How often do we take for granted the jingle of keys in our pockets or pocketbooks? How often do we misplace those keys, thinking we put them here when they are actually over there? I know I've done it. I've even gone so far as to leave my keys in the front door lock, hey it happens. It's funny but when you've had keys all your life you can almost forget their worth, their value. Yes they open up doors to where you house and store your belongings, they unlock your car, and they give you access to a myriad of other places depending on just how man keys you have on your key chain. I think sometimes though that keys can be taken for granted, that is until you lose them. Then you realize just how valuable, just how important those keys are.
Keys denote ownership, even if just for a few days. They say to you that you have a place in this world that you can call your own. That you have a place to escape the elements, a place to rest your head, to cook and eat a meal, or to just get away from it all. What strikes me about keys though is how many of us, Americans don't have any keys. The number of homeless people in this nation is large and it's growing. These are people who don't have any keys to any place that they can call theirs. They are dependent on shelters to rest their heads, to escape the elements, to try and relax. America is the wealthiest nation in the world and the fact that we have a growing number of homeless people should shame us all. Especially when the majority of them would kill to hear the jingle of keys in their pockets.
One of the biggest crimes I see is how many of the foreclosed homes from the last 5 years simply stand empty. It is appalling to me that some program some kind of effort isn't made to put all of this vacant housing to use. The banks just sit on the property in markets that are sluggish at best and likely get a tax break on their loss. All the while people, families, children, parents are left to wander the streets.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, M. A reminder to us all of what we have and that the lives of the people we pass matter. ~hugs~