I sat down tonight at my kitchen table and thought, “wow, I’m exhausted, both mentally and physically.” I’ve worked the past three days, 13 hours each mind you, and I want nothing more than to fill my belly and crawl into my comfy bed. (As an added bonus I would also appreciate it if my cat would allow me sleep past 5am; with the sun coming up earlier each day he thinks he needs to get up at the same time…little stinker!) My knees ache, my head hurts, and I’m hungry, but then I started thinking….buck up Jen! You have a job, a warm house, and food on your table. What do you think all the homeless people are doing after their 13 hour day? Perhaps their day consisted of walking 15 miles across town in shoes that didn’t fit to find shelter, or standing in the cold all day asking for spare change just so they could eat tonight. Chances are they too had a long day and are more exhausted than me. The worst part is, at the end of their day they have nowhere to call home, no comfy bed to curl up in, and they most certainly do not receive a pay check for their efforts every two weeks like me.
The homeless lead a much tougher life than most of us could handle. Many actually do work jobs but they cannot afford the housing due to low wages and a high cost of living. Others may not be able to secure a job due to a disability or the fact that they lack a permanent address and phone number which employers need to contact an individual. I’m exhausted thinking about the challenges they face and suddenly my life seems like a walk in the park.
As I lay here on my couch and ponder the thought of being homeless I’m overwhelmed with emotions. One week from today I will be sitting beside people who probably go through more struggles and hardships in one week than I’ve encountered in my entire life. The stories I will hear, the faces I will meet, and the experiences I’m about to encounter will forever change me and the perceptions I have for homeless people across our nation.
On personal note, I thought you should all meet my nearly 6 year old automatic alarm clock…aka Scooter :)
Your comment on "soon we will be sitting beside people who have more struggles in one day than you've encountered in your entire life" really struck me. This is so true. I think that if those people make it off the streets, they will be some very strong people who could accomplish anything; they are already stronger than I imagine I could ever be. I often tell myself "buck up" when I find myself complaining about something difficult in my life because there are often people all around me dealing with something worse. By the way...beautiful alarm clock you have! I have a cat Maggie that looks almost identical!
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