Surviving and Worthy

By Mabel, Gretchen, June, Senior G, Margaret, Ellen, Alice

He looks like a homeless man to me because he is deep in thought with no clothes on, not talking to anybody because he is on his own.  Hopefully he will come up with a solution to his dilemma.  He has no money and no clothes.  Help!  That man’s shirt is coming off!  

Where he is, it’s not a happy place because he is alone.  Always money, money, money, but they probably don’t eat.  It is not a good situation.  I cook to please my palette.  When they cook, they cook to get rid of us.  He feels inside just like me.

He is young.  The outfit he is wearing, is it his own make-up or something else?  The pinhole in his nose, I don’t know what it is doing there.  In poverty and needs help.  That and thirty-five cents.  Does he look happy?  He’s a cute guy.

This isn’t Gretchen for God’s sake.  He’s in prison.  He has a lot of books, and he’s been studying about what he has to do with.  Maybe his prayer life.  He is trying to study something.  Pondering his situation.  He thinks, what am I doing in this place?  That’s what I ask myself here.  It seems like it’s a crazy house sometimes.  What the hell am I doing?  How do I get out of this?  

It’s been raining.  Do you hear it coming down the chimney?

Earrings and things through his nose are not the things to be wearing to do a job.  What would he be doing?  He is a very bright man.  His plan is to take the earring out of his nose and put some clothes on.  Something other than his naked shirt.  Stop miserating with himself.  His hands are clasped together and he will use them to fill out an application to clean up his life.  Clean up his act, all by himself.  He will use his books for reference if he needs them, to find some treasures.  The treasures are find a job and be more positive.   

Smile.  Don’t look so despondent.  Look hopeful.  

His family is far away and that’s why they don’t visit him.  

He might be able to do something to help someone else.  Help himself first so he can help others.  You’ve got to learn first, before you can help someone else.  Learn to walk.

When we were young, my parents took us to pick cotton.  I just couldn’t tell you what else I could do.  It is what it is. 

There’s always hope.  You have to want it and work for it.  He’s trying.  There’s a lot of things you wouldn’t expect.  Even a picture on a wall in the background, he doesn’t need all the surroundings to have a life.  Some people might think that you have to have decorations, but who do you want to remember and think about?  This is important.  His surroundings help him be what he is, a person that is trying to move on with his life.  He’s having a hard time.  

We need to help him think positive.

We’re so proud of you, son.  You are a man.  Encouragement.  Love and hope.  Financial help if he decides what he wants to do in his young life.  If he had a wife, she would be there encouraging him.  He doesn’t have a ring on his finger; he has some jewelry on his ear.  Later, there will be more people to help him, if he has the courage to work and go.  Some kind of gentleman.  Just keep on going.  It’s okay.  It will be okay.