Today, as we approached one of the busiest intersections in our fair city, we spotted a bedraggled young lady. Her blond hair was hanging in heavy curls but looked matted and had debris hanging on it. She was in a dress. At least that is the quick impression that stuck in my mind, and she wore short socks, and shoes. Her legs were completely black and blue, suggesting that she has been the victim of abuse or violence.
Her dog, who looked like a mongrel, was rooting for something in the grass beside the sidewalk. The temperature outside was heating up. We had a short break in the heatwave. The day was not as hot as those of the last week, but the overcast sky was being replaced with bright sunshine, beaming down on the duo. Her message to the world, scratched on an old piece of cardboard in Black marker, revealed that she was “Just Travelin’ Folk, No Money, No Food.”
My first impulse was to wonder what drug addict or pimp put her up to such shenanigans. I couldn’t help but think of the mother who once held her in her arms and wished the very best for her baby girl. I also wondered if she’d end up as another statistic in the crime log, picked up by the “wrong” kind of gentleman, ready to give her a ride to nowhere.
Where has she been? What has happened to her? Is this schtick just an act? Or is she for real? Where does she belong? Or, where is she traveling to?
We are all co-travelers on this planet. Many of us like to remain anonymous. We wonder about the “what ifs.” What if she has a knife or gun? What if she is not who she appears to be: helpless? What if this is a scheme?
Like many people, I’ve lost faith in the system, as there is not much provision for those who are out on the street, or down on their luck. Most people drive past a situation like this, not because they don’t care, but because they know that they could never give enough. The young lady represents part of a broken establishment that includes many of our veterans who are also homeless.
Who is responsible? I don’t know. There are many causative factors for homelessness that exceed even the simple lack of money. Some folks just want to drop out of society, do not want to keep an apartment or other housing, or are trying to escape a bad relationship. Others are simply mentally-ill.
Most people would drive by this girl, as we did. I have no answers but the thought of her and her little dog, standing outside in the scorching heat bothers me. I hope that no harm comes to her. The lessons of life are sometimes tough. Sometimes, people have to learn them on their own.
Patricia Cummings
