thought on the heat
It’s mid-July, and the summer heat beats down. The homeless are searching for a cool spot. A senior can’t afford to run the air. These are not luxuries. They are life savers.
When temps soar and records are broken, emergency rooms fill up.
This is when we see who we are.
Do we let people suffer because they’re poor, or old, or without a home?
Or do we open our doors, share what we have, and make sure everyone has a place to cool down?
I believe we choose each other. Every time.
Poverty, regrettably, has become a pervasive issue. It is impacting numerous individuals. It is a devastating force. It shows no regard for human suffering, whether in the scorching heat of summer or the biting cold of winter.
Poverty inflicts profound hardship. It debilitates individuals to the point they can’t function. This outcome is not caused by idleness or substance abuse. Rather, it stems from a decline in empathy.
Without empathy, poverty prevails. Without empathy, societal consciousness fades. All that’s left is a relentless pursuit of individual gain.
It would be a regrettable state of affairs if this were our ultimate reality.
Many blessings,
Jerrod R. Whitman