AVRUM'S BLOG is hosted and authored by me, Avrum Rosensweig, the founder and president of Ve'ahavta: The Canadian Jewish Humanitarian & Relief Committee. I am also a writer, artist and a father.
AVRUM'S BLOG is here to create a community where people can express wondrous ideas, thoughts, stories and comments. I can do the same.
At AVRUM'S BLOG people can challenge one another, debate and schmooze about humanitarian issues, peace, war, Israel, the Jewish people, slices of life and perceptions.
Please contribute thoughtfully. We are in charge of our world. Let's give it purpose through beautiful, decent, intelligent, raw and intuitive talk and interaction.
B'shalom, Avrum (avrum@veahavta.org) 
I interviewed a number of people again living on the street and right now I’m feeing that life is one big tragedy.
My goal, however, was to come out into the street and share with you the character and experiences of those people we call homeless.
Well tonight, (it’s 11:32 and I’m sleeping at Evangel Hall Drop-in. We – Alvaro, Jackie and I, just came from our open mic at Theresa Shrader’s condo (Theresa is our street and security advisor). While there we heard the stories of women who have gone through a level of abuse that most of us could not fathom.
One women – we’ll call her Meg, was raped at seven years old, her mother told her she will get over it, and then fled her abusive home when she was 14. She began hanging with bikers, was regularly raped, locked in a car trunk, made, used and sold some serious drugs including chrystal- meth, had two children and then eventually had them both taken away by children’s aid.
Life got worse and worse for her until it got better…until she found support through local agencies and ultimately began pulling her life together. Today she has been clean for two years and has a beautiful little boy – who is full of zest and life.
It’s easy to look at her life and be critical. Why did she do the drugs; why did she hang with bikers and why did she allow her children to be taken away? This poor woman was so embroiled in pain and suffering that she didn’t know if her life was up or down. She describes her history as being full of chaos.
But today she is doing infinitely better. And what I am learning on the street, and what I am seeing is real change. I don’t see it as often, or as clearly in my world. The homeless are teaching me two things therefore:
a) change can be found on the street;
b) we are not using the tool of ‘love’ well. We need a revolution of love, one in which little toddlers will be embraced, taken care of, protected.
When you walk by people sitting on the gratings, bend down and ask them per their welfare. Ask them about their lives. Share your life with them. It will bring more balance to our globe.
I’m tired physically and mentally. Man there is some very crazy shit going on out here. God bless the homeless. God bless the homefull.
Good night
Avrum
Leave a Comment
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
