Weekend thoughts

The homeless don't rest on the weekends. With only an hour and a half left in my Friday afternoon, I was so ready to be out of the office. I wanted to curl up with a book in some blankets, Diet Coke in hand. I wanted to head out on the town with my roommates and meet up with friends. But while I can look forward to an evening of fun or relaxation, a closing of agencies is the only mark of change for our homeless neighbors. My organization is open on the weekends, if for limited hours, but most of the support staff is at home, living their lives.

What must it be like to not have someplace to go, anywhere to be? What must it be like for the weekend to be no different than the weekdays? For a Diet Coke, a book, and a bed to be a combination of luxuries?

No matter how often I watch, or how many stories I hear, I cannot comprehend that life. Those that work for us now, having been homeless themselves, say we can't understand unless we've been there. I believe that.