"I could play the PITY ME CARD too, but this would be ridiculous". Up to this point in your letter it certainly sounds as though you are crying for pity, or perhaps that should be crying in SELF PITY. I do not care about your big house, thoughtless driving of a gas wasting SUV or your whining about paying taxes of "what most people make in a salary job". Let me just say I would not be boasting about having a vehicle that wastes enough "gas in a week to make some people broke" while whining about being poor and unwilling to help those in need.
I have it good in Abbotsford because I could get killed in Vancouver? My what logic, what a nice society you want. I have always acknowledged others property rights. Go back and read it again. The point was not that it was not their property to do with as they wish; the point was that it was idiotic to cut down the bush, force them out and THEN COMPLAIN about them sleeping on the streets. I question your business sense if you cannot grasp the concept of considering the consequences of your actions - before you take the actions. Personally, as you can clearly see from my writings, I favour keeping what your goal is in mind while you are formulating policy, that tends to ensure you get the results you want. As opposed to taking an action and complaining about the outcome when any sensible person (or people not blinded by their preconceived notions of reality) could see what would happen. I am planning to pay my share of taxes - with an open and understanding heart. And before we get into a rant/argument on taxes read the opening of the Homeless in Abbotsford site, the white letters on the blue background. Read more of my postings carefully and you will find that I am saying your taxes are currently being wasted by the city to accomplish nothing. To me it seems obvious that if you are spending $$$ anyway, one might as well spend the $$$ intelligently and achieve some positive results.
A job? "do not have an education or have mental illness". Yes I have a mental illness but at this point it is the stigma of the illness not the illness itself that is the problem. Truth be known, with all the work I have done, all the work I continue to do and all the good mental health practices I practice I am not only a far better, happier person today but much better as a colleague or co-worker. Your citing education sounds as if you think I lack sufficient education (if I am wrong in this regard I do apologize). In keeping with one of those things I 'bitch' about, you and the public like to look at the homeless and see what you want to see - not what is. By this I mean you look at the BLOG but fail to see the education reflected in the words and language; the creativity/learning/thought in the use of the BLOG; the focus, work and passion in building and maintaining this BLOG.
Aside: I started a new job in January at Stream in Chilliwack but got sick. Not flu sick but, if you had not got in here you would be dead sick. Three weeks 21/2 hours twice a day IV antibiotics, surgery to clean out the poison and insert a drain tube and now I am battling the reaction to the antibiotic - it was effective but has toxic properties. Oh, and the job? Well they phoned just as I was heading for surgery to fire me. Sent me a letter about excessive absenteeism. Personally as an employer I never would have considered anyemployee of mine dealing with a life threatening illness to be guilty of "excess absenteeism" just good common sense.
About your experiences. I am torn between slapping you up side the head and laughing. To slap you I would speak of the generosity of spirit of the person who keeps giving chances - knowing most will fail. Or that you are upset at failing to succeed in creating in those you 'helped' what you wanted them to be.
Honesty compels me to laugh and shake my head. I am disappointed not to have received more letters from the public - especially like yours which raise points and questions that need to be addressed and debated. And I love a good debate, writing and words. Ideas are what we need to begin to chip away at this situation. Your reading of psychology suggests that you have some idea that we are not talking a drug or a homelessness problem but a PEOPLE problem. The reason for the chagrined laugh is that I have got a lot of interesting feedback from people who work with the disadvantaged. Now how is that for 'spin'? Back to the point which is: I had this conversation earlier today. You wanted to help, you could provide a job and because of the current system you had to play Russian Roulette in choosing whom to help.
No you do not ask me ... well only in that I would put you in touch or liaise between you and C or R or W who because of their close contact and knowledge would significantly increase the chances of a successful 'match'. As in business, if in doing your research for a project, you cannot find the answers find the person who can (comes out of my consultant period) rather than just toss the dice and hope - with people to much of a chance of throwing snake eyes. I acknowledge negativity, but most of it is generated by frustration. With thought and planning the resources currently wasted and the help available from the community could accomplish so much, instead of the current policies/actions that just create more problems and misery.
Of course I am still reading - the issue is too important not to be still reading.
“Will getting a job totally turn you around?” I have no idea what you mean by this. Several of your statements/questions make me wonder if you have assumed I have a drug or alcohol problem Outside of the occasional (single) cold beer on a hot day I do not drink and I have no need or use for recreational drugs. As an Adult Child of Alcoholism my ‘isms were acquired being raised in an alcoholic household. Part of my mental health cleaning was to begin the process of dealing with these old wounds and bad thought patterns. I want a job to be able to afford a place to live, shelter from the elements. Electric lights, access to laundry facilities, music, bathroom and a shower are all nice luxuries but Shelter is a dream to be pursued. To expect a job to “totally turn you around” is so … words fail me in trying to express how ridiculous the concept is. Self knowledge, hard work on mental health, group and supportive friends are what allows one to grow as a person, in soul and spirit.
You can have no idea of how much I have changed, although I suppose I could get affidavits? Actually changed is the wrong tense as it implies a finished process and I continue to be a work in progress. As I said in the Aside it has been a rotten start to the year, it is only my acceptance of there being a purpose this has happened that allows me to continue to move forward. That illness is a major part of the path that led to the letter that led to the article, that led to your letter, that led to this (and other) letters. You are not the first to suggest recently that the blog become a book. but it took mental illness, homelessness and much mental health work to set the writer locked inside me free.
Good suggestions. But I kind of get a good laugh out of #1, considering my name was all over the front page of the News as homeless. Consider this - I knew when I sent the letter signed with my name I was standing naked as to my being homeless. I have become mentally healthy enough and comfortable enough in my own skin to stand up and be counted among the homeless. I have no plans to surrender (I have not begun to fight; damn the torpedoes full speed ahead). Laugh. I had planned to give you the old TRY, TRY Again line in regards to helping those in need - just remember that insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. No, the change needed is not your proposed approach but getting in touch with those who can help raise the odds of a positive outcome (HEY, with people nothing is ever sure).
Speaking of helping I direct you attention to the posting titled the Lady J on the Homeless in Abbotsford Blog. Last evening I split some blankets between some people who had lost their bedding. This morning I passed along a tent to someone else. Courtesy of someone who read the article. A tent and blankets he did not need or use and those people were helped. One of the things I am frustrated is with a phone. Hard to accomplish much or find a job without a phone. One person has offered to help out. No, I do not want money from him. When you crash and burn due to deep depression, agoraphobia, obsessive/compulsive behaviours, anxiety and panic attacks your credit suffers. In a cruel twist of fate I can manage the payments for a cell phone plan, but no credit = no plan. On pay as you go you need to buy the phone and pay first a total of $200 you need up front. I will have a phone in a day or two one way or another as someone else assured me she would put her credit card on the line to allow me to sign up for a plan. No money needed, just a helping hand and a willingness to help. I wonder what I will accomplish with communications access? Look – no – see what can be accomplished by small acts of generosity in the right place. As Archimedes said – give me the correctly placed fulcrum and a lever of sufficient length and I will move the world.
I need to end soon or half of the proposed novel will be written here but as regards "stereotypical rich bugger". If the past year or two has taught me anything it is that there is no stereotypical anything when dealing with human beings.
Finally ask yourself what kind of world do you want to live in and hand on to the next generation?
James W Breckenridge
After thoughts:
Kissing ass for a job. NAH! That is not my nature. But there was temptation to write in such an apologist manner as to ‘encourage’ a job from you. That would not be true to whom I am growing to be nor to the passion that I feel for these issues. I was relieved by your statement that you are not hiring since in saying what I have I am not depriving someone I know (or could find) of an employment opportunity.
Volunteer. It does not have to be with the homeless, although that would give you a chance to see just how wide and varied a group of people are lumped together under the “homeless’ heading. And yes I volunteer. At this point my time is all I have to give to my community. I love to swim so I volunteer with the Special Olympics swim team. Is there something you love to do that you could share with others? The thing about the Special Olympics is they put life into its proper prospective.
Thank you for stimulating my thoughts. It is my firm belief that we need ideas, innovative ideas to begin to achieve anything. It is through discussions such as these e-mails that these Ideas can be developed. As the slogan I liked when doing consulting :
“Answers are easy. It is asking the right questions that is hard.”
JWB
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