I belong to a little photo group on Facebook where we have themed contests every week and people post photos appropriate to the theme. This week a woman in San Diego posted a picture that keeps haunting my thoughts. I’ll just link to it here as I don’t want to use it without her permission. It’s a photo of a homeless woman of indeterminate age but certainly approaching or into middle age. She is neatly dressed in an almost clown-like colorful outfit. All her worldly belongings are neatly packed and stacked in three matching tote bags arranged on a baby stroller. She has a slight smile.
I see in this woman someone who cares. Cares about how she looks. Cares about tidiness. Cares for her few worldly belongings. It gripped my heart to see someone so destitute at her age of life and yet living a life that is as organized as she can make it and with all the dignity she can gather. I wondered how it would feel to live as she does.
Ruthie, the photographer, is herself barely employed and just scraping by. Upon my comment about the photo, Ruthie replied:
It’s a sad statement, Becky, that it is this way. Because I take public transport, I see them frequently. I’m not talking about the young druggies. There was something on TV once about families who have a camp in northern California .. displaced because of the economy. There are many of us who are simply “a paycheck away.” If it’s only you and you have no one else to be responsible for, then it’s easier and you can smile. It’s just another way of living.
If that doesn’t make you feel grateful today, it should. With a warm roof overhead. More food than a person needs. A comfy bed and clean sheets. A hot shower and a job to go to.
I know my conservative friends will tell me that I earned the comforts I enjoy. And those who live destitute lives have just made poor choices that brought them there. But it’s not that simple. People are sometimes victims of place and time and circumstances. I, for one, do not take for granted the circumstances that placed me where I am and the opportunities that have come my way. Nor do I attribute it to the grace of God. If there is a God, I’d hate to think she would be playing favorites in such a way. No, I think poverty has a lot more to do with the disgrace of mankind.
#1 by mike on November 27, 2009 - 11:19 am
Becky,
I agree whole heartedly with most of your post. As someone who has spent the last six months studying and photographing the homeless in SLC, (including several harrowing nights I spent sleeping in Pioneer Park), I couldn’t agree with you more about how fortunate most of us are. I also echo your sentiment that not everyone arrives at certain points in their lives completely by their own doing.
However, why is it you must make even a post about gratitude so divisive? Are you really naive enough to believe that only conservatives have a disdain or loathing of those who have hit rock bottom in our society, or that all conservatives are so one minded when it comes to the issue of homelessness and poverty? Let me ask that a different way. Who has Barak Obama and the democratic congress given more of our tax dollars to, the poor and needy or the exceedingly wealthy? I would suggest that for the most part both conservatives and liberals do about the same amount when it comes to helping the needy regardless what rhetoric they may spew forth.
#2 by Becky Stauffer on November 27, 2009 - 5:48 pm
Mike,
If you listen to any conservative talk radio, you are aware of the attitude that all poor people need to do is pull themselves up by their bootstraps. The American dream is here for all to enjoy. And you get a couple of anecdotes that illustrate someone who broke out of poverty.
I’m not so much trying to be divisive as to just nip that argument in the bud.
Of course, the bailouts and economic stimulus have benefitted the wealthy over all of us. Equally disturbing is the amount of money our country continues to spend on wars.
I read an article a couple of days ago that discusses the loss of wealth among the middle and lower classes, and the tax rates paid by the wealthy vs the poor. No, there’s nothing fair about it.
I’ll give Obama his term to carry out his promises. Health care for all is a big start. Undoing tax breaks for the wealthy needs to happen too.
And in Utah, it’s imperative that our legislature not raise the sales tax on food.
#3 by Larry Bergan on November 27, 2009 - 11:55 pm
Obama doesn’t seem to be able to get much money to the needy, but I heard an interesting thing on a podcast interview with sixties activist and later senator Tom Hayden. He got a chance to interview Jimmy Carter and used the opportunity to ask him it he thought the corporations and banks had more influence on policy then the president of the Untied States.
Jimmy Carter answered he found that out his first year in office.
#4 by Glenn Hoefer aka Tim Friedmann on November 28, 2009 - 5:25 am
“ask him it he thought the corporations and banks had more influence on policy then the president of the Untied States”.
You have to know this going in, or you are not qualified for the job. Lower their taxes and you might get something done as a president. Perverse to a progressive but it that or nothing.
I am so thankful for this
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17102#
#5 by Becky Stauffer on November 28, 2009 - 7:05 am
Glenn, your comment is duly noted. Your link belongs on the other thread.
#6 by cav on November 28, 2009 - 7:16 am
in a nutshell: for the wealthy there is no upper limit of how much they want. For the poor there is no lower limit for how much we will allow them to have.
1% of the people control 90% of the wealth.
The gross inequities are good for no one.
#7 by glenn on November 28, 2009 - 3:17 pm
Yet people wonder why the free carry guns.
Who is it that would like the little people not to have them?
“Guns are good, guns are great, guns help make the 50 States”. Doggerel from an old girlfriends brother, Wisconsin, circa 1986. I love my Country.
#8 by Dwight Sheldon Adams on November 30, 2009 - 12:18 pm
Back on topic, I think the point needs to be made that it’s hard to be grateful when you think everything is a product of yourself and yourself alone. Then you may start using God as the object of your gratitude, but it’s far too easy to thank Him for what He’s done, then to go out and do with your gifts what He wouldn’t have you do. Real gratitude also acknowledges the way that others have affected your life. After all, aren’t they using their gifts, too?