Thursday

I have been reading all these articles about how mayors around the country are refusing donations of food for the homeless due to salt content.  How nice for them.  See, they have a home and money.  They can make decisions about the type of foods they eat.

I, on the other hand, don't have that luxury in most instances.  There are weeks that I have enough money that I can buy a good meal.  But, there are also times that I cannot.  During the weeks that I don't have enough money I would gladly take a bagel, regardless of how much salt it contains.

While I should be worrying about my long term health needs, it isn't my top priority when I am hungry and don't have enough to get something better.  I eat what I can.

What a bunch of imbeciles.

There are people who are giving this food out of the goodness in their hearts, not because they are trying to give heart attacks to the homeless and hungry.

Let me tell you some unpleasant realities.  When you don't eat regularly your digestive system doesn't always handle fruits and vegetables well.  I have had loose bowels twice already this week.  It isn't easy to find a bathroom all the time, and that can get very messy if you are not near a restroom.  Talk about shit happens.  It does.  You then have to worry about finding a shower to clean yourself thoroughly.  Again, not always easy.  The place that I can take a shower is only open for five hours a day and then only on weekdays.  What do you do if this accident happens on a weekend?

They may mean well, but they are not helping.  They are doing nothing but hurting people like me.  Like I said, I am in a better position than many homeless.  Just Monday I helped another homeless woman get to a shelter.  She had two young kids.  The shelter that takes families is not all that close to where I am and doesn't have bus service.  So it wasn't easy to get her and kids there.  But we managed.  I would like the mayors who made this decision to look her in the eye and tell her she shouldn't give her hungry kids bagels.

I only have to worry about myself.  I have a job, poorly paying, but a job.  She had nothing but the clothes and toys she was carrying and two young kids to care for.  The shelter will only keep her for 45 days.  If she doesn't find an alternative she has to leave that shelter for 10 days before they will take her back again.  The program for the winter ended last week.  For liability reasons most churches won't let you spend the night.  Where is she going to go?  Does Mayor Bloomberg think that she cares about the salt content?  That isn't what is on her mind right now.

If she ends up on the streets she could have her children taken away from her by child services for neglect.  I gave her my phone number, but she hasn't called.  I am assuming that she is OK where she is.  I hope so.  She was really scared.

Honest to god, what is wrong with these politicians?  Do they think they are helping people like me?  They are nothing more than assholes.  I want to use stronger language, but someone sent me an email telling me that he has his step daughter read this.  So I should try and keep it rated PG-13 at least.

The homeless have no voice of their own.  People don't listen to people like me.  It is other people that need to speak up about this.  One day what happened to me could happen to you or someone you work with.  I never thought I would be living in a car, but I do.

Sorry, but I had to get that out.  It made me so mad when I read that.