Counting blessings...

A Dream?

Many of us have been blessed to never have been homeless or even very poor. Even a good portion of the poor have it considerably better than the home in the dream. People are truly blessed in North America and the vast majority of people have only seen on television how the very poor or homeless live. Sometimes when we are stressed over financial matters, we may have nightmares over being homeless but for most of us that will not happen.

I was playing with filters trying to get just the right look because somehow the harshness of the picture with all it's truth of how we as a society treat our poor just seemed too raw. Through the filter it does look dreamlike and more like a home in the woods, not the reality it is. Here is the actual photo in all it's rawness. It was taken from the bridge overlooking Cumberland River.

Not A Dream!
Shanty on banks of Cumberland River, Nashville, TN

We visited Nashville, TN for a few days to celebrate New Year's Eve 2005, greet 2006 and see the area. We had a grand time. There were so many things to see, so much great food and ringing in the new year will be an unforgettable experience in so many ways. The cabs were very busy so we decided to walk back to where we were staying. It was dark and from below the bridge I could see a few barely twinkling lights on the river bank. I thought it was a funny time to be fishing and thought no more about it. The next morning we walked over the bridge and to my amazement saw shanties. I was actually stunned to think of people living like this and at the same time could empathize with them for how much they wanted to create their own home. I had to take pictures!

This photo shows how desperately people want to be part of society to the point they will even construct make-shift homes using the cast-offs of such a wasteful society. It was set up so home-like and organized complete with a front and back door. I'm assuming the tent is his or hers version of a washroom or grooming area. The carpeted path lead me to believe this person was likely using this water for drinking and bathing. There was even a small garden bed in front of the shanty. Obviously this person has a desire to get his message out much like any of us who blog or communicate in other ways to a larger audience. I did read the scriptures but will reserve comment leaving that up to you the reader to ponder on, the scriptures not my lack of commenting.

We were told that the shanties are fairly common along the banks of the river in Nashville. The city removes them once or twice a year but they keep returning. The sad thing is, someone is actually making use of things others have tossed out but when the city clears the banks, that stuff all goes to a landfill. We were also told that some of these people can become quite agitated or aggressive trying to protect what little they have, much like anyone else. Sadder still that we as society ignore the plight of these people. It's so easy to pass judgement on them from the comforts of our couches in our warm houses, our bellies filled as we contemplate what to watch on TV or what latest gadget to buy.