But consider the homeless.
Our community is unique; at least I feel that way. Of course there are the folks who say "not in my back yard', but there are many who have stepped up to find solutions. In all honestly I too say 'not in my back yard' and I say that because of the utter squaller of the many camps. For me it is a bit like dealing with teenagers, I am good one-on-one, but en masse intimidates me.
I know about 10 folks who find secluded spots to themselves, choosing to live quietly without the encroaching influences of others. They prefer solitude to the group campground Durango is directing folks to choose, the legal spot for the homeless.
How do we show compassion and hope when our own truth is 'not in my backyard?' Sure I go to the soup kitchen once a month. Sure I have been going there long enough that I can talk to some of the clients at the library or in town. Sure I know some of their stories. But none of that helps these folks.
Yes, there are a few individuals and groups who are completely engaged. The Red Cliffs Camp now has lockers, port-a-potty, and a church group going to serve breakfast on Saturday morning. The city plans to set up a 3 times a day buss route, but that is weeks away from actually happening.
I think the true truth seekers and allies are the individuals who actually go into the camp, who sit with folks at the soup kitchen, who engage one on one. The rest of us? How does my experiential background of food, clothing and shelter begin to help me relate to desperation, hunger, cold, mental illness, anger, and hopelessness. I can actually understand the need for drugs and alcohol to dim the reality of what these folks face 24/7. Will a locker to keep their material goods in help? Will a meal at the soup kitchen help? Will a ride to a doctor's appointment help? Does a donated pair of shoes help? Hmmm, and how often does this help come? I have no answers and I certainly do not purport to.
Leaving the soup kitchen yesterday I was just sad. A young woman who had been homeless for 11 years had found support, a job and finally a subsidized apartment. Gone. Just over a year later she is back on the street, homeless. She has lost her job. Why? What was he weak link that prevented her for forward motion?
Or the man who used to work at Los Alamos, now jobless, homeless, addicted and without family. He lives on his own, in the woods about 10 miles from the homeless camp. He wants the security of home and distance from negative distractions.
Or the former kitchen manager who still struggles. Traveling the country for years with the Rainbow People, he came to Durango homeless and volunteered at the kitchen, working his way up to be manager. He used lessons living with this counter-culture hippy group to help lead this community of homeless, teaching them about campfire cooking, tent site cleanliness and management and 'leave no trace'. After years of living that life style, he has come and gone in the realities of healthy independence. He does have an apartment and he again has a job. Rejoice!
Quite obviously I do not have answers, only sadness. Some would tell me to step up and help with a solution. But right now, in this life I am leading, I am stepping up to help with Parkinson's. The lesson in all of this is to do something for someone else. Life is not all about you.
God Bless. Merry Christmas.