Whenever a Wal-Mart store adjoins a patch of woods, I'm motivated to see what's in there. Having investigated many, I'll do one more this morning at Coos Bay, Or.
I walk the wall of foliage searching for a "Green Door."
Ah, there it is! Do you see it? The "merry men" who use it step lightly here to conceal, but I see the beginnings of a hideout trail.
Once through the green door, they make good trails.
I penetrate carefully, 50 yards or so until:
I see this rake---a sure sign of a sylvan domicile---I know I'm close.
Bingo! a homeless camp--luckily unoccupied. I check it out, letting it speak to me.
One thing it says is big fellow--size 11 or better
I followed this curious trail of oatmeal, deducing that a neighbor came borrowing with a leaky bag. Did you flash on Hansel and Gretel?
It led to an apparant dead end. But I know better! Can you see the hidden camp?
Push through another "green door" and there it is--a sleeping spot--with a grill?
100 yards away I found this one. That's enough--I've got the picture. Would have enjoyed engaging the outlaws.I do not think this is dreadful---just adaptive. The day will come when we as a society will ask ourselves a truly relevant question: What can we afford to give away?--no questions asked--(because questions asked---MEANS TESTING is super expensive --AND ineffective) just because in some sense we are all in it (life) together. How about salt? (a necessity) but so cheap we can afford to give everyone enough. How about water? Well yes, we can afford that too. How about clothing? Well yes, the thrift store kind. No one need be naked or even cold. How about food?
Well yes, we can afford to give anyone the basic calories. How about Shelter? AAAHHH, THERE'S THE RUB. We really cannot afford to give everybody a house. But we could and should give everyone who needs one, a tent and a place to put it. I wish those in the rescue business would ask the question as simply as I have. Live in a tent awhile and many will decide they want a "better" life and may go to work; some won't. ( Too many people are working as is---but that's another blog.)
ENOUGH! --- with down and outers. I'm ready for a new focus! I alert my readers that I'm going to try and make a fantasy come true. It's a strange fantasy and I will give you a clue. Google and read the poem: "The Man Flammonde by Edward Arlington Robinson. I intend to pick a small town in Oregon and do a Flammonde thing.
Randy, another interesting trail into the unknown. What a life you live! And now the Flammonde thing, that will be a delight. Dare you heal any long lived squabbles? Or edify the maligned? Or simply make life a tad better for some poor soul! Mystery man, you shall be.
ReplyDeleteYou speak of giving a tent and a place to put it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theplaceswelive.com/
shows what happens when you a person needs shelter and is not stopped.
Interesting thoughts..... When you say that "we" can afford to give these things, and/or the $500 a month in the previous post, who do you mean? Are you willing to give a non-contributor some of your income, or wanting someone else to do the giving? Just wondering, in my experience, it is what most people want.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I begin to talk about what should be our God Given rights on this Earth...the right to clean water, fresh air, food to eat, and a roof over our head...and it should be a GIVEN to everyone regardless of how much earning power one is capable of-- I get called a Socialist...why is that? There is a nasty label for everything these days. One woman whose blog I used to read posted a this longggg list of things about how the Illegals would soon be getting a check from SSI, how the majority of their population would become a burden to society get free medical care, free housing, etc while the rest of us worked our asses off..she blamed this on the Democrats....
ReplyDeleteI happen to know the lady who posted that list took total disablity at age 55 for "back pain" yet she can ride a bicycle, drive a car, go to her grandsons soccer games with no problems, she also gets all her medical and medicines FREE from Medicaid..she lives in Governmet subsidized housing...and gets heating and cooling assistance...food stamps, and need I say more!!!
Yes Anonymous, I mean you and me----every taxpayer contributes to the maintainance of these casualties and misfits (and deadbeats). And yes, I'm willing because the alternative is worse: depending on hit and miss charities as in Dickens Novels.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, not paying is what most people would choose, given the option. That is why we sensibly institutionalize charity, standardizing it. (Do you know about the scandal currently breaking in Ireland about Catholic care of orphans and such)
The big point I want to make is that it takes so little to live comfortably that we(taxpayers) can afford to give it. I want the whole world to stop working (and consuming) so hard and enjoy the fruits of the industrial revolution. Please read Thoreau's first chapter in Walden. In my ideal world, careers would be only about ten years (mine was) and the remainder of our lives would be creative amusement. I've not had a job in 37 years---I'm living proof that the good life is possible.
Thank you Rob for that link---very interesting phots of the slums of Mumbai. I have mixed feelings about slums--they are amazingly efficient, cheap housing. The ones in china are cleaner and just as efficient. Am I the only one who sees the root of this problem as too many people? And the root of that problem is religion: FROZEN ETHICS--the insane belief that God provided a book which says that contraception (catholics) and abortion (both catholics and protestants) are sins. Unwanted babies and overpopulation will overwhelm us unless we stop listening to religious people. Read my blog: Obama needs my help.
ReplyDeleteIs it too late to change the title to, "Down and Out in Wally-Wood"?
ReplyDeleteDamn---That's a great title. wish I'd thought of it. Believe it or not I give lots of thought to my titles.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I really enjoy your blog. Thanks for writing!
ReplyDeleteI believe the earth itself provides all we need- Including shelter! Wikiups and wood-and-brush teepees are easy and fun to build and insulate!
I've often thought about how I would go about building my own underground hobbit hole one day.. turf walls and roof keep the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Like the vikings!