What better way could I celebrate Fat Tuesday other than moving into my new apartment. Being homeless may be one of the best lessons I have ever learned. It taught me to be a more compassionate human being. However, having been homeless, it was awful to be treated like a loser. The general population thinks the homeless are drunks or drug addicts. Many are. Some think the homeless are only criminals or lazy. Some are. The question many forget to ask is "How did they get that way?" Every homeless person has a different story.
Most of the paperwork I have filled out for the past two years is stamped HOMELESS. Your name is not important. You are put into a category. You are treated different. People avoid you. It can be downright painful and depressing. No longer do I wish to focus on the negative.
Today I am a winner! Yes, I was chosen and given an apartment. Dozens of social workers, volunteers, staff members of Casa Esperanza poured time, energy and resources into changing my status. According to the last report, there are 1053 homeless in Santa Barbara. Today there is one less. All these people made a difference in one person's life. Tomorrow they will start again in hopes of helping one more homeless person become a winner!
My name is John Thomas and I live on Garden Street in Santa Barbara.
“But forget all that—
ReplyDeleteit is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland"
Isaiah 43:18-19