Ouch! A friend called Sunday to smack my nose for being to hard on the City in my letter on Extreme Weather planning. It made for an interesting discussion. Although, when the major contribution by the City to Extreme Weather planning, in the main part, is to not put up barriers …

While my friend is correct that the City has come a ways in both awareness and attitude, but there is so much more they must come to perceive, to gain some understanding of and needs that call for action that letting them rest on their “laurels” is just not good acceptable. The temptation to avoid these messy issues by hiding behind “Social Advisory Committees”, “Regional Social Committees”, Social Planners and so on is great that we must continue to (cattle) prod them to keep moving and into action.

The conversation served to highlight just how much one’s perspective on housing, poverty, homeless and addictions is affected by one’s position on the “have nothing to super rich” scale of material possessions.

I can see and understand where my friend and the other involved, caring citizens see so much progress made and being made. I can also see and understand where my many friends, both homeless and poor as well as those involved directly in helping the homeless and poor, see no progress made and nothing happening.

June, July and August so many people are on holidays, at different times, everything goes on hold until sometime in mid-September. Currently we are into the Christmas/New Year season and pretty much on hold again. Understandable? Yes and No.

When you and yours are inside and fed vacations and the holiday season seem fair, deserved and necessary. When you and yours are standing in a cold December rain – vacations, holiday seasons and things moving forward with glacial slowness are just more barriers to improvements to your survival and regaining a life worth living.

1/3 of the year wasted on vacations and the holiday season. Something accomplished years down the road. These do nothing about the cold December rain falling on your head today or in providing support, encouragement and help in getting your act and life together – today or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow …

So while I can see and understand my friend’s point and point of view, sometimes it is so hard to stay reasonable and positive. Particularly in light of my current economic state, balanced on a financially secure/unstable pivot point so very close to returning to being homeless. Sometimes I find I have to bite my tongue to not scream “Get your pampered asses in gear” or to give in to the urge to round up all the players, stand them in the cold December rain and deny them access to any resources other than those available to the homeless and poor.

All in hopes of communicating to them some understanding of the urgency and frustration I feel. Instead I take a deep breath, recite the serenity prayer and put pen to paper (so to speak) in hopes of educating and widening peoples understanding and perspectives.

Oh yes. In answer to the question posed about what I want from the City? I want them to bring to filling the basic living needs of those suffering poverty and homelessness the passion, the commitment, the marshalling of resources, the rallying of the public, the unlimited use of city staff and funds, the rush to put needed facilities/buildings in place – even if it requires borrowing millions of dollars to do so, “putting the arm” on local “donors” and the willingness to go to any lengths to get their way that they behaved with for the luxuries of Plan A.