Recognition

June 28, 2009
Today is my youngest daughter's birthday...I obviously couldn't buy her a gift so all day I sent MMS text messages to her on the cell phone. Anyway today was pretty good, not so much because of breakfast (no porridge ;-(.) but because people have stared recognizing me. Joining my table and asking me to join theirs. One fellow, a self-proclaimed artist gave me his cell number. In case I want to hang out.
Spent some time this evening with a lovely woman who has lived at the centre for about a month. Until then she was rooming with another middle-aged lady. The lady became ill.; my friend was evicted from the home and now she must wait until the lady is released from hospital before she can really do much of anything. Something like that happened to my grandma, when the man she kept "house for" died suddenly and his kids evicted her in 24 hrs. But many middle-aged women fall into the category of working poor with incomes or pension of under $25,000.
My new friend was surprised to find that the shelter, not only houses battered women and women in trouble but also addicts, alcoholics, mentally ill,the elderly and infirmed. I was not surprised... This place is like taking ladies 3rd and ladies 5th at the DI and combining them. Everything here but intoxed. Have to say if I were going to stay in this town I would probably like to work at the Mission where I eat lunch. Overall the staff there seem very happy.