Stream of Consciousness Sunday: A Hunting Widow's World

It's Deer Hunting Opener weekend in Minnesota and once again I am a hunting widow. Nothing about my weekend is turning out how I planned it. Friday night Munchkin started coughing & whining a little.  I was hoping it was nothing major, however he came into our bedroom wanting to be cuddled & he felt a bit warmer than normal.  I started him on Tylenol equivalent to keep a fever from blowing up & making him miserable.

He slept through the night, but woke up Saturday clingy & cranky & I knew something was getting him - some type of bug. It was supposed to be my day to have Mom watch Munchkin so I could go hang out with a few girlfriends, celebrate one of their birthdays & perhaps have a glass of wine. I called & canceled my spa appointments. I was up several times Saturday night as the Acetaminophen would wear off & Munchkin's fever would creep up & the barking cough returned. Poor me...right? Not really.

It's Week 17 of my Stream of Consciousness Sunday posts. There's so many things I could dwell on but Twitter constantly keeps me in the loop about so many realities I wouldn't normally have time to take in. I have so much to be grateful about compared to others. I just want to take my time today to say anything I possibly might have to rant about doesn't compare to the hardships that so many others face every day being homeless.  

We were fortunate - I found work again after 18 months of unemployment, but so many are stuck with little hope to find their way back up out of the darkness they live every day.  It is entire families, single men & single women - teens alone & mothers with children - no one has been immune in the wake of this economy. And the numbers affected continue to grow.

If you don't do anything else this week take time to follow a homeless person on twitter or a blogger who is homeless.  There are a lot of them. Take a minute to understand what their day is like compared to yours & to learn the challenges that exist when there aren't enough resources to give everyone that needs it a hand up. Most are not looking for a hand out - they want a way out -a job - a way to become self sufficient again - a regular meal each day - a way to sleep indoors out of the elements, where they are safe from random acts of violence, drugs and the illnesses that result with sleeping outside.

It's something that I obsess about at times - wondering what I can do to make an impact - however small it might be - but more importantly how to find the resources to make a bigger impact someday.

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. (Well sort of this week.) It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.

§         Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.

§         Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.

§         Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.

§         Link up your post at all.things.fadra

§         Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

If you liked this post, or want to read some other posts about homelessness, you might also enjoy:Torn or Melsha Unplugged - Feeling Helpless or Lovely Morning Surprise - Random Act of Kindness or Not You?! You don't look homeless!

Here are just a few links to some recent stories related to our Homeless America:
Homeless Students 
We Are Visible on Facebook
Conversation on BlogTalkRadio about Teen Homelessness
Demonstration of mocking the homeless community
Ridiculous protests around not wanting to feed some homeless people
Vigil for Homeless Youth 
Homeless Veterans