Each weekend I like to go over to @Galenkp's blog and read the questions he poses for his weekend contest. The questions are always thought-provoking. I, too, like that he sets standards and rules for his weekend contest. The effort, excitement, and creativity you show all count in his eyes. He helps you push yourself to write better each week.
Weekends are my busy time, so usually, I do not have time to write a post for his contest. This weekend is no different, except one of the choices Galenkp had this week was:
Shared weekend
You get to spend the weekend with one of the people/characters listed below. Who do you choose and why, and what does your weekend look like - what discussions do you have?
A list followed with choices of notable people throughout history that you could spend the day with. One option jumped out at me and grabbed my heart.
A homeless military veteran
I knew I had to write a post after seeing this option. Yet, I am not very good at following rules. BUT, Galenkp did write for us to...
Be creative - Show effort - Be interesting
I tried to start writing this post last night, but I became angry the more I wrote. I do not like writing when angry because who wants to listen to a person just rant about the world? No one. And I would like this post to be read. I promise to try my best not to be bitchy while writing. Now for the post.
With money not being a worry for those two nights and two days, I would find the best hotel in Missouri and book three rooms. One room for my homeless Veteran friend and his girlfriend, one for their grandkids, connecting rooms, of course, and last, one room for me.
I would pick up the whole family and drive them to the hotel. We would all get ready to go down to the pool to watch the Grands swim and wear themselves out. While sitting together, many conversations about Hive, the Blockchain, and all the people we know from there would happen.
We would talk about life. How we deal with life daily. How we both find the strength to get out of bed each day and try and spread love and positivity to everyone we encounter through our days.
My friend, who is homeless, for all purposes, and a veteran, is someone I look up to every day.
He has MS (multiple sclerosis) but never lets that stop him from reaching out to others and offering whatever he can to those in need. He will spend hours talking to someone to help teach them how to blog on Hive.
He will spend hours ensuring newbies on Hive have the resources they need to write their first post. He will explain, over and over again, to someone the best way to survive on Hive, and never once will he make it about himself.
He is an American who fought for his country, got ill, and then was forgotten by his government. He lives off of a Veterans disability wage. I am here to tell you a Veterans Disability wage is not a living wage. Not even close. Someone gave the best part of their life to help their country when asked and, in return, lives on a salary below poverty.
This is the part that makes me mad, angry, fucking pissed off and want to scream from the rooftops the injustice of it all.
My friend has land and an old trailer that he lives in with his girlfriend and grandkids. Years ago, his shower needed repair, so they saved up money and had a 'Guy' fix the shower. Unfortunately, the 'Guy' did not know what he was doing, and now the whole trailer home is full of black mold and rotting wood.
Trailer homes are unlike houses where a foundation is poured, and the trailer sits on top. A trailer home is raised above the ground. The floor of a trailer home is studs, plywood, and flooring. If the wood is rotten and full of mold, you lose the part of your house you walk on.
Because of my friend's low yearly wages, no one wants to give him a loan to buy a new trailer or modular home. They had used everything they had to fix one of the bathrooms, but in less than a month, it was already starting to rot once again. The mold has spread too far. The trailer is not livable.
With this in mind, I want to spend the weekend with my friend watching him relax and not worry. To have two days where he gets taken care of. Where you can see him viably relax for two days.
Now comes the fun fantasy part of the weekend.
While we are off relaxing and enjoying life, I would have set up a team of people to go to his land and put up a new trailer or modular home. Whichever one is better built to last the rest of his life. I would ensure a wheelchair ramp to the front door. I would ensure the place was clean and shiny inside when he got home with his family.
You see, it is always easier to help others than to ask for help for yourself. When you live without so much for so long, you get used to it, in a way. The problem is we need more people like @Wesphilbin in our lives. He is the angel that gives people hope.
If we do not help one of our own have a safe place to live...what does that say about us as humans? Do you want to live in a world where people who give their all are forgotten by their government and overlooked by people? I do not.
Why this post had to be written.
Look around you. So many need help. If you can not offer monetary support, a smile and a laugh go a long way in making life worth living for us all.
Thumbnail: Photo by Brett Sayles
Trailer photos used with 
All photos are mine unless otherwise stated.
