On the way into the library today, I went down
the street to photograph a house that might be a good model for the home of the
protagonist of the book I'm writing.
Then I wandered past the Amherst Historical Society Museum, with its towering,
ancient Ash, into the 18th century garden that the garden society created years
ago, and maintains.
There are many stone benches and some wooden ones, and protected areas.
And so, we all know, a lot of people who have no homes sleep there.
But fall is upon us; winter on it's heels , once again.
Inside the library ,there was a presentation on
those of us who are homeless; a very first step in the dialogue of becoming
aware and involved in people in our own towns who have no homes.
The news has been reporting some towns and cities in different states and
countries that are actually creating excellent well thought-out models.
Models that consider the wide variety of ways that we become homeless. And the
wide variety of needs we have.
Wishing I was my young and healthy self, so that I could be active in this.
I do remember once, when my oldest was three, we
had to move out of the house we were renting. They were selling the house, and
we hadn't the savings to put down first last and security on a new rental, so
suddenly.
A friend of my husbands was going away for a month, and let us use his Amherst
apartment, downtown.
It was kind of exciting, looking over a tunnel, the downtown sounds. Of course,
the kid could hardly go to sleep. Because the bed was a water bed. And you had
to forever keep them from trying to jump on it. I kind of could get the appeal
though, the way it splooshed and splashed, like an ocean.
One day the super told us we had to leave for a few hours, while they
fumigated. I didn't know about pesticides then. So off I went with my kid, and
then toddled back in to the stinky place.
When the friend returned, we had more friends in Montague center who invited us
to stay in their back room, a very nice finish strong.
As we slowly saves, from me cleaning houses in between going to the university,
and my beloved working at a cooperatively owned garage.
As we moved Montague, we realized there were cockroaches in our belongings.
From the friend's apartment.
So we had to lay them all out on the lawn for several days, hoping for sunshiny
skies, and then shake and check each item, before putting it away in the
room.
At this point, my father caught onto the situation from one of my siblings, and
offered a small down payment for a house. A big surprise. That's how we ended
up first house, the three-story with the barn in the tunnel across the street,
and downtown Montague. Our apartment with five different levels, same as our
sweet funny home now.
We would've saved up. It just takes a while when you have low-paying jobs- to
save up for a down payment, and fix your credit.
From the times when you have no health insurance, and you rack up the hospital
or emergency room bills.
Somebody bailed us out. Of not having a home. That's not available to
everybody.
Inside the library, checking out books, the librarians and I talked about the
beauty of the garden, the constant presence of homeless people sleeping back
there. And the presentation standing on boards down the middle of the main
room.
It's a start. To have a local dialogue. Instead
of spikes in protected areas of cities, to prevent homeless people from
sleeping there. Not that it's simple or easy or safe either.
And so many different kinds of individuals become homeless. Families. For some,
it just snowballs, and no one is around to build them out. For others, there is
a con the city of distress, that at times causes serious problems in the
town.
Sometimes, people don't want to live by any rules, and are unable to manage to
get help. They simply want places they can go to eat, maybe be urged to except
some medical care, and have some place to crash when the nights are too
severely cold.
But
there seems to be an increased interest at present, that involves awareness and
an determination to use actual, accurate information and realism- in figuring
things out. Doing things. Other then castigation and denial.
In the meantime, there are organizations in each town or city that can tell you where to do your online donations, as the cold hits us, hard. Tiny bits, by big bunches of people. Just what I love. Going online and just hitting that button for the $10. Making a big bunch of difference, when held between all of us.
While some countries and towns and states are actually beginning to have some clarity about how people become homeless.
GONE is the 'BIG SURPRISE' of the life this or that person led, til a series of events snowballed, and the disaster overwhelmed their self-esteem, their tenacity, and dropped them in the land of hopelessness. Looking for all the world not...like the person they were.
Homelessness can happen to any one of us. Like illness, we think that if we turn away and pretend, we won't catch the germ that causes it.
Homelessness can happen to people who have addictions, or mental illness, too. Many places are figuring out how to respond to different people, with differing situations.
We can do the NEW 'There but for the grace of my money and relatives and job...go I'.
Or we can really learn how these things happen. Not blame people. Yes recognize the health risk or safety risk that is all too real, at times. No Pollyannaing.
I'm just relieved that there is some new focus and problem solving going on, that is not based on wishful 'Just Say No' thinking (which does work for some of us, some of the time, and yeah, we are responsible for our actions and efforts and situations. But sometimes? Things just happen.)
I'm encouraged by the new clarity.
I'm going to lay my prayers on that.
Still more that are loosening, falling, as if some reckoning has been sent about to all- the scurrying, preparing Chipmunks, the pairing-up mates of Broad-wing Hawk and Harrier and the intermittent Eagle- spiraling together in some sort of 'Shall we stay, or go?' conversation, as the days and nights grow cooler and the light begins to sway away from us all. Our immune systems and vestibular systems taking note, responding with all the exquisite abilities they have to adapt to what needs adapting.
