Friday File -- Gratitude

by Rachel Dahl -- I found these homeless kids last night. We were delivering the paper all around town, after 8pm. I got my bundles dropped off in the northeast quadrant and realized I had forgotten to leave a bundle at the library. I ran back there real quick, jumped out, ran up the steps and jumped out of my skin when some Mississippi voice says, “we’re just here, ma’am, using the wi-fi.” They’re both 19 and were trying to figure out how to get their earthly belongings out of an alley because someone had turned them in and they didn’t know they couldn’t just leave it all there while they ran to the fairgrounds to take a shower. I was busy and you don’t know if it’s even the truth and I had been dealing with teen-agers all day and I didn’t want to get involved – and then all of a sudden, I just stopped and listened.  And realized I have a truck and I could take them. They had four shopping carts full of stuff. A tent, some ratty ice chests, clothes, a whole bunch of pillows – why do you have all these pillows. It’s our mattress. And a cat. Why do homeless people always have a pet. Well, someone needs to take care of him. They had a litter box for the cat. We had to make two trips. So now it’s 9pm and I’m schlepping homeless kids across town. They hadn’t eaten so we did the Taco Bell drive-thru because of all the places they could have chosen that was what they wanted most. They told me a lot about our town and how they got here and no, they aren’t on birth control. He’s got work lined up today at noon. Just a day job but then they’ll have some money for food. I showed them where the recruiter’s office is, he was interested in the military maybe. And I showed them where the pubic health nurse is so she promised she would go today. There’s been a lot of people in my life lately helping me with this paper, and while I don’t really feel guilty, every time I realize how much time and energy and care other people give my dream, I get this overwhelming wave of gratitude. How did I get so lucky to have so many people so willing to help. And how in the world do I ever pay them, repay them, thank them enough so they really know how much it means. Maybe hauling homeless kids across town late at night is how. We help where we can. At any rate – I am really grateful for my friends and family and for all of you for supporting this crazy project. The print edition is out – all over town in gas stations, coffee shops, the Fallon Chamber, and the library. ? I hope you like it.       Never miss a meeting or community event – keep an eye on the community calendar at https://www.thefallonpost.org/events/ If you like what we’re doing, please support our effort to provide local, independent news and contribute to The Fallon Post, your online news source for all things Fallon.