Extending a helping hand

Just decided to pour out my own point of views on some issues that we face in most societies and countries within this world.

   

    As I walk on the streets, I see many things. from prostitutes, to homeless people,

begging on the streets.

Young and old, you find, anywhere you go. Some are drugged and others drunk,

in order to pass the day. And most that walk, on the streets, tend to think,

that that is what these people want, and never look at them more than

once, afraid, that they will be sought out.  As I walk on the streets, I see many things, men fondling women, and young girls, yet no one does a thing, If not you might also find a drunk being  beaten to death, by another drunk, for having stole his beer.  No one does a thing. If you pay close attention, you will see  that most of these, tend to drug themselves,  with glue or gasoline, in order to not think about food, and starve more easily.

    Others stay in one place, as that is where they are ordered to be, and  if they wander off that route, they will end up dead.  Does not matter if young or old, the Drug Lords, and Gangs do not care, cause if you dare disobey, then that means that you  are nothing.  Many that walk on the streets, as I do,  tend to look the other way, and think to themselves, Ï will never be like them, lazy and dirty¨.  Others judge very harshly, and blame, the children and parents for allowing them to be as they are.

    What breaks my heart,  the most is when a 10 year old girl is forced to Prostitute herself, and has no one to turn to for help, because everyone thinks, that is what she wanted, so let her be.

    Society, in itself, has always tried, to steer the citizens to abide by law and rule of the land.And yet, it turns its back on those, that  regardless, of how or why, end up being at the bottom of our spectrum. And most that do find themselves in the confines of a gang, or drug ring, and  or prostitution ring, tend to never seek a way out, cause they are threatened with death. Others are told, that no one will ever accept them or want to help them. So in the end, there they stay, and grow old, or are killed off by gun or disease. Now I know that from every other person,

involved in these things, some do have cold hearts and or simply stop caring and feeling, and can be very ruthless.  But some are simply waiting, for a helping hand, to be extended, as a line of hope, for a better life.

    In the end, we are all made in essence, the same way, no matter where you are, or who you are, each of us, are born the same. And yet, we, and I include myself, have many weaknesses, but the major  one is, that we tend to judge  everyone so easily, based on what we can see. And yet, we might miss, so much, unless we take the time, to see beyond, that which our eyes see, if we would look, deep within  their souls, and hearts and hear their silent cries, of helplessness and worthlessness. And so much bitter, and hate, that keeps on expanding,and growing more and more each day. And we all beg for peace and love to reign,

but what of the least of these? For in the end, as human beings, we are all frail in some way.

    No one is perfect, no matter if they are rich in money or fame. Everyone, has this emptiness, within them, that each try and fill away.  I admit to being prideful at times, and thinking, I am better than you, but alas, I am not, and no longer see myself in that way, for I  just as you am filled with many faults.

My life is far from perfect, and yet here I am. Standing erect, not of pride, but of victory, for overcoming much but not alone, no sir. God has been the One to push me through fire and hail, to get to where I am now. It has not been an easy journey and I am still not done.

     Now see here is the thing. I could very well have been a prostitute, due to the sexual trauma in my life.  Or I could have become addicted to drugs and alcohol to forget the pain and misery.  Believe me, the temptation came easy in regards to drugs, as a friend in my neighborhood, started dealing drugs, and no one knew.  She offered me some, twice, and free of charge, yet I always said no.  And my brother and a cousin of mine started drinking by the age of ten and I could very well have joined them, but never saw the fun in throwing up.  I did become drunk twice, later on in life, around my mid twenties, when my faith and trust in God wavered.

     Or I could have joined a gang or lived off the streets, had I not been adopted.  I had so much hatred within my heart and soul, and bitterness.  Yet in spite of all I have gone through in life, once God took away all this and worked on closing out my scars, I was able to remain, as I am, and continue working on in life.

     And in the end, this new passion has truly awakened, deep withing my heart, and its aimed in building a bakery and live in program, for abused and troubled teens that end up pregnant by rape and or other means, and are shunned by their families.

      The bakery is something that I would set up, in order to provide them with a job, while, getting assistance, in giving them a chance to finish their education, and if they are pregnant, to set up a day care, within the program, that helps take care of their newborn babies, and children, so they can focus while on the job, and then come on home and love on their babies.  I also feel for the prostitutes.  The older ones, tend to already have made up their minds, in regards to trying anything outside of what they do.  Yet the younger ones, be it children and teens, tend to be more opened to getting out of that life.  And not all girls that end up in these places, are there because they love it, or want to be there. Some girls are sold by their own families, while others are kidnapped and sold in black markets.  And sadly I have overheard remarks from latin men, that go to these places, to have a good time, and talk about the women and girls as if they were nothing but a package full of lean meat or fatty meat.  And depending on the size, the more the merrier.  My stomach twists with agony upon hearing such reference to human beings, that men and other women, alike, tend to see as nothing but trash.

       Yet, truly, are these women and girls nothing but trash?  For indeed they are created as you and I, and in the end, it was not their choice to be born as they were, but here they are, in the midst of many countries and nations.  And even high officials, tend to visit these places, or ask that girls be sent to their homes and be entertained.  Yet if exposed, they deny it and act repulsed at such thought.   In the end, if we look into each society within each country, you will find that mainly those deemed, criminals, or gang members, tend to fall in the same list as those that are prostitutes.  People know they exist and are in their midst, but what are children normally told?  What do they see other adults do, when, they have a run in, with one of these?

       Most parents would either avoid, the worst parts of town, and or cover their children's eyes.  Others would make sure to tell their children to study hard and not become scum like those that are out on the street.  And in the end, we tend to not take time to think outside of that box.

     With each new generation, comes a new wave of addictions and conflicts. And this truly is a never ending cycle.  I just finished reading an article on a family that live, in Virginia.  In some county that used to be booming with Coal Mining but has died down, the last couple of years.  This has left many families in the poor spectrum of society.  Some of the ones that worked these coal mines suffered terrible accidents that have left them handicap and or traumatized to an extent in which they no longer are able to hold a job, or be hired to work.  And if they have kids, that are old enough to get job, they go out and apply to either Fast food places and or Supermarkets.

        Yet even than that is never enough.  Fast food workers get paid minimum wage and Supermarkets too.  Sure they offer benefits and such, yet in the end, its not bad for someone single, but if you have kids and others living with you, the pay may seem more difficult to cover each need.

        And the article focuses on one family in particular, in which a man, has criticized the father for going out onto the street with a sign asking for help, aka money, instead of getting himself a job. This man, suffered an injury that has left him riddled with pain, in which the only way he can make it through the day, is by taking potent pain killers, which are no good, during a job that requires oneself to be alert and fully awake.  And his wife, has had some health issues as well and is on disability.  So their son, is currently  married, and was working at a fast food place, before getting fired, after missing one day of work, in which a snow storm passed on through. He quit studying to work and help his folks and wife out, and most jobs he has applied to, have been turned down.  And this is something that more and more people are facing throughout America.  If working for the Federal government, you can get laid off due to budget cuts, and than, you start looking at other places.  Fast food franchises, get a lot of employees weekly, but some cannot get used to working in such fast paced environments and end up quitting or looking for a different type of job.

        So in the end, in regards to this family, the father decided to make a sign, asking for help to feed his family, and was picked on by this one man accusing him of being a lazy, white, piece of trash, and teaching his son no manners.  So, for now this young lad, is without work, and wants to find a good job, to help support his family, and at the same time, he hates going out onto the road to solicit help.

       And there are so many examples one could lean on, in regards to why some families are way off than other families. And in the end, in most cities, the rural parts are seen, as the worst part, and so the children that grow up in this areas, are already deemed as rebellious or a lost cause.  In the end, if you take time to really look into your own situation, you could perhaps value, what you currently have to what others do not have. 

       Family is everything or should be the main means of support for all humans, yet sadly, within each family, there comes a long string of negative vibes and or stories, in which, most pain, and abuse, was inflicted upon a child, from a father or a mother, and at times it could be an uncle or aunt and even cousins.  And from deep within, that gap, in which something happened, or was denied, arises, those that if offered some type of help, can overcome, the pain, and move onward.  Yet in reality a lot of these cases go unheeded or noticed, and these people can become invisible to others as well.  

       In truth there is so much need within this world, in each country and nation, that not even the governments can find   a solution to eradicate these issues, once and for all.  And we become divided in regards to what should be done and not done, in order to get these people back on their feet.  And in the end, I have this hunger to help and aide those that are wanting to receive that help, and work together with them, in order to help them not just survive, but to achieve the impossible and bring about a positive change within the area that they live in.

     Churches of all kinds play a big role in this, by reaching out and providing food, and clothing to families within their area that are in need. Other churches help in paying rooms in a motel for a family in need, or see if someone within the church would have space to take someone in, as long as they pay some type of rent.   I know this out of my own personal life.  And if not they either pay or give you gas cards so you can keep your car running.

       Job hunting is not easy, and mainly if you have some type of degree, and want to join in within what you have studied, is very demanding.  So in the end, a group of people, can get hired into big corporations, while another group ends up going to small businesses and or fast food restaurants, or doing odd jobs that not most people would do.

       And for those that actually are able to build up a bakery and or restaurant or family business; most are able to keep up with their clients wishes, while others struggle to gain customers by competing against the big retailer stores, that are popping up everywhere.  Everyone would like to get a well paying job, yet sadly, in most cases, you can make it by with $300 dollars or less within a month, if you are living with a good friend or family member that does not charge you rent or charges you a minimum of expenses, such as water, cable and electricity.

       So, in the end, there will always be a group of families that have to work more, and struggle, to make it through a month.  It helps when both parents work, yet on the other side, the children are left on their own, after school, and hence this brings about many other issues.

      Yet, in the end, we all will make mistakes, and or bad choices, and whether you believe in Karma, or any other type of religion, you will always face trials, of different magnitudes.  And I am not sure yet, how to commence my own business, not so much for my benefit, but to help those that are in need of a helping hand to bring them out of those dark, pits, in which, hope is non existent, and feelings are ignored.

      I want to give back that which was given to me by God, which is a second chance of life.  Not that my life is better than anyone else, just that I have learned that value should not be based on what I make and or what I own, but on the living things, such as family and friends, that are in your life, for good, and not just for a period of time.  Even with all the heart breaks and trauma I am willing to give my dad a helping hand, as he continues to mourn a broken marriage with my beloved mother.  He might never come to full terms with all that happened, and in the end, I no longer seek to revenge myself upon him. He is a broken and frail old man, and only God can come and heal Him of those wounds within.

       We all have our own wants and needs, and daily struggles, yet what I have come to realize, is that many grow up just as I did, believing that everyone else around them, have the perfect family, house, clothing, and are free of troubles and trials, yet as I have stated before, none on this earth, no matter how rich they are or how poor, are able to say, that they have never faced any type of trial, or had their own set up troubles.  Even the ones that have hearts of stone, those that keep things within, all have secrets, and hurts.

      We are not exempt from facing trouble, nor being hurt, and so, as we are, if we could all come out from our own pits, and share our troubles with each other, not for sympathy or attention, but to let those around you know, that hey, its ok, cause you are not alone.   And if we could learn to not judge based on someones appearance, before getting to know that person, well enough, and simply extend a hand, to help an old lady cross the road, help find a medical center, for a low income family.

Or even if you were to have an extra room or basement that could be made into a living area, and offer a place to those in need of a roof over their heads.

      I strongly believe, that in spite of the pain, bitterness and hurt, that each carry around, there is a willingness in most to help out others, that have gone through the same thing as them, or simply want to help for no reason at all.  We could all come together, wherever you are today, and look within your own community of family and friends, and see if anyone is going through a rough period, over a job loss, or loss of a loved one, and or if someone is terminally ill, be it a child or adult.  Just extending a helping hand, would be enough, to close this breach, that is threatening to divide, all of humanity, as some deem themselves purer and better than those around them.

    And I want to state once more, just so you all are aware, that I could never consider myself, better than anyone, on this planet, cause I have my scars, and faults, and a few bad habits, as addictions, that might not be drug or alcohol related, yet still, I struggle.  Nor am I free of any sin, for I have committed much. And I was always taught to respect and treat everyone as I would like to be treated, and that was grounded in me, since a toddler. So I do my best and treat everyone I meet, with respect and love.

    At this time, war is threatening to come about, between several countries, while others are already at war. Crime, and murder is on the rise, from mothers killing their own children, and even children killing their own parents.  Justice is being demanded by those that seek revenge and everyone wants something done to stop all this, yet, we continue to fight and argue to the point on who is right and who is wrong.  So sure life is tough, and many are going through diverse situations, that are stressful and or painful.  I ask, would it be so hard to extend a helping hand, to a family member, friend or even a stranger, even if caution must be used.

     In the end, no one lives the perfect life, and if we could all just love on one another, and extend a helping hand, whenever possible, that could help stem off, many of the issues that have come about, within the young and the old generations, that are currently living on this planet.

      

Author's Note

This is something I have within my own mind and heart and soul, and my views are mine alone, and I will always respect everyone's own point of view be it religion, and beliefs and virtues and morals.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Some places do better than others. Here in Detroit. Many strong organizations who help and support the poor and the homeless.
"In the end, no one lives the perfect life, and if we could all just love on one another, and extend a helping hand, whenever possible, that could help stem off, many of the issues that have come about, within the young and the old generations, that are currently living on this planet."
The above lines. Simple and needed. We must show concern for the people in need and ensure the children are safe. Thank you Maria for sharing your powerful write.
Coyote

[Maria]

Thank you for taking the time in reading this piece, have struggled all week long, to come up with this piece. Appreciate your honest input as well. Always appreciated.

[Coyote Poetry]

You did well. You touched on real topics. You are welcome my friend.

[Maria]

That was my aim, to keep it real, and use part of my own experience as well.