Freewrite...

I wonder...

How many people in America [What are the current poverty stats? Homelessness stats? Hunger stats?] are feeling like the lady that sang "I Dreamed a Dream" (in Les Miserables - or more recently) now?

---------------------------------------------------

Freewrite:

Striking a balance between posting positives and negatives (and/or controversial information) is difficult sometimes; especially when one feels like there is a boot (as was "kind of" expressed by one of the letters in the "Daily Freeman" today) on one's head. And although I would like to be 100% optimistic - a purveyor (at all times) of "hope" - the only thing that "might" earn me is a 2 minute engagement (throw in a cat that can dance whilst juggling 10 mice...) on "America's Funniest Videos".

Therefore, for today, I guess I'll choose not to say much at all - except that I'm still here rooting for peace, love, truth, equality and humane justice - whilst cleaning up the mess I accrued from holding a lawn sale that earned me (after all of the work involved...) a grand total of .50 cents...

The City of Kingston is in a bad, bad way folks... And although the children that I gave (free of charge) some stuffed animals to undoubtably had a happy moment --- happy moments (free of charge) are not going to (despite also giving me a "feel good" moment" inside) pay the mortgage, the taxes, the gas and electric, the water bill, the insurance bill - and all of those (piling up, up, up) medical bills...

I do have to say - and this is just MY thought for THIS day - that although lots of government institutions, non-profits, businesses, etc. seem to be benefiting (one way or another) from either bailouts and/or the economic stimulus package (There is more news about the latter from Governor Paterson's office today...) - the piddling bailout and/or stimulus that was given to the people at the lower end of the economic spectrum (through a slight rise in pay, a small check in the mail - or whatever) is NOT (Which bill do we choose to pay? Which one goes on the pile?) going to (if someone out there really wants us to come out of this with homes and sanity intact) cut it...

Too personal? Nah.

Talk to my neighbors. Talk to my mother. Talk to my daughter. Talk to the people on the street. Talk to the families in the homeless shelter. Talk to the guy who bought the .50 cent slightly used bottle of men's cologne...

I am... She is... They are... He is... AMERICA --- and WE ("the people") could sure use [Am I missing something here?] a little help...

Peace, Love, Truth, Equality and Humane Justice,

NS