth Day Celebrations have been tough on our homeless friends. Earth movers and dumpsters were called in to bulldoze entire camps, taking everything in their path; including the library and the shitter. (Two different places; I’ll explain another day, Lord willing.)
This year, it looks like some camps have been spared and in fact, cleaned up! Litter left by years of traffic was collected, sorted and recycled to a whole different landfill in a whole different world. The litter included tires (from trucks), rotting railroad ties (from the railroad) and construction demolition debris (from neighborhood redevelopment), items which could not be moved by our homeless friends. Of course, the litter collected included anything and everything left by the homeless, including personal items. In one camp, all the pails and stumps and seats were taken (items that might offer one moment rest for a wearied traveler), except for a single, solitary chair.
Was the chair left in the bush as a stroke of kindness by an official? Or, was the chair just missed by a volunteer - out’a sight, out’a mind - completely overlooked, kinda like the old man that’s going to sit in it? Can you imagine how much a simple place to sit might mean to a broken-down, handicapped man whose legs have done tuckered out on him right now?
When a fellow man or woman or child is trapped in the bonds of a handicap without even a chair to sit on, there’s not much the handicapped can do but put ‘er down whenever, wherever, however one can.
I hope your legs never stop working for you and your Creator.
¶ 9:00 PM 0 comments
Friday, April 21
Happy Earth Day!
This notice was posted under bridges and in homeless camps today in celebration of Earth Day 2006, tomorrow.
I can already hear them shouting, "Get the garden first, or they'll come back and eat!"
