Daily Archives: August 6, 2013

Daily Prompt; Everything Changes

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http://dailypost.wordpress.com, Daily Prompt, DP

Walking down the street, you encounter a folded piece of paper on the sidewalk. You pick it up and read it and immediately, your life has changed. Describe this experience.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us TRANSFORMATION.

He slept in boxes. He slept under the bridges. He slept where ever his body found comfort once the sun set.

He had once been a prosperous man residing in the hot spots of Florida. He had built shells of houses and sold them to people barely out of the danger zone of bankruptcy. His ideal goal was that he charged enough in payments that in no time at all he had gained not only the up-front cost but the house back.

He would repeat this business to one after another. His pockets heavy his checkbook fat he was living high on the hog. He had a sailing yacht. He owned two homes. One in his home town and one by the edge of the ocean.

Drink and friends could be seen anytime of the day or night. He had made millions and even had made the cover of a national magazine. But when one does things for the wrong reasons, it is almost guaranteed life will stop and come and bite you in the rear.

And this did happen. A police family under disguise portrayed the perfect family for purchasing one of his properties. A couple of weeks after entering the home the legal system had everything they required to bust the sales man.

In no time at all the savoy business man lost it all. His homes became foreclosed. His checkbook became skinny. His pockets folded inside out. Friends deserted him, drinks went dry.

As the companies came to clean out his house he sat at his dining table and wept in to his hands. Soon there was a tap on his shoulder. They needed him to move as they were confiscating this table also.

Soon there was silence. Birds could be heard singing outside the windows. Children could be seen heading to school. He picked up his last luggage and opening the door stepped outside and closed the door gently behind him.

Not knowing where he was going his feet stepped one in front of the other. By nightfall nothing had changed and he had a taste of his first real home in a box. He had earned it. It was fully his, and it was paid for.

Sleep came with difficulty. He laid in his blanket-made bed and watched others standing over canisters of heat. Warming their fingers as fall was beginning to enter. As his eyes closed he was having visions of the people he had frauded. All night, each night haunting dreams of people holding their arms out, begging for mercy. Asking for their doors to be once again opened.

In the mornings he rubbed his eyes as tears had filled the pockets and grief over took him. Each morning he walked and hunted for food like a caveman looking for his family. Walking the streets, the only visitors were his own shadows in store front windows, he was lonely, down and out.

The first snow had fallen and he had rummaged through a dumpster and found a ragged blanket. Pulling the cover closer to his nose, he began to weep. He looked towards the heavens and pleaded for forgiveness. He admitted he was wrong. He needed to have one more chance to prove that he was worthy of living.

The next morning he was walking his routine streets and he saw a folded piece of paper. He looked around to see if someone had just dropped it. Seeing no one reaching for it, he leaned down, weary and tired, bloodshot eyes and picked it up.

Fingers fumbled as he walked over to the metal sidewalk bench and sat down. He opened it up and saw one simple sentence. Very few words but with great meaning. He looked up to the skies and the first genuine smile crossed his face. He looked down once again to read the words, you have been forgiven.poor man

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I Am Needed

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I should feel so honored that the first thing in the mornings I am needed. I barely get my butterflieseyes open when my cat, Rhino is right there with meowing. He is wanting to be petted. I have never in my life seen a cat that is so demanding in the petting department.

As I roll out of bed, my bathroom needs me. I feel the toilet calling out to me.  Then as I turn to leave I hear the sink saying, don’t you want to stand close to me and feel the showers of drops surround your fingers?

As I exit the bathroom I hear my coffee pot screaming at me. Fill me up, fill me up. Put some water in my tank and let me show you what I can do for you. You and I will be the best of friends today.

I am always needed at the cat bowls. Filling the one with fresh water and placing new cat food. What would Rhino say if he came out to eat and the bowls were stale and empty? I am truly needed in my own kitchen.

I look to my computer and I imagine how it has missed me through the midnight hours. I gently rub my fingers over my keyboard and it begs me to sit and visit for a while. I quickly glance at the time and realize I could possibly sit here for ten minutes. I can’t resist, I have to sit and talk to you about my early mornings.

Quietness is what I desire. Even the cat’s meow and the coffee perking place a smile on my face as I know I am doing things just for me. Soon it will be time to get off of here and go to the bedroom of my brother.

Hoping and praying to see that smile on his face, I know he needs me. He needs me to help hold him while he transfers to his wheelchair with very stiff legs. He needs me to let him know that I understand his mornings are rough and that I have compassion for him. He needs to know that I am going to be the one to change that brief, wash him up and put clean clothes on him.

He needs to know that I will be the one who will fix the breakfast of his desires. Whether it be chocolate chip pancakes, or french toast, oatmeal with chocolate chips and banana, or maybe sausage and eggs, he needs me.

He needs my help to place the toothpaste on his toothbrush. To turn it on and with hand over hand he needs me to help him brush his teeth. He needs me to hold his head up while he drinks from the tiny cup of water to rinse the toothpaste a way.

He needs me to take a truck or a car and place it in his backpack so he can go to Day Program. There he will be able to put the spotlight on him. He will feel important and worthy.

He needs me to make his lunch and pack it. He needs me to push him down the ramp and wait with him while we wait for the bus to come pick him up. After he is seated and I am waving my usual wave and expressing my love for him, I turn around to quietness and I smile as I walk back up the ramp once again, knowing that inside my four walls, Rhino needs me, supper plans are calling out to me. A new cup of coffee and my computer are singing out to me.

Cleaning needs me but I tell all to please hold. I want to enjoy this last part of my quiet morning before the world comes to life.

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