Well, it was raining in the morning, so there went my walkabout plan. Then I realized I couldn't pick the Kid up and leave at noon, because I had bought nine tickets for his fundraiser, and I had to pick up nine loaves of banana nut bread, cinnamon loaf, and pound cake after 1:30.
So I opted to go to a local beach, which turned out to be beautiful. Not a sandy beach, like you think of Lissa, but it was more of a lagoon, protected from the rough surf by the seawall so little kiddies can frolic in shallow water with no fear of being yanked out by the undertow. The sky was a brilliant blue, the water was refreshingly crisp – not too warm; all in all it was idyllic.
I brought a picnic basket of goodies to snack on; I came home with just three loaves of bread and an empty basket.
There were all these really cute kids hanging out at the beach that were SO hungry, it was hearbreaking. I had read about homeless families living at the beaches, but I thought it was more around Honolulu. And yet, there they were.
I was like you, Lissa, when you see a starving dog, only these were kids, and I couldn't stop handing out the food. They weren't anorexic or anything; not like in the commercials you see about starving kids in third world countries. And they do go to school – the little boy I was chatting with was quite bright and curious. They shower in the public parks, and sleep, well, al fresco, as they say.
So many of us are just one paycheck away from being homeless. It doesn't take much – an accident, a mistake, or just a layoff. I count my blessings every day; and hope for the best.
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