Health & Fitness
Lesser of Two Evils
More thoughts and musings from a former homeless mother on the world around her in the present day.
Society hasn't failed to surprise me this week.
Again. I've read so much on the news lately that I may just take a hiatus from watching or reading news for a few days. Whether it will matter much later on I don't know. But, it did exhaust me to read about so much "hate," mud slinging, and just overall general violence lately that it took the story about a cat that was stabbed this week. The death of this poor animal brought tears to my eyes. Who could do such a senseless act of violence against a living creature that never did anything to them?
Then my brain went into overload. I simply get exhausted from information overload after a while. Literally depresses me. I withdraw into myself. People. Humans in general are very cruel towards each other. Seems like there is no more compassion left on this earth anymore. We have politicians on tv slinging mud back and forth at each other. To the point where it becomes worse than school yard antics. But, these are grown adults. All for the sake of grabbing people's attention toward them, their cause(s) and mission to be this highly coveted position in politics. People digging up dirt on each other. Scandal. Any little issue from thumping their fellow high school student on the head in highschool to what's in their tax records.
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Comes out as a battle for reputation. And, these are people we're supposed to look up to as leaders in our cities, towns, and states. In our country as a whole. Who has more money. More status. More friends. What tax bracket they are in. Who they associate with. It's all a bunch of grandstanding as far as I'm concerned. It seems so greedy. The almighty dollar. None of that stuff is really going to matter in the end. Because, they will simply tell you what you want to hear in order to achieve what they want. It's human nature to make promises you can't keep. Human nature to treat each other with disregard and disrespect. The more powerful you are the richer you are?
Gives you clout and status to do and say just about anything. Without argument from your constituents. From the very citizens who voted you into a trusted position to oversee their lives and how they live it daily. Perhaps we all forgot that it's simply law of man. Not law of God, to ridicule, persecute, and judge each other. If you don't believe in the same Christian God that I do then obviously apply that rule to whatever religion/faith you practice.
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I spent the week reading about politics. About elections. About how different city/state governments operate. The news itself is a great piece of information every day. When you can't get it from a book just turn on your TV. I got to the point where I withdrew into my favorite stress relief. Music. Not just any type of music either. Ozzy Osbourne. Metallica. Alice Cooper. Zack Wylde. Slash. Yes I am Christian. But, I'm also not claiming perfection as a human either.
So whether or not I sit in judgment of society makes absolutely no difference to me at all. Usually when one finger is pointing at someone there are two pointing right back. Or, however that mantra goes. I make no claims to perfection. I live my life right by God and only answer to Him for judgement. I also judge no one else either. I'm not qualified. None of us on this planet are.
But, yet I see a lot of it going on. Daily. In the newspapers. On TV news. Driving down the street to the store. The city's response to the homeless population over the last several months? In my opinion is judgmental, inhumane, and unjust. Period.
It's disrespectful towards basic human values. It's contradictory towards their own religious beliefs. It's immoral. It's wrong. Put it in whatever context you might want to. But, the bottom line of it is? Our homeless population are being treated like criminals. Like vermin. Like "non-essential humans."
So, the answer?
Let's get rid of them. Post haste. However we need to. Let's enact ordinances that punish them for doing something "wrong". Like what exactly? Like being poor? Like losing their jobs because business's close down? Go bankrupt? Or, have been outsourced to foreign countries? Let's punish the hungry children whose parent's obviously should have had some foresight into the future to prevent them from going broke. From being poor. From being homeless. Let us FORCE them to do as we say. But, Lord forbid, as we do.
Let's be reasonable for a minute OK? Do you think that the homeless drunk on the street was ALWAYS a homeless, hopeless, drunk? How about the homeless drug addict? How about the poor, the homeless children and families? Do you think they were ALWAYS that way? Absolutely NOT! They got that way somehow. For some reason beyond their own control. I was homeless. Could I have prevented it? In hindsight? I doubt I could have. No matter what I tried or did. The bottom line of it was in the end? Can I get out of it? And, how do I do that? I'm pretty sure I'll hear a whole list of ways it could have been avoided. As well as a whole list of methods to get out of it, too.
But?
Do you know from personal experience that they would work? Do you have personal experience with the shelters in this county? Do you think handing me a list of ideas and resources helps much when those resources are already at capacity and maxed out? Or, unavailable. Because?
The city took them out of existence. Our own city quit funding an essential resource. Blame them. Not the homeless population.
I laugh at the consultant, Dr. Robert Marbut, whom was hired to "consult" for the city on our homeless issues and just how to "resolve" these issues. He was homeless for how long? A whole 24 hours. Big deal. Yes, I said it. Big deal. It irritates me at the ignorance people have on the subject of being homeless. If you haven't walked a mile in their shoes? You have absolutely no idea at all what it's like. A whole 24 hours being homeless? Piece of cake. Now try living like that for a year. With your child(ren) and/or wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend.
Then get back to me on how that experience was for you, ok?
I spent this week thinking about a challenge I am about to take on. I plan on following through with a healthy, good competition for Seat #1 on the Clearwater City Council. The Mayor's job. I want his job. I wanted it the first time I heard about all these inhumane ordinances he was bringing to the table in our city. At first it was said by me that I wanted his job, out of frustration. Now? I'm determined. He got the job because he ran unopposed in the election. Makes no difference to me what his qualifications or societal status was prior to that either.
He didn't have to work for it. I'm willing to work for the position.
If this sounds like an open challenge even though the election is still two years away?
It's because, it is. I'm starting now. In the present. Putting myself out there way ahead of the battle. Because that's what elections are right? Battles to prove who is better than the next guy? Usually the one with the least money and status? Gets stomped on by the bigger guy. I have methods for that. I don't have money to "buy" myself into anything. I will, as a woman? Do what I have to and what I must to make sure I'm doing things the honest way.
No smoke and mirrors. No false promises. No mud slinging. No scandals. No dirt digging. And, personally? I'm not phased one bit by anyone slinging mud at me either. Anyone that knows me? Knows I'm not swayed one bit. It bounces right off of me. And, it scares people when they wonder why I am not reacting.
The primary reason would be that I'm a strong woman. Been there. Done that. Lived it. Still talking about it. Learned from it. Been knocked down. I get right back up. I usually tune out mud slinging towards myself. I can stand up for myself and speak my mind. I stand firm and steady.
I cannot stand lack of compassion for human life. I cannot stand disrespect toward your fellow human being. I cannot stand watching others being judged unfairly because of their standing in society and lack of economics. I cannot stand people who blatantly abuse their position of power to punish our homeless population.
I can comfortably say this without fear of retribution or punishment because the Constitution protects me. Affords me that right. I exercise it. Daily.
So, this week I've absorbed about enough about politics and politicians than I could possibly stomach. My heart and brain in overload. In pain. Headaches and heart aches. I decided to take a retreat within myself to think about all of this. I turned on some Ozzy Osbourne. Lit a candle. Made a cup of tea. In my mobile home. With my two children. And a 12 yr old car. Thinking about how is it I can possibly convince people, when the election is announced to begin? That I can handle such a job being the Mayor of a city? What could I say? What could I do? What signs or campaign slogans could I come up with? Where could I show up to show the people of this city that they can trust me? That they can have confidence in me?
I decided that I don't have to go out of my way to prove myself to anyone in this city. I have decided that I'm going to handle it the same way I handle everything else.
Watch me step up to the plate. Watch me out and about. In your city. My city.
Driving my 12-year old car, with Ozzy Osbourne blaring and me singing along with it. Watch me when I step out in jeans, tshirt, and flip flops. Watch me in 4-inch heels, make-up and a dress. Watch me as I sit in church on Sunday. Thanking God with a very grateful heart for making me so strong. For allowing me one more day on this earth. For my children. My boyfriend. My family. My friends.
And, while I'm being judged and scoffed at because I'm not the most perfect human on this planet?
Probably might want to stop and consider something first?
We're not qualified to judge each other. Period. That includes the present Mayor and his City Council. I'm ashamed that they would take things this far for the sake of appearances in our City. Fully ashamed. I'm going to step out and simply be myself. Because, there's no one else I could possibly be?
But, myself.
I can't possibly change anything until I step up to the plate and challenge to change it. If it means taking the ordinances all the way to the top court to challenge it? I will. If it means I keep screaming from the roof tops of this city of how wrong all these ordinances are? I shall. If it means placing signs of opposition on the back of my 12 yr old car to catch and keep the attention on the matter?
I will.
If it means waiting two years to show just how determined I am to initiate a more human campaign towards our homeless population?
I'm patient.
Very patient.
My credit is shot thanks to divorce. I rob Peter to pay Paul. Every month. I use coupons. I shop in thrift stores and can accomplish looking like a million bucks. I eat at home. And, hardly ever eat out. It's a rareity. A free movie on the beach on the weekends? Are so much better than a crowded movie theater and high prices. I can take a dollar and stretch it a whole week. I haven't been to a salon to pay for a hair-do since April of LAST year. I have been utilizing Super Cut's free hair cuts every month. I don't wear $100 make-up. I buy mine at Walmart and Target. I'm sure you get the gist of what I'm saying.
I'm not a politician. Nor do I plan on learning how to be one either. I've seen enough of just what politics are about recently?
I want to be something more.
Something better.
Something different.