Street Survivors

My husband broke up with me on a post-it note. That’s right!  Years ago, I felt like I was Carrie Bradshaw reliving the episode of “Sex in the City,” where Berger breaks up with her on a freakin’ post-it note. Unlike Carrie, I had just been laid off from a teaching position due to budget cuts. And my ex ran up my credit cards, so now I was in $40,000 worth of credit card debt, plus another 10K as a co-signer on his student loan, PLUS my own student loan debt.

I had two choices: go back home, AGAIN, to Mommy and Daddy… OR… go to L.A. and pursue my writing dreams. I chose the latter. And that choice gave me my first taste of home insecurity.

Over the next few years, I slept on a college friend’s couch, rented a room from a college professor, until I could afford a measly studio. Despite my two degrees from prestigious universities, I had to take jobs well below what I was worth. I worked 16-hour days and endured sexual harassment on the job. Just…so I..could have…a safe roof over my head and a bed!

I know people who were not as fortunate as I was. Well-educated people, who had to wait until everyone left work for the day, so they could sneak into the bathroom, clean themselves up just to go sleep in their cars and pretend that everything was okay the next day at work.

We ALL see people on the street, who were brave enough to escape domestic abuse, courageous enough to fight for our country, or strong enough to survive illnesses only to go bankrupt from the cost of healthcare. I’ve seen these street survivors try to get jobs at fast food joints, which refuse to hire them.

Perhaps you’ve seen them too? If so, how do you interact with them? How do you talk about them? Do you remember that they are a lot like me and you?

I had the privilege of encouraging kids, parents and caretakers on how to love their unhoused neighbors well. Here’s my latest kids devotion and companion parent blog for Kids Corner.

https://kidscorner.net/devotions/angels-around-us

https://kidscorner.net/parent-blog/neighbors-in-need

My research on this topic was eye-opening. My sons sometimes wonder why I care so much when I see someone in need on the street. They don’t realize how easy it is to end up just like these street survivors.

[Music Cue: “Thank You” by Walter Hawkins]