He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother

TASK #10: HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER

“Everything hurts.” Michelangelo Antonioni

So, I’m sitting in my car, which is parked in the lot outside my job, and I look at my watch and it’s about a minute before I’m supposed to be clocking in, and if you don’t clock in on time the boss takes it personally, and then you get a lecture on punctuality from a man who came out of the men’s room the other day with 6 feet of toilet paper dragging behind him–one end of which was stuck in the back of his pants.

Anyway, I was thinking about my lifeless life, my lack of luck, my maxed out Amex, the worn out battery in the car I was sitting in, and the $528 I owe to the the Federal Government.

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Then I thought of something. Some poor soul was having a worse day than me. That made me feel better, but not in a good way.

That night, on the way home, I drove downtown and went to a homeless shelter. It’s run out of a Catholic Church. They collect food for the homeless, and every night they pass out blanket and snacks.

I volunteered to help out. I filled out a few forms and a few days later I got a call from the guy who oversees the volunteers. He gave me a shift to work–Wednesdays from 5pm–7pm.

That Wednesday I went to the center and passed out snacks and blankets. There were a lot of people. Men, women, and sadly, children. When I left that night I was sad, but this time I wasn’t feeling bad about my situation, I was feeling bad about someone else’s situation.

TASK

This week you are going to look in on some men who have it worse than you. You HAVE to volunteer, or at least visit, one of the following locations:

1) The waiting area of the emergency room. Go to the nearest big city. Find the emergency room waiting area. Sit down for four hours. You’ll see the flotsam and jetsam of humanity roll in and out like the tide.

2) Homeless shelter. Shelter is a basic human need. Many men don’t have it, so they go to homeless shelters. Go to one and help out or just sit and watch.

3) County homes. Fun places where aging men without means, or family, or both are institutionalized.

4) School for the mentally challenged. Is it blissful not to know that you’re one of the disenfranchised? I don’t think so.

5) Orphanage or foster home.

6) Or drunk tank, or skid row, or mental health institute. You make the call.

Then come home and write about it.

Photo courtesy of the author