The Thrown Away

    We are a throw away society.   Now the world would have us believe that our Country is the worst at this, but truth is, its the whole world.  We are definately good at throwing away and making too much of a mess with  everything from  food to plastic to ...well you name it. 
But I am not talking about things.  I am talking about people.  When did we become so full and hateful that we have the audacity to decree that someone is not worth a smile or a word...something. 
I guess one place that I'm going here is toward folks in prison or jail.   At a church I used to attend, I had a couple of friends ( good strong folks) that had a prison ministry.  I use to go with them and sing ( I sing..I'm not a speaker).  Anyway, the thing that always struck me and warmed my heart was the response.   These were men who had all different types of stories.  You know what the only thing that mattered was that someone was treating them like a legitimate, worthy of respect human being.  They would reach their hands through the bars and we would hold them.  You don't know what that does for someone until you see it and feel it.  They look at you like"You mean your not afraid to touch me".  I found that people in that situation are the most Thankful.   They are so glad someone is not so down on them that they won't even acknowledge them..that they are so very thankful and appreciative of your time and effort.  In the the same jail though was the (womens room).  I say room because they didn't have this place set up to house alot of women.  So they piled as many as would go without bursting the walls out, in this tiny little cell.  And unlike the mens side, which had all the room in the world to walk back and forth, this was just a little room with a hole in the door.  A friend of mine would set on the floor and play guitar and sing and commune with these women.  You would talk to a face staring through a hole...sad.   But you know what, these women were so glad that someone was showing them love.   That they were being treated like Viable person instead of a piece of lint. 
You see it all the time.  People who are so broke down and weary of being treated like mess.  In the schools of course, its about how you look and what you have.  But there are some that just do not fit in anywhere.  Sometimes this is from their own making.  But alot of the time its simply from that old exclusion thing.  "Your too fat", "Your Ugly", "Your Dumb", "Your too Smart", "Your too Poor", "Your Weird ".......the list goes on and on.   The thing is, people get tired and weary.  Sometimes they just crawl into their own cell and stay there because its safe.  As long as they don't make waves and try to be involved they won't be noticed and hence, they won't be hurt.   And guess what, they too become lonely while the world does not even bother to notice.  Another Cell without Bars.
I worked in a Nursing home for 15 years.  I did Home Health before that.  I've seen it all.  The biggest thing I would have to say and the hardest thing is to see someone come in with a spirit of "I'm leaving this place" and watch that decline and go away over time.  I have seen people that I love and will always have in my heart.  And I have seen people who were not nice ( and I will say that they were always that way, it wasn't an age thing in some cases).  But the thing I saw was that a Touch on the cheek, or a Hug.....or just simply listening with the heart made more of an impact than anything.  Listening (not really understanding what was being said) but listening and acting like what they were saying was Valid...well, thats just a form of medicine I think.  They are becoming the New Throw  Aways.  Their gray hair and their life experience doesn't mean Jack now.   They deserve better than just shipping them off on Iceberg to die.   Just a little kindness, a little compassion.  Respect is free...and they deserve some i believe.  I am not going into the State Mandates and the Insane Regulations in this blog, thats for another time.  Except to say that they are 90% of whats wrong with this industry.   But I will say that Love and Compassion goes a long way in Validating these Precious people that cannot speak for themselves.
When did we become so cold that we don't see Hurt anymore.  We don't!!  Its all around us.  People giving up everyday. 
I watched a program the other night about these prisoners who were trying to steer  some kids another direction.  These were women who were tough as nails and had their own story of where they went wrong.  Face value told you they were Ice Cold.  But  then you would see little windows in some of them..the worst of them.  Someone can appear to be Soul less...but you see tears coming out of them when they reach out to help someone...and You Know.  You know that their Soul, their Heart is very much alive.  And by respecting these people enough to say "you are a valid person" and treating them as such, I think is more constructive than anything.
I guess what I'm rambling on about here is that Everybody deserves respect.  At the very least...Respect.  If you see a poor lost soul sitting alone....make eye contact if you can and just convey your interest in just knowing they do exist.  Smile if you can , but just acknowledge that they are human. 
There are Cells everywhere.  They all do not have metal bars.   And I'm not Pollyannish enough to think that we all float around and make everything perfect.  No.  All I'm saying is that Nobody is Unworthy of at least Reaching out to in some small way.

Light, Love, Hope and Peace
Sheliah Skelton ( SheShe, SheLirious)