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What are you waiting for?
What is it really? Coming out on top of a seemingly unsurmountable and deadly circumstance? Going through life changes without killing someone or yourself? Pushing your limits past expectations and finding a reserve you never knew you had? living through and beating the odds of some disease? Sure, these are good examples of survival.
What most of you know about survival is what you are fed through the media: heartfelt glimpses of a homeless Vet who finally comes out on top on some Life Time Movie of the week: A street urchin who gets adopted into the family of the year. And granted, that really does happen, sometimes. Right now there are thousands of homeless Vets who are surviving who will never see that happy ending, and even more Children who are learning how to rob, steal, burglarize and even murder just to get by another day. Most of these will become addicted to drugs and/or alcohol to help take away their pain, which in turn perpetuates the cycle.
I lived that latter life. I was homeless for 15 years, doing drugs and alcohol and committing crimes to feed my habits, and myself when the drugs ran out. I used to hang out behind Pizza Hut's for the end of shift through-outs, dive in McDonalds dumpsters, beg for change, and things you would/could not believe a human being capable of, just to survive. And that's when you get to know who you are: who you REALLY are inside. What you are capable of and what you will and will not do when the shit hits the fan. My survival mode is strong, and it is in direct proportion to my will to stay alive.
Which brings me to point of this little blog post: Every year at this time, we give thanks for all we have, all we have accomplished, and the gifts we have recieved. Thanks for friends and family and the Starbucks Barrista who always gets our order right from memory. We thank our Vets for our freedom, our Parents for protection as kids and support in our lives. And this is all good. Then some of you will get generous and donate some old things not needed to a shelter or program, serve meals at a soup kitchen, put an extra 5 in the donation bucket, and then repeat this process around Christmas time. Thank You all for that. And then we resume our lives as normal once again on the Second of January, while that homeless person is still behind McDonalds waiting for the trash to come out so he can feed his kids. While that junkie pulls a knife for someones cash for his next fix, just to keep from getting sick while he waits to get into a rehab that he just can't afford. And the children left alone to fend for themselves because Mom and Dad were killed and there was no one to care for them. The list goes on and on.
What I know is that more and more of us are begining to see the ugly side of what life can be like and are actually starting to live that life because of our econonomic times. And more will follow. I truly hope your survival insticts are strong. I also know that you do not have to resort to some of the levels that I have gone to in order to do that.
I'm not asking for anything from anyone of you who may read this, save this: when you lay your head on your pillow, and are reflecting on your day, give thanks for all you are blessed with, and maybe wish for some of that to be gifted on those who are less fortunate than you.
