You know what I meant -- Market St. doesn't have very many residential buildings (although they're building a couple now that Twitter moved to mid-Market).
Tragic, isn't it? And Market Street isn't the worst of it.
The homeless situation in SF is appalling. Not because I think we should push the homeless out, or hide them away, but because there are so many of them as the result of other cities literally putting them on the bus and sending them here (other cities actually purchase one-way Greyhound tickets to SF for homeless people, no kidding). For all everyone likes to make jokes about "the People's Republic" as a result of our social programs, thank God we have them or those people would be on middle-America's doorsteps.
The endless cycles of poverty and mental illness and addiction and rejection for being "different" or too hard for oh-so-Christian mommy and daddy to handle, or, ~gasp~, GAY! is the most heartbreaking thing you will ever witness.
OTOH, one of the silver linings, outside the city relief programs and charity programs, is witnessing the small kindnesses from San Franciscans of all walks of life -- the techies of SoMa, the Real Housewives of Pac Hts, the hipsters of the lower Haight -- being done quietly, unassumingly, without any expectation of praise or glory. Living here reminds me every day that more people are good than are bad, and that sometimes it's the little things that go, for the most part, unnoticed that matter the most.
I'm glad you came back to comment and weren't mad at me for posting this. I read quite a bit about the homeless in SF after your comment yesterday. There really is a great spirit of community in your town - many supports and outreach to the homeless. I am really very edified. You are so fortunate to be able to volunteer as you do - I'm sure you please God very much.
As you said, "The endless cycles of poverty and mental illness and addiction and rejection for being "different" or too hard for oh-so-Christian mommy and daddy to handle, or, ~gasp~, GAY! is the most heartbreaking thing you will ever witness."
You are right - thanks for calling my attention to it. God bless you.
Big hug - and I promise to pray for you and with you - please remember me too when you visit St. Anthony's.
Please comment with charity and avoid ad hominem attacks. I exercise the right to delete comments I find inappropriate. If you use your real name there is a better chance your comment will stay put.
You know what I meant -- Market St. doesn't have very many residential buildings (although they're building a couple now that Twitter moved to mid-Market).
ReplyDeleteTragic, isn't it? And Market Street isn't the worst of it.
The homeless situation in SF is appalling. Not because I think we should push the homeless out, or hide them away, but because there are so many of them as the result of other cities literally putting them on the bus and sending them here (other cities actually purchase one-way Greyhound tickets to SF for homeless people, no kidding). For all everyone likes to make jokes about "the People's Republic" as a result of our social programs, thank God we have them or those people would be on middle-America's doorsteps.
The endless cycles of poverty and mental illness and addiction and rejection for being "different" or too hard for oh-so-Christian mommy and daddy to handle, or, ~gasp~, GAY! is the most heartbreaking thing you will ever witness.
OTOH, one of the silver linings, outside the city relief programs and charity programs, is witnessing the small kindnesses from San Franciscans of all walks of life -- the techies of SoMa, the Real Housewives of Pac Hts, the hipsters of the lower Haight -- being done quietly, unassumingly, without any expectation of praise or glory. Living here reminds me every day that more people are good than are bad, and that sometimes it's the little things that go, for the most part, unnoticed that matter the most.
I'm glad you came back to comment and weren't mad at me for posting this. I read quite a bit about the homeless in SF after your comment yesterday. There really is a great spirit of community in your town - many supports and outreach to the homeless. I am really very edified. You are so fortunate to be able to volunteer as you do - I'm sure you please God very much.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, "The endless cycles of poverty and mental illness and addiction and rejection for being "different" or too hard for oh-so-Christian mommy and daddy to handle, or, ~gasp~, GAY! is the most heartbreaking thing you will ever witness."
You are right - thanks for calling my attention to it. God bless you.
Big hug - and I promise to pray for you and with you - please remember me too when you visit St. Anthony's.