Education is an excellent tool for a person to increase their chances for success in life. I will argue that a college degree can make an important difference in someone's life. However, the reality is that more and more people are not going to college and are still able to make an excellent life. Here are some six-figure income jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree:
1. Real Estate Broker
Although being a real estate agent requires a license, interested applicants only need a high school diploma to apply. Brokers are always on call, often work nights, weekends, and holidays, and may experience long stretches of time without generating income.
Real estate brokers have an estimated annual salary range of $30,144 to $180,434. During the real estate and house flipping boom, many people became licensed real estate agents, making this a very competitive field. If you have dedication, and continually seek out new clients, however, you can make a good living selling real estate.
2. Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers have to take multiple tests, participate in pre-employment medical screenings, submit to background examinations, and take classes.
Air traffic controllers command large salaries, up to $158,966 on average. The job is stressful, however, as air traffic controllers are responsible for maintaining the safety of thousands of people every day.
3. Small Business Owner
You can set your own hours, create your own dress code, and write off some of your expenses (i.e. tax deductions for small business owners) when you own your own business.
However, it can take a long time for your new small business to pay off. If you have time, effort, and energy, and if you offer a viable product or service, your risks can pay off with a nice-sized salary for you and your family. We don’t have a salary range for small business owners, but profitable small businesses can expect a six-figure salary if
4. Fire Chief
Most firefighters have at least a high school diploma, and if they stay with a division or battalion long enough, working through the ranks, they can step into a leadership role with the department.
Fire chiefs have rewarding careers that also include a lot of risk, and a lot of time away from home. Salaries for fire chiefs range from $42,096 to $119,250.
5. Construction Manager
If you have worked in construction for several years, you may be ready to step up to the role of construction manager. Managers must be on call most of the time in case of any emergencies or delays.
Construction companies frequently promote from within, because managers must have a strong knowledge of the company’s core values and policies. Salaries for construction managers range from $41,562 to $130,845.
6. Plumber
Many plumbers make an excellent income without having a college degree. Plumbers learn the trade through technical schools or apprenticeships. Plumbers are always in high demand, and they are paid well because of that demand.
For example, I know someone who recently paid a plumber $120 for 5 minutes worth of work, to replace a valve in the kitchen sink. Plumbers’ salaries can soar as high as $103,731 and beyond, depending on specialties and training.
7. Network/IT Manager
Someone has to keep computers and related equipment working flawlessly, and corporations pay well for experienced IT people. Interested applicants have to keep up with current technology, and have a desire to keep learning as technology changes.
Network managers and IT managers employed by companies have stable, 9 to 5 jobs with good salaries, benefits, and retirement accounts. Salaries for IT managers range between $53,477 and $125,101.
8. Hotel Executive Chef
Sought-after executive chefs can easily make over $100,000 per year. Executive chefs work long hours, spend a lot of time away from home, and may have high stress levels. However, for someone who loves to cook, working in a hotel kitchen every day can be rewarding.
9. Radiation Therapist
Radiation therapists must have a two-year associate’s degree, or a certificate in radiation therapy, but they don’t need a four-year college degree. These therapists use radiation to target cancer cells in patients, and are paid in accordance with the importance and detail-oriented nature of their work. Radiation therapists can earn as much as $116,000 a year.
10. Court Reporter
It may not be glamorous or exciting, but if you can transcribe 250 words per minute, and have impeccable attention to detail, there may be a courtroom willing to pay you well for your services.
You may need to take classes in transcription, and pass a background check in order to qualify for a job as a court reporter. Depending upon the city of residence, court reporters can earn between $29,995 and $104,000.
Income estimates courtesy of www.moneycrashers.com
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Monday, September 7, 2015
Happy (What are the Fruits of Your) Labor Day?
I've written about the history of Labor Day before, so I didn't figure it was necessary to repost that information. I don't think the past has changed, so perhaps it might be beneficial to connect this wonderful day to the broader topic of homelessness and present a narrative for discussion.
The more I thought about this, the more it seemed logical to cast Labor Day and labor issues to the challenge of poverty and homelessness in America. For many people, poverty and homelessness has roots that derive from their place of employment. In other words: there are a whole lot of people who cannot afford to live on the wages they receive. How maddening it must be to work hard but still feel captive to the looming and constant threat of homelessness because the wages earned are not sufficient to exist on.
If you earn $8.05 per hour (which is minimum wage in Montana), this is your budget if you work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 40 hours per week, 52 weeks a year. This does not allow for any vacation, sick days, maternity leave, or any other unexpected time off:
$64.40 per day
$322 per week
$1.288 per month
$16,744 per year
According to bestplaces.net/housing/county/montana/flathead, here is the average cost of rent for Flathead County. Keep in mind, this does not include utilities, health care, transportation, groceries, clothing, or anything other than rent.
Single Studio Apartment $508
1 Bedroom Home or Apartment $595
2 Bedroom Home or Apartment $736
3 Bedroom Home or Apartment $1,085
4 Bedroom Home or Apartment $1,304
Living on minimum wage is not a realistic life. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once stated, "there is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum and livable income for every American family."
But can today's reality truly be a product of simple 'shortsidedness?' Many in the business sector resist paying livable wages and benefits to workers because of the cost and potential loss of jobs. Yet, few businesses and government policy-makers dare to honestly factor the high economic and human cost of unlivable wages and denial of basic benefits for millions of Americans.
I understand this is a complex issue with many mitigating circumstances and factors that need examining. But I am calling for an examination that stems from the heart and not the bottom line. Is it too naïve to ask society to look at this issue from a humanitarian perspective and not simply from a platform of fiscal decision-making? People are in jeopardy of never rising above the fray of generational and cyclical poverty if things are not seen through more empathetic eyes. The problem is that many people never consider what life is like for others.
I hope you have a great Labor Day. Enjoy the final days of summer with friends and family and barbecues and well-deserved rest. But I also humbly ask you to remember that there are millions of people who are working just as hard to avoid homelessness. They are not lazy or unwilling to work hard; they're just underpaid.
The more I thought about this, the more it seemed logical to cast Labor Day and labor issues to the challenge of poverty and homelessness in America. For many people, poverty and homelessness has roots that derive from their place of employment. In other words: there are a whole lot of people who cannot afford to live on the wages they receive. How maddening it must be to work hard but still feel captive to the looming and constant threat of homelessness because the wages earned are not sufficient to exist on.
If you earn $8.05 per hour (which is minimum wage in Montana), this is your budget if you work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 40 hours per week, 52 weeks a year. This does not allow for any vacation, sick days, maternity leave, or any other unexpected time off:
$64.40 per day
$322 per week
$1.288 per month
$16,744 per year
According to bestplaces.net/housing/county/montana/flathead, here is the average cost of rent for Flathead County. Keep in mind, this does not include utilities, health care, transportation, groceries, clothing, or anything other than rent.
Single Studio Apartment $508
1 Bedroom Home or Apartment $595
2 Bedroom Home or Apartment $736
3 Bedroom Home or Apartment $1,085
4 Bedroom Home or Apartment $1,304
Living on minimum wage is not a realistic life. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once stated, "there is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum and livable income for every American family."
But can today's reality truly be a product of simple 'shortsidedness?' Many in the business sector resist paying livable wages and benefits to workers because of the cost and potential loss of jobs. Yet, few businesses and government policy-makers dare to honestly factor the high economic and human cost of unlivable wages and denial of basic benefits for millions of Americans.
I understand this is a complex issue with many mitigating circumstances and factors that need examining. But I am calling for an examination that stems from the heart and not the bottom line. Is it too naïve to ask society to look at this issue from a humanitarian perspective and not simply from a platform of fiscal decision-making? People are in jeopardy of never rising above the fray of generational and cyclical poverty if things are not seen through more empathetic eyes. The problem is that many people never consider what life is like for others.
I hope you have a great Labor Day. Enjoy the final days of summer with friends and family and barbecues and well-deserved rest. But I also humbly ask you to remember that there are millions of people who are working just as hard to avoid homelessness. They are not lazy or unwilling to work hard; they're just underpaid.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Hunger Myths (Part II)
Hunger in America Myth 4 - The food that America wastes could feed everybody. It has been said that up to 40% of the food that America produces is not consumed but thrown away. Much of it is decomposing fruits and vegetables, which is unfit to eat or not practical to collect. Many canned foods are thrown out due to the expiration dates. Unfortunately, we cannot feed everyone hungry with these kinds of leftovers. There are initiatives around the country that have made it possible to retrieve millions of pounds of nutritional food from hotels and restaurants. These food donations have feed the hungry and also provided culinary job training for people who are not currently employed. Food banks in America have given hundreds of millions of pounds of nonperishable food items, and many food activists, also called gleaners, go to farms to get vegetables and fruits that may have just been thrown away.
Hunger in America Myth 5 - Hunger is about food. The number of Americans who struggle to put food on their tables has never decreased since the advent of the food stamp program. This is due to hunger is not just about food. It's really comes down to jobs and wages. What America needs now more than ever are jobs and decent wages. What America needs more is living-wage laws, tariffs which safeguard American jobs and affordable health care. There is certainly a need for more local food production, especially fruits and vegetables. These kinds of nutritional foods can keep Americans healthy and help end hunger in America.
So there you have it; the issue of hunger is America is not as cut and dry as we sometimes think. This is an amazing country and it is beyond criminal that people often face hunger pangs that are avoidable.
Hunger in America Myth 5 - Hunger is about food. The number of Americans who struggle to put food on their tables has never decreased since the advent of the food stamp program. This is due to hunger is not just about food. It's really comes down to jobs and wages. What America needs now more than ever are jobs and decent wages. What America needs more is living-wage laws, tariffs which safeguard American jobs and affordable health care. There is certainly a need for more local food production, especially fruits and vegetables. These kinds of nutritional foods can keep Americans healthy and help end hunger in America.
So there you have it; the issue of hunger is America is not as cut and dry as we sometimes think. This is an amazing country and it is beyond criminal that people often face hunger pangs that are avoidable.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
The Mythology of Hunger
Mythology is an important part of the human condition.
Every culture has specific stories that have been passed on from one generation to the next until those stories become embedded in he very fabric of that society. Mythology impacts philosophy as religion as much as it colors the way we look at others who do not share the same perspectives we do. The interesting thing about some myths is that they are largely believed and accepted simply because they are repeated often enough to pass as verifiable.
Other myths are dispelled with a little research, and it is some of these that I want to present. I'll skip Sasquatch, the Flathead Lake Monster, and the PopRocks/Soda phenomenon so I can stay focused on something related to a topic that affects us all, but especially those living in poverty, those who are homeless, or anyone on the verge of homelessness. I would like to address the myth of Hunger in America.
Hunger in America Myth 1 - Many people in the U.S. think hunger happens in other countries but not in their country.They think droughts or crop failures are some of the reasons why people go hungry in other countries. In fact, hunger additionally strikes a lot closer to home. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 15 percent of U.S. households now are considered "food insecure," a nearly 30% increase from 2006. This indicates that, in any month, these households may be out of funds, out of food, and thereby, will miss meals or seek aid to feed themselves and their children. Even for people or children who eat 3 times a day could end up being malnourished. This is because Americans often eat cheaper costing foods such as sugary foods or other lower nutritional foods. Believe it or not, obesity is often related to hunger. Because of poor food choices and also the deficiency of healthy food choices in many residential areas. Many people might be packing on the extra pounds, but those extra pounds are often life-threatening. More than 30% of adults in America are considered obese. More and more children are becoming obese too. Heart disease and diabetes are now the leading causes of death in America. People are dying because of eating the wrong kinds of foods which often means the cheaper kinds of foods.
Hunger in America Myth 2 - Stopping malnourishment is a humanitarian issue. Children who grow to be obese adults, will limit our armed forces' capability to safeguard our nation. The military just lately cautioned that greater than 9 million young adults - (ages 17 to 24) weigh too much so they would not be eligible to enlist and this shrinks the list of candidates for military service. The expenses of poor nutrition drag the United States further into debt which leaves the country more vulnerable. In other words, America simply can not afford malnourishment or hunger in America anymore.
Hunger in America Myth 3 - Children are the only ones who go hungry. In reality, the person who most likely to go hungry in America, is the single, working mother who lives below the poverty level. Since Federal programs make sure that low-income kids will get free meals at their school, their single mothers, frequently have to make difficult choices amongst food, gas, rent, health care or other things for their kids. Many American women who face these choices simple go without meals themselves, especially nutritional food. Also, a growing number of senior citizens miss meals because they have to buy medicine. Many senior will not admit to needing food assistance, a 2007 study done by Meals on Wheels established that as much as six million are going hungry nearly every week.
I will continue the last two myths later in the week... Please stay tuned!
-information courtesy of nationalcoalitiontoendhomelessness
Every culture has specific stories that have been passed on from one generation to the next until those stories become embedded in he very fabric of that society. Mythology impacts philosophy as religion as much as it colors the way we look at others who do not share the same perspectives we do. The interesting thing about some myths is that they are largely believed and accepted simply because they are repeated often enough to pass as verifiable.
Other myths are dispelled with a little research, and it is some of these that I want to present. I'll skip Sasquatch, the Flathead Lake Monster, and the PopRocks/Soda phenomenon so I can stay focused on something related to a topic that affects us all, but especially those living in poverty, those who are homeless, or anyone on the verge of homelessness. I would like to address the myth of Hunger in America.
Hunger in America Myth 1 - Many people in the U.S. think hunger happens in other countries but not in their country.They think droughts or crop failures are some of the reasons why people go hungry in other countries. In fact, hunger additionally strikes a lot closer to home. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 15 percent of U.S. households now are considered "food insecure," a nearly 30% increase from 2006. This indicates that, in any month, these households may be out of funds, out of food, and thereby, will miss meals or seek aid to feed themselves and their children. Even for people or children who eat 3 times a day could end up being malnourished. This is because Americans often eat cheaper costing foods such as sugary foods or other lower nutritional foods. Believe it or not, obesity is often related to hunger. Because of poor food choices and also the deficiency of healthy food choices in many residential areas. Many people might be packing on the extra pounds, but those extra pounds are often life-threatening. More than 30% of adults in America are considered obese. More and more children are becoming obese too. Heart disease and diabetes are now the leading causes of death in America. People are dying because of eating the wrong kinds of foods which often means the cheaper kinds of foods.
Hunger in America Myth 2 - Stopping malnourishment is a humanitarian issue. Children who grow to be obese adults, will limit our armed forces' capability to safeguard our nation. The military just lately cautioned that greater than 9 million young adults - (ages 17 to 24) weigh too much so they would not be eligible to enlist and this shrinks the list of candidates for military service. The expenses of poor nutrition drag the United States further into debt which leaves the country more vulnerable. In other words, America simply can not afford malnourishment or hunger in America anymore.
Hunger in America Myth 3 - Children are the only ones who go hungry. In reality, the person who most likely to go hungry in America, is the single, working mother who lives below the poverty level. Since Federal programs make sure that low-income kids will get free meals at their school, their single mothers, frequently have to make difficult choices amongst food, gas, rent, health care or other things for their kids. Many American women who face these choices simple go without meals themselves, especially nutritional food. Also, a growing number of senior citizens miss meals because they have to buy medicine. Many senior will not admit to needing food assistance, a 2007 study done by Meals on Wheels established that as much as six million are going hungry nearly every week.
I will continue the last two myths later in the week... Please stay tuned!
-information courtesy of nationalcoalitiontoendhomelessness
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
People are not Talking Points
Sometimes I need a break from the constant saturation and moment-by-moment bombardment of iLife. Now, before you think I am expressing worrisome and melancholy thoughts that warrant intervention, please relax and allow me to explain. I'm not even certain the term iLife is real and I apologize if it has already been tagged and utilized by some trendy start up company in Seattle or Portland.
By using this word, I'm simply referring to the interconnectivity of social media and conventional media that seems to be inescapable. It is getting harder and harder to unplug from the multitude of voices, opinions, experts, antagonists, and anyone else who wants to espouse their thoughts on how we all need to live our lives. And honestly, I appreciate the right we have, as Americans, to proclaim our beliefs. But, if I'm going to continue to be honest, so many of these thoughts have seemed really mean and inhumane to me, lately.
I am not going to mention anyone by name just as I refuse to endorse any particular political view. This is a forum for the advocacy of homeless issues and besides, I'm tired of turning on the news seeing people ridicule others who think differently. I am probably being very naive and simplistic, but the past few months have given me time to pause and reflect on the basic human condition and how we view each other.
No matter where a person comes from, he or she is entitled to respect and dignity as a person. Whether they are housed or homeless or new to this country or they are from a linage dating back centuries; respect and basic decency should not be doled out on the basis that we think they should or should not be here. Have we really (de)evolved to the point that we justify the sanctity of life for certain people but not others? I am growing increasingly tired of hearing people described as statistics and demographics and not people.
It is very easy to make gross generalizations and shout insults. It is very easy to entrench ourselves in ideas that offer solutions that we do not have to deal with. It is very easy to grab the pitchforks and join the rest of the mob in a cacophony of anger because we get frustrated. These are all legitimate feelings and stem from a dissatisfaction with the lack of progress see from those who are supposed to provide answers. I get that.
But what about those who have been dehumanized in this conversation? People and families that are no longer referred to as people, but labeled as catch-phrases. At the heart of this issue remains the fact that we are talking about people. They are not statistics and talking points to further an agenda. They are men and women and boys and girls and all I am asking is that we remember that.
I am not proposing a solution. That would be too easy and would absolve me from going the extra mile. What I am proposing is that we treat people with dignity even if we take issue with the circumstances surrounding their existence. And if that seems like an unreasonable request perhaps it is time to ask why.
By using this word, I'm simply referring to the interconnectivity of social media and conventional media that seems to be inescapable. It is getting harder and harder to unplug from the multitude of voices, opinions, experts, antagonists, and anyone else who wants to espouse their thoughts on how we all need to live our lives. And honestly, I appreciate the right we have, as Americans, to proclaim our beliefs. But, if I'm going to continue to be honest, so many of these thoughts have seemed really mean and inhumane to me, lately.
I am not going to mention anyone by name just as I refuse to endorse any particular political view. This is a forum for the advocacy of homeless issues and besides, I'm tired of turning on the news seeing people ridicule others who think differently. I am probably being very naive and simplistic, but the past few months have given me time to pause and reflect on the basic human condition and how we view each other.
No matter where a person comes from, he or she is entitled to respect and dignity as a person. Whether they are housed or homeless or new to this country or they are from a linage dating back centuries; respect and basic decency should not be doled out on the basis that we think they should or should not be here. Have we really (de)evolved to the point that we justify the sanctity of life for certain people but not others? I am growing increasingly tired of hearing people described as statistics and demographics and not people.
It is very easy to make gross generalizations and shout insults. It is very easy to entrench ourselves in ideas that offer solutions that we do not have to deal with. It is very easy to grab the pitchforks and join the rest of the mob in a cacophony of anger because we get frustrated. These are all legitimate feelings and stem from a dissatisfaction with the lack of progress see from those who are supposed to provide answers. I get that.
But what about those who have been dehumanized in this conversation? People and families that are no longer referred to as people, but labeled as catch-phrases. At the heart of this issue remains the fact that we are talking about people. They are not statistics and talking points to further an agenda. They are men and women and boys and girls and all I am asking is that we remember that.
I am not proposing a solution. That would be too easy and would absolve me from going the extra mile. What I am proposing is that we treat people with dignity even if we take issue with the circumstances surrounding their existence. And if that seems like an unreasonable request perhaps it is time to ask why.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Renewal
Kaitlyn dialed the number without any certainty of a helpful answer. She heard about Kalispell through a friend and thought she would go for broke because she had nothing to lose. After a brief conversation with staff at Samaritan House, she bought 3 coach tickets and boarded the train with her children. Colorado would become a memory and a new life awaited her in the Flathead Valley.
With the difficulties she encountered regarding the shelters in Denver, Kaitlyn was initially unsure of what to expect in Kalispell. Prior to her phone call, she spent some time researching the Flathead because she couldn't afford another arbitrary move that simply offered her a change of scenery. She needed to move towards something positive... something that would provide improvement for her and her 2 kids. So, as the train bounded closer to the station in Whitefish and her kids slept silently beside her, Kaitlyn's heart was filled with hope.
Kaitlyn now works 40 hours a week in a health care role in Kalispell and she is on the waiting list for an apartment. Homelessness was never a situation she would have imagined for her family but she is dealing with it every day. Her tiny family unit at Samaritan House serves as a launching pad for the next phase of her life. She is still shaking off the remnants of her time in Colorado but life is moving forward and she embraces the chance to contribute to the betterment of her own family as well as the community she now calls home.
The distinguishing factor in Kaitlyn's life is her ability to keep focus and never abandon her sense of motivation. Every day was another chance to look for opportunities to lift herself out of her circumstances. Just a few months ago Kaitlyn had reached the lowest point in her life but she refused to remain there. Instead of allowing her circumstances to strip her of her dignity and self respect, she responded by plodding forward, one incremental step at a time, until she reached safety and security. Through everything she endured, Kaitlyn didn't lose the willingness and motivation to work hard.
She has a new perspective on life and an appreciation for each day that presents itself. It would have been easy to succumb to despair of becoming another statistic, but she understood how important it was to fight for herself and her children. And Kalispell is a better place with her living here.
With the difficulties she encountered regarding the shelters in Denver, Kaitlyn was initially unsure of what to expect in Kalispell. Prior to her phone call, she spent some time researching the Flathead because she couldn't afford another arbitrary move that simply offered her a change of scenery. She needed to move towards something positive... something that would provide improvement for her and her 2 kids. So, as the train bounded closer to the station in Whitefish and her kids slept silently beside her, Kaitlyn's heart was filled with hope.
Kaitlyn now works 40 hours a week in a health care role in Kalispell and she is on the waiting list for an apartment. Homelessness was never a situation she would have imagined for her family but she is dealing with it every day. Her tiny family unit at Samaritan House serves as a launching pad for the next phase of her life. She is still shaking off the remnants of her time in Colorado but life is moving forward and she embraces the chance to contribute to the betterment of her own family as well as the community she now calls home.
The distinguishing factor in Kaitlyn's life is her ability to keep focus and never abandon her sense of motivation. Every day was another chance to look for opportunities to lift herself out of her circumstances. Just a few months ago Kaitlyn had reached the lowest point in her life but she refused to remain there. Instead of allowing her circumstances to strip her of her dignity and self respect, she responded by plodding forward, one incremental step at a time, until she reached safety and security. Through everything she endured, Kaitlyn didn't lose the willingness and motivation to work hard.
She has a new perspective on life and an appreciation for each day that presents itself. It would have been easy to succumb to despair of becoming another statistic, but she understood how important it was to fight for herself and her children. And Kalispell is a better place with her living here.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Kaitlyn's Story, Continued
Denver was a new start, but Kaitlyn and her kids found themselves in a worse environment than before. The cost of living was high so she found herself mired in a Catch 22 that would not allow her to keep her head above water. She couldn't afford childcare so she was unable to secure a job. And she was well-trained as a CNA, the frustration mounted. Her lack of a job meant she was unable to pay for childcare... and so the vicious cycle spiraled out of control.
There is a despondency that wrestles hope from the most optimistic of people. It says there is no feasible solution or reason to think things will ever get better. A person begins second-guessing every decision they made while their present situation taunts them. Numbness saturates the soul and there is a tendency to sink into a catatonic state that renders one useless. Nothing was working out and Kaitlyn needed to take action quickly or they would be living on the street.
The homeless shelters in Denver were unable to offer her the chance she needed to catch her breath and collect her thoughts so she could move forward. There were policies in place that required people to have Colorado identification, and no out of state IDs were accepted. This process could take weeks and Kaitlyn needed a place to live immediately. The vicious cycle was now morphing into a new entity and combating her at every stage. She began racking her brain for a solution.
It's interesting how our memory works and how we make comparisons no matter how hard we try not to. Everywhere she went, Kaitlyn was haunted by the past and how her present began to deteriorate with each new environment. What started with a simple move to a new place had devolved into a scenario she never imagined. No one ever sets out to be homeless; it's not a goal or aspiration and once it becomes a reality it is often too late to combat it. All a person can do is remember how life used to be.
Denver was offering no solutions and she Kaitlyn was now faced with limited prospects. Unable to secure temporary housing at a shelter for her and her two kids, she didn't have the luxury of choice. Something had to be done or she would begin descending down a slope many people never recover from. Every time she searched her children's eyes she felt the pangs of responsibility she was charged with to give them the best life possible. And since this was not going to occur in Colorado, she understood it was time for a move. Again.
(To be continued)
There is a despondency that wrestles hope from the most optimistic of people. It says there is no feasible solution or reason to think things will ever get better. A person begins second-guessing every decision they made while their present situation taunts them. Numbness saturates the soul and there is a tendency to sink into a catatonic state that renders one useless. Nothing was working out and Kaitlyn needed to take action quickly or they would be living on the street.
The homeless shelters in Denver were unable to offer her the chance she needed to catch her breath and collect her thoughts so she could move forward. There were policies in place that required people to have Colorado identification, and no out of state IDs were accepted. This process could take weeks and Kaitlyn needed a place to live immediately. The vicious cycle was now morphing into a new entity and combating her at every stage. She began racking her brain for a solution.
It's interesting how our memory works and how we make comparisons no matter how hard we try not to. Everywhere she went, Kaitlyn was haunted by the past and how her present began to deteriorate with each new environment. What started with a simple move to a new place had devolved into a scenario she never imagined. No one ever sets out to be homeless; it's not a goal or aspiration and once it becomes a reality it is often too late to combat it. All a person can do is remember how life used to be.
Denver was offering no solutions and she Kaitlyn was now faced with limited prospects. Unable to secure temporary housing at a shelter for her and her two kids, she didn't have the luxury of choice. Something had to be done or she would begin descending down a slope many people never recover from. Every time she searched her children's eyes she felt the pangs of responsibility she was charged with to give them the best life possible. And since this was not going to occur in Colorado, she understood it was time for a move. Again.
(To be continued)
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