A Colorado Eye-Opener

I have been lazy lately and have neglected to post on the blog this past month. I have been busy with work assignments and a big time bout with gout. Yes, that four letter word that crept into my life about ten years ago. Well, this round with the crystallized joints put me out of action for two full months and knocked me down to crutches for a week. I know they have modern medicines that can prevent nasty arthritis, but I am one of those persons that can't take most medications, and I have tried nearly all of gout recommended ones without success. As of this writing, I am back on my feet with my boots on ready for more life.

I thought I would comment on a few things that Patty and I noticed while on a small business trip to Colorado in early August. While traveling through downtown Denver, we were amazed at how many homeless people there were roaming the streets and camping out in the waterways and parks in the inner city. There were people of all ages and different races. Both male and female lying around in cardboard containers with makeshift clothing and signs galore asking for help. One young girl had a sign around her neck stating she was six months pregnant and desperate for food. The scene before us was catastrophic in a sense and made for a long conversation while driving through the mess. We felt helpless to do anything because there were so many in need. The second day we drove through the same area, we both sat silently in the truck just staring at the road not wanting to acknowledge the tragic affairs we were witnessing.

I came away from that experience with more questions than answers. Why Denver? What is it about that large city this time of year that would attract such a large vestige of desperate souls? Why isn't this mass gathering of homeless individuals reported on the nightly news stations? It seemed as if it was common place for all this to happen. We didn't see many people offering money or food to the people begging at each stop light. They drove on like they were conditioned to the scene on a daily basis. It was one of the most frustrating things I have witnessed in a long time. As Mayor or Governor, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night with those faces of the poor and desperate embellished on my mind. I hope that the necessary support and functions to aid these people are in process and that somehow they can be reintroduced back into a sustainable living standard. After all, this is America, the greatest nation on earth and I suppose if we can muster together billions of dollars to send our young men overseas to fight other countries bloody political battles then we should look to our citizens needs first. There is something wrong with this scenario, and we need to wake up and smell the roses before it's too late and we are all drug into the fire.

Driving through this area with the people I saw and their trials I realized that some of them choose this lifestyle and there is not much anyone can do but sit on the sidelines of life and observe. I would argue that most of them are victims of life's mistakes just like some of us. We have all made these mistakes a time or two in our personal lives. The only difference is our individual circumstances, and poor judgment didn't put us on the street as theirs did. People can come real close to these events with the amount of leisure credit offered by our banking systems, and a particular job status can disappear at a moment's notice with nothing to fall back on. It takes careful calculation to navigate one's life in these modern times and without proper education most people don't have a chance at a structured life, especially when you add the financial burden of spouses and dependent children.

With the increasing numbers of these homeless individuals, it appears to me that our country lacks the necessary education programs that these people needed at a young age to be able to deal with life. The debate can go back and forth about this subject forever on end, but the fact remains that we are a society of people that as long as it doesn't pertain to me personally, then I'm sympathetic in word but not in deed. There are those that give of their time and talents endlessly to help feed and shelter these people, but I'm talking about the lawmakers that are spending our hard-earned tax dollars on more fluff than we have powder to be applied. They are the force that can make a difference here and it's high time they get off the soap box and help out their fellow brothers. This life can be a real great experience if you go into it with knowledge at a young age about how all the nuisances in society works. Providing this education by our country is catamount to keeping these people out of the cardboard boxes, and it will prepare them for what to expect in life's journey. Let's use our tax dollars wisely on 'We the People.' I thought that was how the founding fathers structured the plan of tax. It appears we have run the train down the track until we can only see one path in one direction, so we just keep going along. I have limited my comments on this blog to non-political venues to date but that Denver trip affected my heart, and I decided to speak out just a bit. After all, isn't this free speech one of the things that make this country so unique.

Not all of Colorado is depressing just the Denver homeless scene and the freeway traffic. I have not experienced bumper to bumper traffic jams in all directions since I worked down in L.A., but Denver has them on a daily basis on every freeway. Once we were free from the rural area of Denver, the state takes on a whole other theme. The majestic mountain scenery is awe-inspiring, and the drive over the Rockies is breathtaking. That state has a lot to offer a human being in the way of free space and fresh air once you're away from the crowds. Traveling over rabbit ears pass down to steamboat springs is a drive like no other. The mountain valleys and scenery seem to engulf your mind as you try and take it all in. I enjoyed this alpine setting immensely and will go back in the fall to take in the beauty of the changing seasons.

I wanted to give a quick 'book' update for all of you that have asked about when it is going to be published. It is now in the final stages as of this writing. It should be out on the shelves in a few months. We just finished the cover details, and the publisher is going through the final arrangements. Writing this book has been a strange journey for me, and I have learned a lot about the publishing business. I have learned patience to the 10th degree. Without my daughter Kallie and my wife Patty, I would have given up a long time ago. They have encouraged me at every obstacle and made the trail more visible. The good news is that I have nearly finished the second series to 'They Looked West,' and another novel to follow that one. My thanks go out to all who have read this blog and for all your kind comments.