Ari does not comply on Nostr: I woke up way too early this morning and in a real state of fear. I know this is just ...
I woke up way too early this morning and in a real state of fear. I know this is just part of the process after what has happened this week in this country.
I talked for quite a while last night with a friend of mine who has ended up having to live in their car the last 3 months. They are in the Denver area, and are already dealing with snow and subzero temperatures, with more to come.
They are employed, they've been keeping that up, but this is beyond difficult. It's expensive enough to live in Denver and own a vehicle, but to only have that and no housing? After being in the same job for a decade and just running into some hard times over the summer? Renting in Denver is fucking brutal. I'm glad I got out when I did, even though I miss my friends and the mountains.
What has happened to my friend could happen to any one of us. A medical debt or the death of a partner or family member could unhouse someone in basically a few weeks. Losing a job, or losing a vehicle that is essential to get to a job, or any other number of single points of failure could put almost any one of us out on the street like this in a matter of weeks or months.
Many of us don't have the depth of resources or the family or friends who could catch us. Most of us don't have safety nets. It feels like this is by design now, and that it is just going to get worse for millions of people in the coming years.
It is a heavy story to bear, knowing that my friend is 600 miles away and I can't bend space and time so that they could have a roof over their head at night. We are both big Star Trek nerds, so I said if we had transporters… I've got a guest bed, and you could still get to work every day.
I strongly believe that bearing parts of each other's stories are why we are here. Listening is healing. Just knowing that someone else knows what is going on with you can lighten the load emotionally and mentally. No, it doesn't keep you from freezing in your car in Denver when it's subzero temperatures, but human connection is still valuable.
I've asked them when they have time to put together a wish list for things they will need to survive in their car over the winter. I will post that list here when I get it with a mutual aid hashtag.
I don't have much, but when I have anything at all, I try to share it. The powers that be coming into office might call me a fool; they are wrong. We are here to help each other, love each other, and lift each other up when we can. I can't help everybody or fix everybody's problems, as much as I would like to wave a magic wand and do so. But I can do a few little things here and there that make a difference, hopefully.
So can you, should you choose. Start by paying attention and listening. Having the time and energy to pay attention and listen and help carry other people's stories is a privilege that no one can take away from you. You can learn to wield it with good boundaries. Just listening without trying to fix may make the tiniest difference for a moment in someone else's life. Yes, holding their story might feel like carrying a bag of broken, bloody glass sometimes. It might wake you up at 4 AM and fill you with fear. But you are a goddamn adult, and you know how to do this. You know how to care for yourself, and hopefully extend some care to others.
Now I am going to try to get back to sleep for an hour before my ascent to my work day starts. Thanks for listening!
#GoodListeningIsHealing
I talked for quite a while last night with a friend of mine who has ended up having to live in their car the last 3 months. They are in the Denver area, and are already dealing with snow and subzero temperatures, with more to come.
They are employed, they've been keeping that up, but this is beyond difficult. It's expensive enough to live in Denver and own a vehicle, but to only have that and no housing? After being in the same job for a decade and just running into some hard times over the summer? Renting in Denver is fucking brutal. I'm glad I got out when I did, even though I miss my friends and the mountains.
What has happened to my friend could happen to any one of us. A medical debt or the death of a partner or family member could unhouse someone in basically a few weeks. Losing a job, or losing a vehicle that is essential to get to a job, or any other number of single points of failure could put almost any one of us out on the street like this in a matter of weeks or months.
Many of us don't have the depth of resources or the family or friends who could catch us. Most of us don't have safety nets. It feels like this is by design now, and that it is just going to get worse for millions of people in the coming years.
It is a heavy story to bear, knowing that my friend is 600 miles away and I can't bend space and time so that they could have a roof over their head at night. We are both big Star Trek nerds, so I said if we had transporters… I've got a guest bed, and you could still get to work every day.
I strongly believe that bearing parts of each other's stories are why we are here. Listening is healing. Just knowing that someone else knows what is going on with you can lighten the load emotionally and mentally. No, it doesn't keep you from freezing in your car in Denver when it's subzero temperatures, but human connection is still valuable.
I've asked them when they have time to put together a wish list for things they will need to survive in their car over the winter. I will post that list here when I get it with a mutual aid hashtag.
I don't have much, but when I have anything at all, I try to share it. The powers that be coming into office might call me a fool; they are wrong. We are here to help each other, love each other, and lift each other up when we can. I can't help everybody or fix everybody's problems, as much as I would like to wave a magic wand and do so. But I can do a few little things here and there that make a difference, hopefully.
So can you, should you choose. Start by paying attention and listening. Having the time and energy to pay attention and listen and help carry other people's stories is a privilege that no one can take away from you. You can learn to wield it with good boundaries. Just listening without trying to fix may make the tiniest difference for a moment in someone else's life. Yes, holding their story might feel like carrying a bag of broken, bloody glass sometimes. It might wake you up at 4 AM and fill you with fear. But you are a goddamn adult, and you know how to do this. You know how to care for yourself, and hopefully extend some care to others.
Now I am going to try to get back to sleep for an hour before my ascent to my work day starts. Thanks for listening!
#GoodListeningIsHealing