October, 2007: Walk in someone else's footsteps.

[Sapphire Blue]

It's Wednesday, October 3.

Your car broke down 3 months ago. You haven't had the money to fix it, so now you're riding the bus.

You go to work to find out that you no longer have a job.

Your behind on all your bills, including your rent.

You've arrived home to find a 3-day eviction notice posted on your door.

You have $12.68 to your name.

I encourage you to spend one day, just one day, this month walking in someone else's footsteps.

What will you do in those footsteps?

[gateley]

1. My first inclination was to just close this thread and move on because it's

so painful to think about. But I need to. Thank you for reminding me.

[Sapphire Blue]

6. Thank you for opening & reading this thread. Now, can I ask you to do one more thing?

Would you please consider yourself actually being in those footsteps, and spend one day this month calling around your community to find out what kind of help is out there for you? If you'd like to take it one step further, get on the bus w/$12.68 in your pocket & try to make it for just that day... food, a place to sleep... just for that day. Try not bathing for a week, and wearing clothes that haven't been laundered, and look into the eyes of the people that you meet... that is, if they will even look at you.

Then, on the next day, call around your community, call your legislators, local & national, and demand that those who walk in those footsteps every day have the help that they need. Ask your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same.

We are the change we have been waiting for. We have to act.

[gateley]

10. Yes. And I will. Thank you again. nt

[midnight]

2. You bring up a very dismissed topic in our society....

I don't know how to answer your question, but I do know that it is a topic that I hear John Edwards discuss. It is a topic that will have great consideration for me when choosing leaders.

[gateley]

3. It seems as though anti-Edwards folks just can't get past the $400 haircut.

He DOES address this topic frequently and passionately. From hearing him speak of his childhood, I think he has a far greater understanding of the pain of poverty than most of us can comprehend. Good man.

[Sapphire Blue]

7. If you want to know how to answer my question, will you please consider my sugggestion in post #6?

[Skittles]

4. I think the fear now is much closer to home

people who are doing relatively well know it can all be gone in a heartbeat - just takes a disaster or two to shake our foundations now

[fed-up]

5. I bought a nondisclosed former meth lab home-no attorney will take my case w/out a retainer

I had bought/spent down to qualify for medi-cal and then I was going to apply for disability for my herniated, degenerated discs that keep me in chronic pain.

I am surviving on what little I make at the flea market-$150 last month, had counted on more than that, but the economy totally sucks.

I am borrowing (and a very humiliating thing it has been to borrow) some money from my boyfriend.

I have talked to over a dozen lawyers (or their secrectries), none will take my case without wads of cash.

I had hoped to get a roommate to help with bills, but they all say thanks, but no thanks, once I tell them there was a meth lab on the property (not in the house), but I believe there was soil contamination as the neighbor watched him pur the waste in the driveway, as my dog has been sick and I had what I now believe was a chemical burn on my foot.

I am not old enough (senior), nor am I legally defined as disabled, nor am I a renter, so none of the free legal clinics can help me.

No realtor will list the house since it is stigmatized as a meth lab, and they don't want any repercussions.

Beans and rice and rice and beans and oatmeal-and veggies from my boyfired.

Car insurance is due in a few weeks.

I had worked since I was 10 or 11, first a newspaper route, then babysitting and housecleaning, then restaurant work, daycare and finally caregiver.


I have been crying non-stop for the last week as I see no solution in site. I am starting to have anxiety/panic attacks.

My life is absolutely totally worthless and I have no clue how to fix it.

[Sapphire Blue]

8. Your life is NOT worthless!!!

:hug:

If anything is worthless, it's this greedy, heartless society that we have become. We've got to turn things around. We've got to become a caring community again. We've got to stop turning our backs on you, on others is similar circumstances, on others in even worse circumstances.

I am so sorry that you're going through such a horrible time. Regarding the house/property, was the meth lab disclosed when you bought the property? If not, do you have any recourse? I think there are a few attorneys that post on DU; have you thought about posting a thread asking for suggestions regarding any action you can take?

You didn't say whether you qualified for medi-cal; I hope that you have, and are, at the very least, getting any necessary treatment for your medical condition.

fed-up, having to borrow money can be a humiliating experience; when you feel that way, please remember these words from Sam Levenson...

In One Era & Out The Other
Sam Levenson

~ A letter that he wrote to his firstborn grandchild, excerpted from the book ~

Georgia baby,

We leave you a tradition with a future. The tender loving care of human beings will never become obsolete. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed, and redeemed, and redeemed... Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others. While I was growing up I took as many hands as I gave. I still do.

Your good old days are still ahead of you. May you have many of them.

At our age we doubt that we will make it to your wedding, but if you remember us on that day, we shall surely be there. Mazel tov... mazel tov... mazel tov...

:hug: :hug: :hug: Much love to you, my friend.

[fed-up]

11. it was NOT disclosed-was owner's stepson, I've tried over a dozen attorney's and now

will wait one more week to hear back from another

I am afraid that if I try to do it myself I will screw something up as I am not thinking straight anymore and making one tiny mistake could cost me everything (not that what I have is worth anything right now)

I also firmly believe that they will try to hide their assets once/if I start the recission process

I was hoping it would have all been taking care of by now, seeing as I first found out in May and that I would be out of this house and away from all this toxic mess.

I thought for sure that it would settle quickly out of court. Little did I realize that attornies mostly go into the business for the money and not to ensure that justice is served. I realize that they have operating expenses, but once in a while they could do a case on contingency.



I go in today for my intake medi-cal appointment. Let's just hope I can find all the paperwork. My short term memory is on the fritz lately and I don't remember where I put my important papers. IT also hard to find paperwork with tears streaming down ones face.

I am supposed to be grateful I am alive, but right now that is little consolation.


I did call the governor's office and ask that they allocate funding to red tag, test and clean-up these former meth lab sites, but the aide just said to call my local congress critter...there are over 800 former, non-cleaned, non-tested, non-tagged meth lab sites in my county alone. and nobody (general public-every f*cking government agency knows about the issue)knows to check on this...and nobody is talking about it...or doing anything about it...it is all left up to the honesty of the seller...

[EFerrari]

9. Remember my neighbors Joe and Donna?

I found out yesterday that they'd been evicted.

Donna tells me they now have a place in the Tenderloin. But, she was here waiting for the mailman to come because she was broke and waiting on her check to eat, and the check is coming to this old address. We had a smoke and talked for a few minutes.

Her chemo is going well, though. She looks better than she has in months. At least we have something like healthcare in this town.

I'm afraid for Joe because there's a lot of crack in the Tenderloin and that's what he does when he gets too overwhelmed.

One step forward, one back. I feel exhausted just thinking about what they go through every day, just to get through one day. Surf that, keep going.

:hug:
:grouphug:

:(