"A society is not judged so much by the standards attained by its more affluent and privileged members as by the quality of life which it is able to assure for its weakest members." - H.E. Javier Perez de Cuellar
On Friday I got to do something that I've been waiting to do since I've gotten here: Unity Outreach. Essentially this consists of riding around in a van scoping out the homeless--driving around regular spots, searching under bridges, checking the benches of the French Quarter. I was nervous at first, excited nonetheless, but nervous. I didn't know what to expect, but expectations were impossible to fulfill anyway, so with a heavy heart and eager mind, I climbed into the van.
We pulled up to a common homeless dwelling spot: under a popular NOLA bridge. Under it, a lady was relaxing on top of her sleeping bag, shirtless, as cars zoomed by her, pedestrians walked by her like she was just another bench, and groups of homeless men stood near. We approached her (with butterflies in my stomach), and thankfully I didn't need to say anything, the Outreach workers took charge. The hope had been missing from her eyes, but she insisted to us that she was O.K.--that she didn't need help.
Another man we approached on the bench of a popular French Quarter street had clearly been homeless: his skin and body were weathered, his clothes had been severely worn, and he had his possessions in a bag nearby. When we approached and offered help, he insisted he wasn't homeless and that he was fine.
As we continued to drive, the more and more homeless people I saw, the more I wanted to help. But I realized one main lesson on that trip: pride. It's hard to give up your pride and vulnerably expose yourself to not just Unity, but anybody. To insist that you are not homeless, or that you are living comfortably on a concrete slab, takes a great deal of self-assurance and pride. However, I hope the people that really do need to be housed learn that to let down your guard can be the best solution, as hard as it may sound. I also need to take my own advice. My guard has been up for years, and some of the best things have happened when I let it down.
So far in this city my guard is definitely still up. I'm adjusting, learning the ropes, meeting new people (some better than others), and trying to transform an apartment into a home. It's hard not to keep a guard up when being exposed to so many new things and experiences. But that car ride broke down my barrier a little and made me see that as important as it is to have a strong exterior, inside can be weak, and that can only change if you loosen the reins on your pride, and simply let life happen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below is a story from the Unity website that brought me to tears, and is without a doubt worth reading.
"Five hands pointed at the small woman sitting on the edge of the broken couch. Her face beamed! We had just introduced ourselves to the six people living in half of an un-gutted abandoned double. Although all six were homeless and living in this decrepit abandoned building, the five strongest immediately identified the smiling woman on the couch as the most vulnerable among them.
Although she sometimes attempted the brusque bravado of a survivor, Darlene’s true joy-filled and hopeful simplicity was the predominant affect that we encountered over the months of knowing her. Darlene had suffered through two brain aneurysms prior to the storm, leaving her with shunts and tubes that ran from her head and drained into her stomach.
Prior to the storm, Darlene’s immediate and extended family was able to surround her with the support she needed. However, Katrina destroyed most of their homes and scattered her support system throughout
several states. Darlene always said all she ever wanted was a place to take a hot shower and a bubble bath. That is all she wanted!
Darlene and her fiancé were days away from getting just such a place when tragedy struck. As she slept one hot afternoon in the abandoned house, a man came through the un-lockable door and brutally and sadistically raped her. After the tragedy, the entire UNITY team surrounded the devastated couple and secured a safe permanent apartment for the couple to begin their healing process.
My last image of Darlene was soon after she and her beau moved into their new apartment. The twinkles were beginning to re-emerge in her eyes. She thanked us for the bubble bath and girly soaps we brought as home-warming gifts, and gave us strong hugs as we said goodbye.
Two mornings later, Darlene suffered a massive stroke from which she never recovered. She spent her final days in a coma, surrounded by family and friends."
No comments:
Post a Comment