Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Tag: Homelessness
It’s 13 Degrees in Milwaukee
One of my father’s sayings was “you don’t have to say everything you know.” I know he said it to me more than once but now I’m wondering why. Certainly, for a long while, well, all the time I was growing up, he didn’t… Continue Reading “It’s 13 Degrees in Milwaukee”
Advent 9: Hold Your Fire
Sit still, fold your hands Worms wriggle on their own hooks Tie themselves in knots
Last Night on Outreach
Last night on homeless outreach, a young woman came out from under a bridge. She was dressed in shorts, a camisole, and shower shoes with white athletic socks and had a thin blanket around her shoulders which she held tight to her chest as… Continue Reading “Last Night on Outreach”
The Peculiar Zen of Meal Prep
Every now and then, on no particular schedule, when I think I should or when I feel the need for total immersion in a task that is immediate and elemental, I do meal prep. Meal prep is what Street Angels calls preparing and packaging… Continue Reading “The Peculiar Zen of Meal Prep”
Held
The room is full of nuns. They’re easy to spot with their short hair and pastel blouses, elastic waist pants, and sensible shoes. More than that, they have an aura of calm and camaraderie that I think comes from having been together a long… Continue Reading “Held”
By Any Other Name
She slept with her partner on an inflatable mattress that they carried around with them. They had their own blankets, too. When I came to the homeless warming room in the morning, they would always be set up against the wall, same spot every… Continue Reading “By Any Other Name”
This
In today’s news, we have this. It’s good news that will, at least temporarily, wash away the grime of everyday news. This is about heroism and gratitude. Five homeless men saved our son. We are still in awe and almost speechless that anyone would… Continue Reading “This”
Traveler
She packed the stroller with books and bags of heavy things but no baby. The baby had grown up to be a teenage boy. Sometimes he went with her but mostly she walked alone, fast and determined like she had to get somewhere far… Continue Reading “Traveler”
Sightseeing
It was just before this moment, when the road was on the rise and had been for several winding miles, that we passed a man on the side of the road pushing a grocery cart loaded with bags and belongings. He wore the familiar… Continue Reading “Sightseeing”
Random Thursday
I’ve had to find some relief from being pissed off all the time. If I think about Hillary Clinton losing the election to Donald Trump, I have to regurgitate every single instance of being underestimated, patted on the head, and being told I was… Continue Reading “Random Thursday”
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
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