Street Tales
Pulling away from our comforts
Posted by Chris Salomons - Red Deer Advocate • June, 08 2013 3:00 AM • Red Deer Advocate
Spring for most of the world is a time looked forward to — it’s a time of new life, renewal and the shaking off of the doldrums of a long winter.
All around us the trees are breaking out in new foliage and flowers are beginning their splendid show of brilliant colours.
Plant nurseries anticipate this time like no other.
The city crews are furiously planting, cleaning and otherwise preparing for the summer season — to say nothing of the homeowners preparing their yards.
Big and small, every donation is welcome
Posted by Chris Salomons - Red Deer Advocate • June, 05 2013 1:07 PM • Red Deer Advocate
Potters Hand’s, Loaves and Fishes, and a whole host of societies and organizations exist purely through the generosity of society, and it still continues to amaze me that in spite of the many controversies that follow many charitable organizations, people continue to give.
Working at the Potter’s Hands kitchen, I weekly receive the mail that comes in, containing cheques from churches in Red Deer and also from individuals in the entire Central Alberta area. Then there are the cheques and often a letter explaining why they give, along with words of encouragement from individuals who have heard or read about us.
There are those people who once a month will stop in to say hello and drop off a donation.
Also, there are requests from groups that ask me to come and speak and then in spite of talk that I’ve given, give a donation when I’m finished. Anyone who knows me can vouch for the fact that I’m not a speaker by any stretch, so it surprises me that they keep asking, and giving for that matter.
For every sin, there should be consequences
Posted by Chris Salomons - Red Deer Advocate • May, 29 2013 10:49 AM • Red Deer Advocate
“Why don’t you grow up?” Ever heard that before?
How about, “Act your age”?
If that doesn’t work, we use the old standard, “Just wait till your father gets home!” Yah right you think; when he gets home he doesn’t want to bother with me, he just wants to put his feet up, so I’ll just get another tongue lashing and that’ll be the end of it!
Except for my Dad — he would not rest until every issue like that would be dealt with.
We must address causes of disorders
Posted by Chris Salomons - Red Deer Advocate • May, 22 2013 8:07 AM • Red Deer Advocate
While waiting at the chiropractor’s office one recent morning, I read an article relating the possibility of consumption of high fructose corn syrup to the increased number of children born with neurological disorders.
I found it interesting in that the article claimed that over the space of 40 years, the number of children born with these disorders has jumped from one in 400-something to one in 94. Most of it is related to the content of mercury in that syrup (which the producers refuse to divulge), which in spite of its potential harmful effects, especially on unborn children, is used to help to make food stay fresh longer.
So many are the disorders and the names for them so long, that they are now identified mostly by acronyms like ADHD and such.
The chemical companies must be laughing all the way to the bank, because they now also make billions on the chemicals used to treat these disorders.
Offspring
Posted by Chris Salomons - Red Deer Advocate • May, 13 2013 12:29 PM • Red Deer Advocate
We just spent two fabulous weeks doing something that some people desire to do but cannot for various reasons.
It could be because of conflicts within a group or because of addictive habits rendering them as unfit. But thank God we do not fall into these categories, so we were able to spend two weeks making faces, speaking in infantile languages and other childlike behaviours; yes, we had our (most beautiful girl in the world) granddaughter come to visit.
This was only the second time we were able to spend time with her since her birth last July, and already we see the beautiful young woman she will become. Her quick and easy smile endears people to her almost instantly, and the giving and loving nature of her parents makes it easy to see why she is so readily accepting of strangers.
Sometimes I almost feel guilty that my life should be so blessed while so many others are not. When I deal with the people I serve, I am constantly reminded of the pain, the abandonment, and the rejection that has placed so many in a position as to rebuff life to the point of living on the street, totally without hope, without a future, and without reason to go on.
