The Value of Potpourri

I wrestled with the title of this article; I can admit that. In theory, unless a title appeals to a person, he or she is less inclined to read the story than if the title was catchy or offered something the reader perceived as valuable. I question the value of Potpourri because I find it sickeningly sweet and honestly, since the advent of Febreeze, I think it simply needs to go the way of the Dodo. So, the irony was fairly thick when it was the auto-timed Potpourri dispenser in my office that ended up jogging my cognitive juices as I tried to think of how to sum up last week's Project Homeless Connect.

This dispenser sets atop the bookcase in my office and it emits a cloud of summer fresh rain every 42 minutes. Apparently, this gap in time is just long enough to allow my memory to forget the previous spray session and the hissing cloud always startles me, causing me to jump in my chair. It would be embarrassing if it wasn’t so laughable. Okay... it is embarrassing. And, the only reason I even use the Potpourri is because it is a necessary evil to solve a greater problem: the stuffiness of my office. The exact item I ignore, forget about, and am inwardly annoyed by supplies a helpful service. I am just petty enough to reject the value because I don't like the packaging.

Project Homeless Connect provided potential services to more than 600 people. I logged some serious miles walking around as the event unfolded in numerous halls, classrooms, offices, and utility rooms. I was able to survey what was happening and it dawned on me that just like people outside the shelter, no two of our participants were exactly the same. There is a harmful and damaging stereotype that homeless people are "all the same" and in their situations because they "made bad decisions." I think this is just as ridiculous as saying people who are not homeless are all the same and their life is a result of good decisions.

Every person who participated in PHC had their own unique packaging. By many societal standards they had been ignored, marginalized, and even scorned. Untrue generalizations isolated many and sought to render them ineffective or useless. Over the next few days it will be my privilege to share some firsthand accounts from some participants. I will have some photos to post as well, and I look forward to hearing from any of you who would like to share some stories.

Every 42 minutes I am reminded how wrong I am about so many things.