Poverty is not my Friend

I stepped outside yesterday and found that my summer days had truly come to an end.  I guess for the first of November that was a good warm run.  It had been chilly but nothing like today. I always get a little sad around this time.  I am a summer person by nature and no fault of my own.  Born August 1, I can't help always longing for the heat.  Well on this day I decided to pretend only difference was that I enjoyed the sun from the ride and when I had to go into the cold element I accomplished what ever it was I was doing fast and back into the metal fire place.  I went for a ride and decided to go about town and take some snap shots for my school presentation that is coming up soon.  For my project I have to choose a particular part of the area and do a photo presentation and tell what is a positive force in our area and what is a short coming.  We also have to explain what changes if any need to addressed and what approach do we look at it from.  Community Development is where I feel we need to focus our project on.  We are focusing on the downtown area of our city.  This particular area is very diverse and so complex.  In a city where the rich and the poor share the same space.  The one difference is one is on the inside looking out and one is on the outside looking in.  What I found was what I have always known existed but try at times to block the images out of my head.  Now today I am totally different, I am working so hard to be a part of a bigger picture.  Yes my photos is one perspective of many whom come together and fight for the greater cause.  Humanity needs to rear it's head and find a way to see all people as equal.  Sometimes I feel I have so much to say and so much to share I get to emotional and try to say all at once.  For this blog I just want to spread the word regarding advocacy for the less fortunate.  There are so many people whom are suffering today.  I speak of the homeless, battered, mentally disables and substance abusers to name just a few. While I rode around and took pictures.  I found myself seeing two worlds clashing.  On one side you have to well off and some are even rich.  I'm sure any one of the people who are living in pent houses downtown, can look out their window at any given time and see a homeless person walking or sleeping on the streets.  I rode past the Cherry Street Mission and there was a long line of people waiting in line for what may have been dinner.  It was around 5 p.m. the line was growing as I rode by.  I saw so many people walking to get in line.  I wanted to take a picture, but that would have been a violation of their human right, with out me asking.  I was not brave enough to go among them and ask, I felt they are in dire straits and who am I to impose on them in such a way that will only make them feel even more hopeless.  I want to empower these people and try to find a way to help get them back on track and on to success.  If I can help one person in my profession before I leave this earth I will feel I have accomplished a goal.  I have helped many people throughout my life and I did not have to go to school to know how to help someone.  While I am in school I reflect on my life and realize this was my calling and to allow myself to dare dream, I am accomplishing my dream, now I'm getting close to checking yet another task off my bucket list.  I am so grateful to my Allah for allowing me a second chance at life.  I feel my life is starting over in so many ways and it is all for the better.  I once lived not to far from being homeless like the people I saw today and I know the struggle and how it feels to be hungry and only have bare cabinets.  Today I live very well and my hungry days are behind me, but I know it is all a gift from the almighty and I will work on this earth for his praises.  I want to be a part of a community that has one goal and that is to make a change for the people who can't change on their own.  It's time to put poverty on the reject list, for Poverty is no one's friend.