Ritalin and books on tape make a long car trip alone very strange. On the way to Florida with heavy and ironically empty thoughts of post graduate grandeur, mostly small start up business ideas, possible new book titles, and an increasing headache from coffee and cigarettes, I drove quickly from Nashville, down the interstate toward the southern parts of the South, toward the northern boarders of Florida, and beyond. Orlando was calling my name or at least my taxes and the possibility of new experiences, while under the blanket of current unemployment, playing footsie with the rest of jobless America, seemed charming when the offer came through. Their was no real rush to get to where I was staying beside for a desire to drive faster then the others, the trip was being paid for by the wonderful people of Northern United as long as I write about their organization in a positive light, and work wouldn’t get started till Monday. My task, and little do I know what it will include in the coming week, will be to work with the church’s emergency team, responding to calls that include helping the homeless, suicide prevention, and helping support good will within the community, I hope that doesn’t mean smiling a lot.
The conceptions I have of the homeless, the church, and the means to help others will be tested in the days to come.
