Where there's light....
Good morning, as always I hope you are well and things feel as if they are heading in the right direction for you...as promised, I will continue my story from where I left the last post, so perhaps best to read that one first if you haven't already, so you know what I am talking about....although I will quite understand if you can't be bothered..so for those of you in that position, basically, my daughter and I are homeless, the 'official' authorities seemingly have no idea or apparent inclination to do very much and so it felt as if we were at the mercy of the four winds really...
As you might remember, we had met an extraordinarily determined woman at a local homeless charity and she clearly felt a great deal of sympathy for our situation, but not, thankfully, in a words only way...she seemed to have a plan, which when you feel as if everything is hopeless is very comforting. One morning she arranged for us to meet another representative from the local authority, to be honest, my heart sank at this news, after all, our previous encounter had been pretty demoralising. As she seemed so enthusiastic about this new contact, despite my misgivings, we went along to the charity headquarters to see what would happen. As we sat in a small room, filled with tables and mismatched chairs, we were soon surrounded by people clearly having come in off the streets, carrying all their belongings in bags and obviously eager for the breakfast that was being cooked in the kitchen at the end of the room. Some seemed to eye us with a degree of suspicion, but most were far more concerned with having a hot meal - perhaps for the first time in 24 hours. As they filed in, I couldn't help but wonder about how they had come to be here, what twists and turns of their lives had taken them from what was perhaps once a 'normal' existence to the life they were living. Despite what you may think, there did seem to be a fair degree of shared jokes amongst some of them, a total acceptance of each other which can often seem to be lacking in the lives of those with materially more. Sadly, there were also a few people, who eyed everyone around them with almost a kind of fear, preferring to sit alone and keeping their few possessions very close, I couldn't help but wonder what horrors had happened to them which had brought them to the place of not wanting any kind of human interaction at all.
We watched as the cheerful volunteers called out names from the kitchen, while others threaded their way between the tables, greeting everyone while offering fresh clothes, the chance of a shower and anything else they might need. I don't feel it's too much to say, it was humbling watching them, both the helpers and the clients, and again it made me realise the difference between words and actions, when it comes to helping each other and treating everyone with the same degree of respect.
Finally, we were ushered into a tiny office, where we met the local authority representative, but she was a world apart from what I had imagined. She asked questions while scribbling notes, every so often, she would look directly at me and nod approvingly - aside from when I mentioned our previous encounter with another member of the council, that brought a deep frown and a world weary sigh. Clearly, we weren't the first who had been dismissed as hopeless cases ! After a short time, with the story retold, she put down her pen and announced there were possibilities of assistance and she would immediately start to get the ball rolling ! Again, the sheer directness of her words matched with obvious determination, was very reassuring and we left the building feeling, somehow, a team was being assembled on our behalf.
As we walked back through the town, I started to notice there were people, in doorways, wrapped in blankets, settling down for the day, while others sat bolt upright, heads bowed with a few coins in a hat placed in front of them. I couldn't help but feel incredibly thankful, had it not been for the generous intervention of friends, that could have been my daughter and me. I don't feel I've ever been more aware - in my life - how painfully thin the line is, between those that have and those that have nothing. I don't believe any of us are immune to what a few twists of fate can do to our lives, I have witnessed this in my own and it's a very sobering thought.
Thankfully, with our new team working hard on our behalf, we were found a safe place to be after our stay at the hotel expired. A local priest had offered to open his home to us until such time we had managed to secure jobs and maybe even a place of our own. I don't mind admitting, I had reservations, as I don't have a faith and I was slightly concerned, he might see this as an opportunity to convert us both. I could not have been more wrong ! As I sit writing this to you, his home is warm, relaxed and filled with a kind of peace, which I can't really explain, but, after everything, is unbelievably welcome. My daughter who throughout the whole experience, had become a victim to all manner of stress-related ailments, now looks like herself again and she frequently tells me, she feels as if our lives are on the way up again.
We have applied for jobs now, she has already gained one and I have been shortlisted for, (at the time of writing) no less than five. The intense desperation I had carried with me since landing at the airport has largely gone, replaced by a steely resolve to not only survive but thrive ! The only pain I feel now, is undoubtedly just how much I miss my home and obviously my partner. Thankfully, owing to modern technology, we can speak or leave messages for each other, but it's not the same as having them next to me. At the risk of sounding like a romantic novel, without their constant loving support, I know I would have felt even more alone...their words, reminding me, they had total belief in me and their admiration, kept me going - especially, as throughout everything, they were struggling with health scares of their own. I can't help but feel Life was especially mean, to make us both have such genuine worries at the same time as us being apart. But perhaps it was some kind of test, to see if we were strong enough that despite the miles between us, our love for each other would bring us through the darkest of times. If that's true, I would say - without hesitation- we passed with an 'A.'
So what now ? Well, the aim is simple, my daughter and I are going to continue to get our lives moving and, as soon as possible, I will be on the plane home again - having been through this incredible low, I have been reminded of something my late mother always said, 'if you want something badly enough, you will find a way to get it and see the inevitable obstacles as nothing more than questions to which you don't yet know the answers.'
Oh and one last thought, as I have told our story, I have mentioned the unwavering support of those around us, not one of them is a family member, my blood relations such as they are, did nothing to offer any kind of assistance...so another truth to share with you, the word 'family', in my experience, has rarely meant those with whom I share ancestors, instead, it's nearly always meant those very dear friends who are there for each other through the good and bad times. My biggest mistake was feeling alone, my biggest blessing as been, the fact I have a family of friends, who do everything possible to remind me they are there, as I am 100% for them.
So, because of them, I can end this post with hope and a very thankful heart....until the next time..
Take care out there xxxx
As you might remember, we had met an extraordinarily determined woman at a local homeless charity and she clearly felt a great deal of sympathy for our situation, but not, thankfully, in a words only way...she seemed to have a plan, which when you feel as if everything is hopeless is very comforting. One morning she arranged for us to meet another representative from the local authority, to be honest, my heart sank at this news, after all, our previous encounter had been pretty demoralising. As she seemed so enthusiastic about this new contact, despite my misgivings, we went along to the charity headquarters to see what would happen. As we sat in a small room, filled with tables and mismatched chairs, we were soon surrounded by people clearly having come in off the streets, carrying all their belongings in bags and obviously eager for the breakfast that was being cooked in the kitchen at the end of the room. Some seemed to eye us with a degree of suspicion, but most were far more concerned with having a hot meal - perhaps for the first time in 24 hours. As they filed in, I couldn't help but wonder about how they had come to be here, what twists and turns of their lives had taken them from what was perhaps once a 'normal' existence to the life they were living. Despite what you may think, there did seem to be a fair degree of shared jokes amongst some of them, a total acceptance of each other which can often seem to be lacking in the lives of those with materially more. Sadly, there were also a few people, who eyed everyone around them with almost a kind of fear, preferring to sit alone and keeping their few possessions very close, I couldn't help but wonder what horrors had happened to them which had brought them to the place of not wanting any kind of human interaction at all.
We watched as the cheerful volunteers called out names from the kitchen, while others threaded their way between the tables, greeting everyone while offering fresh clothes, the chance of a shower and anything else they might need. I don't feel it's too much to say, it was humbling watching them, both the helpers and the clients, and again it made me realise the difference between words and actions, when it comes to helping each other and treating everyone with the same degree of respect.
Finally, we were ushered into a tiny office, where we met the local authority representative, but she was a world apart from what I had imagined. She asked questions while scribbling notes, every so often, she would look directly at me and nod approvingly - aside from when I mentioned our previous encounter with another member of the council, that brought a deep frown and a world weary sigh. Clearly, we weren't the first who had been dismissed as hopeless cases ! After a short time, with the story retold, she put down her pen and announced there were possibilities of assistance and she would immediately start to get the ball rolling ! Again, the sheer directness of her words matched with obvious determination, was very reassuring and we left the building feeling, somehow, a team was being assembled on our behalf.
As we walked back through the town, I started to notice there were people, in doorways, wrapped in blankets, settling down for the day, while others sat bolt upright, heads bowed with a few coins in a hat placed in front of them. I couldn't help but feel incredibly thankful, had it not been for the generous intervention of friends, that could have been my daughter and me. I don't feel I've ever been more aware - in my life - how painfully thin the line is, between those that have and those that have nothing. I don't believe any of us are immune to what a few twists of fate can do to our lives, I have witnessed this in my own and it's a very sobering thought.
Thankfully, with our new team working hard on our behalf, we were found a safe place to be after our stay at the hotel expired. A local priest had offered to open his home to us until such time we had managed to secure jobs and maybe even a place of our own. I don't mind admitting, I had reservations, as I don't have a faith and I was slightly concerned, he might see this as an opportunity to convert us both. I could not have been more wrong ! As I sit writing this to you, his home is warm, relaxed and filled with a kind of peace, which I can't really explain, but, after everything, is unbelievably welcome. My daughter who throughout the whole experience, had become a victim to all manner of stress-related ailments, now looks like herself again and she frequently tells me, she feels as if our lives are on the way up again.
We have applied for jobs now, she has already gained one and I have been shortlisted for, (at the time of writing) no less than five. The intense desperation I had carried with me since landing at the airport has largely gone, replaced by a steely resolve to not only survive but thrive ! The only pain I feel now, is undoubtedly just how much I miss my home and obviously my partner. Thankfully, owing to modern technology, we can speak or leave messages for each other, but it's not the same as having them next to me. At the risk of sounding like a romantic novel, without their constant loving support, I know I would have felt even more alone...their words, reminding me, they had total belief in me and their admiration, kept me going - especially, as throughout everything, they were struggling with health scares of their own. I can't help but feel Life was especially mean, to make us both have such genuine worries at the same time as us being apart. But perhaps it was some kind of test, to see if we were strong enough that despite the miles between us, our love for each other would bring us through the darkest of times. If that's true, I would say - without hesitation- we passed with an 'A.'
So what now ? Well, the aim is simple, my daughter and I are going to continue to get our lives moving and, as soon as possible, I will be on the plane home again - having been through this incredible low, I have been reminded of something my late mother always said, 'if you want something badly enough, you will find a way to get it and see the inevitable obstacles as nothing more than questions to which you don't yet know the answers.'
Oh and one last thought, as I have told our story, I have mentioned the unwavering support of those around us, not one of them is a family member, my blood relations such as they are, did nothing to offer any kind of assistance...so another truth to share with you, the word 'family', in my experience, has rarely meant those with whom I share ancestors, instead, it's nearly always meant those very dear friends who are there for each other through the good and bad times. My biggest mistake was feeling alone, my biggest blessing as been, the fact I have a family of friends, who do everything possible to remind me they are there, as I am 100% for them.
So, because of them, I can end this post with hope and a very thankful heart....until the next time..
Take care out there xxxx
