Le Petite Post

Hello all;

Just a short message today to say hi, I have hit the bottom of the bucket money wise and am on my way out to the corner to try to acquire a couple of dollars, and then I am going to Lutherville to make the acquaintance of my new friend Angela. I don't want to jinx anything but......oh well...'we shall see what we shall see'..(don't ask me why, but I just like that little phrase..LOL). If things do not work out tonight, I really have to find new shelter ASAP! I am waking up each night about 4:15 am. with painfully cold feet, most likely due to poor circulation and hypertension, my quilt got boarded up in the garage Monday. Perhaps I have a heavy blanket left at the ex'es house. I am not going to get to see Rachel today...I MUST AND WILL TOMORROW!!

As I said in last nights post... http://www.returnvoyage.com/ ...CHECK IT OUT!!!!!

OH YEAH..A thought that was inspired by an op/ed in today's Baltimore Sunpaper, by the Rev. Richard Lawrence of 'St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church' in downtown Baltimore. The piece touched on donations being dropped to the homeless living in the park next to the church, and the food and clothing that must be destroyed because of spoilage and weather damage. The point that I personally want to address is... we, the homeless have a major problem of storage vs. stealage (my word, but you get the point), one can only carry so much and eat so much, and when someone stops and offers food or clothing and we (I) say no thank you--politely--and try to explain, there often is a backlash of criticism and/or abuse, usually starting with statements about our "lack of gratitude" and sometimes escalating into rants about how "you're not really homeless or needy, or you would not turn anything down". I just want to say..There are time when food and clothing are not the IMMEDIATE NEEDS; personal hygiene, meds, laundromats and soap, among other things, such as the occasional night in a rented room where the check-out time is well after dawn, even the ability to walk in and pay for a cup of coffee are necessities. Does anyone out there reading this know the huge difference in self esteem and peace of mind that can be measurably felt when one has actual cash in one's pocket....even if one does not spend it, or perhaps I should say ESPECIALLY!if one does not spend it. To some $20.00 is less than an hours wage (and to some...much more), but I can sometimes squeeze Andy Jackson 'til he screams, or make him feel like Stretch Armstrong, for up to a week! I understand and have no problem with those who opt not to give cash to homeless folks for fear of drug/alcohol abuse, I myself sometimes make those judgement calls when I give. But please, just remember, there are not a lot of closets or kitchen pantrys on a park bench, or a steam grate! Also, our needs vary, from day to day, and season to season, just like yours, and there truly is both a practical and theraputic value in the feel and sound of coins and bills, beyond the obvious. Back on Saturday..........Dave