Saturday, December 20, 2014

Happenings that could be hypothetical to protect the innocent

I spend odd hours earning meat and drink for my family. Some are in no way cut out to deal with what I see, hear and do...but I love it.
It's damned shame mind you, that the jobs I have are needed.
I drive a truck for a legit non-profit picking up good day-old food and clothes etc etc from various venders. The spoils of my day are then sold for pennies on the dollar (of the vender's retail) in our "markets" to people approved by various agencies who fall under a few categories.
People suffering from mental health issues and therefore not fully employable.
Recipients of social assistance (various reasons here...don't judge until you buy a lunch and LISTEN)
The aged with no physical means of support.
Poverty striven substance addicted people.
To get the likes of good bananas at 25 cents a pound or 9 grain bread for 80 cents a loaf...beautiful!
We offer support, council, direction....
This job is far better for me than working as a number in a vague machine creating profit for some removed fat cat at the top of a corporate food chain.
This is street level, gut squeezing real, hands on front line work. I LOVE IT!
Weekly, I drop off a gorgeous food hamper at a resource that is in exhistance for desperate sex trade workers in various stages of mental anguish and addiction.
When I walk in there and greet those women, my heart quickens. Dope steals your youth and working in the sex trade dulls your soul. I wish I had a magic wand. No personal wealth...just safe relief for so many of these women I see regularly.
I drop off a huge loud of food at a men's rehab. These guys are sobering for me. Theres 29 steps from street level up to their space and the men cart my wares up them. Some of these guys can't manage the heavy burden of anything more than a 12 pack of soda. Stop and ponder that.
During my week I also see gorgeous, healthy women in the prime of their lives. The mental gymnastics I must do is dizzying. 
I bid fare well to a fit, healthy, attractive European dancer who's under 30 and 17 minutes later I'm with desperate drug addicted women her age and younger. That's a mind fug if you like!
I divide 400 pounds of carrots and apples between 4 different  elementary schools during the week.
This gives me great joy! (after the mental gymnastics remember) 
The patience of a Music Teacher with 20-odd 10 year olds singer worse than I do is surreal! She always has a smile and a wave regardless of the sound of these brilliant songbirds.
And the joy on the faces of the very little kids when they get to glue glitter to their art project. THIS, is breathing deep!
I'd be amiss to not mention Ray, Gerald, Paul, Clayton, John, John and Steve in this post. These are the men that are not far different from me that sleep outdoors or in shitty SRO's in East Vancouver.
I look forward to chatting with these guys. Nothing to prove, nothing to lose. Seems like a nice life in all honesty. No clocks. No bills. No agendas.
Today...for lunch, I was able to pass on a care package to a gaggle of hippies that are opposing something that I fully support them in. Talk about LOVE, gratitude and heart warming smiles! 
I've nothing to moan about! 
Yeah, truth is that I'm on meds for depression. I lose focus too often, forget the good and get pathetically sad! I misenterpret stuff that other humans say which leads to a spiral of the ol'  "woe is me's" But I reiterate, I really have nothing to moan about do I ?
So, here I am tonight, in my home after 16 hours of work that nets me just under $230 but our bills are paid and I didn't exploit anyone earning it! 
My conscience is clear. I'm fed. I'm warm.
How are YOU?
Peace


7 comments:

  1. You are very good at Mental Gymnastics! Is it an olympic sport yet, you could be a contender... =)

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  2. I can see you being excellent, every day! You have such a great way with people and cultivating relationships.

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  3. Proud of you, man. I believe you have found something too many of us ignore or are afraid to face, and that is the realities of humanity. You have found your calling. You have found your place.

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  4. I agree with Leonard. You have a gift. You see what others often miss. You encourage and build others up. I'm sure you don't even realize how often you have touched others lives in positive ways. I've seen it and experienced it when you lived here. I admire your work ethic. I admire your courage in sharing your story. I admire your honesty. Thank you, for sharing and for the work you do.

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  5. Great to have you back on the job, Spoke.

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  6. Well since you asked... I'm just keeping my head above the proverbial waters. You are in a good place I can see that making a difference with your love in action. Similarly, those we serve seldom perceive the sacrifices made daily but that's not the reason we do what we do. As you might know I work for a national company that in my humble opinion made a deal with the devil and everyone has lost their moral compass and mind. The fat cats are the elite of our country and have lost touch with compassion unless it's a photo op. Corporate Canada does nothing out of unselfish gain and everyone is trying to make sure they have the largest slice. But something I've been mulling over lately is... making/enforcing those to be compassionate does that really set the record straight. What I mean is that if there is a redistribution of wealth from the elite into those who are hard-pressed by (dare I say it) bad choices of their own or others and cannot find their legs and/or just have a bad hand dealt to them does forced giving make a difference in either of their lives? Personally I think what you are doing is far better then handing anyone money because to solve this kind of problem money just misses the mark.

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  7. Thank you Lance.
    Thank you
    Thank you
    Thank you

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