There were times I was homeless, hungry, and didn’t have a penny to my name. Over 30 years later, I still remember the names, faces, organizations that gave me a bag of groceries, a gas card, or helped me pay my rent. They didn’t just leave their mark on me because they helped me, they left their mark on me because I felt seen instead of invisible. I felt worthy instead of worthless. Mostly? People believed in my humanity. What an amazing gift.
Thank you for helping the (often) invisible, Fred. It matters.
Frederick, I feel you, brother and I concur with every word you wrote, every feeling you expressed. Daily, I struggle to keep from blinking as I bear witness to the dimensions and layers of suffering, of sheer cruelty and wanton desecration. In Clonakilty, Ireland I saw a brass plaque that read:In Memory of Those Who died Homeless in our Vulture Republic.” It’s everywhere. And I keep reading your writing, contributing to your fundraisers, helping folks I know, and showing up in the ways I can, mostly, twice a week at the county jail to run listening circles—because the moment we stop, we surrender our humanity. No, we won’t end the wars and the hegemony and the empire with our small acts. We will simply and meaningfully assure each other that we still matter to each other because we ARE each other.
The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference! It is exhausting to care and invite others to care, those friends and neighbors walking around in their privileged lives untouched by the suffering—for now. Watching the Indiana Democratic Party drool over a candidate for SOS like Beau Bayh because he has a pretty face, war chest funded by oligarchs and Trump supporters and a family name. But, we won’t let the b@st@rds get us down and we will continue to make good trouble.
I’ve spent my career as a social worker shoveling s^*t against the tide of capitalism. I see what you do through your fund raising, your writing and your charitable work and I appreciate everything you do. There will always be people with empathy, who care about their fellow human beings and who refuse to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the disenfranchised. We can never give up or lose hope as hard as it is sometimes. Thank you Mr. Joseph, it’s good to know we’re not alone in this fight ❤️
You have accurately summed up my feelings (or lack thereof). I find myself numb, not able to release tears when they used to flow easily.
I have not given up on kindness, compassion, empathy and continue to try my best to show these. I am exhausted though and it’s a deep tired that sleep (which is also hard to come by) doesn’t solve.
Thanks you for your work, Frederick. It is so important to so many. People like you continue to feed my faith in humanity.
What you have articulated in this post should not be offered to even what I hope is the vast numbers of your followers, but to the world. This should be in the NYT, The Post, The L>A> Times, etc....Think of the possibilities if only 2000 people got the message and donated to your efforts or those that are struggling doing the same work.
Please consider this as a possibility, and if you won't do it yourself, please give your devoted followers the right to reach out on your behalf.
It has been a challenging time for all of us the past several years (since COVID) but honestly, before that. So many people are struggling with job, food, housing, etc. insecurity. This country has the means to end it, but won't. People are doing everything they can to survive, and honestly, that isn't enough. It's been extremely difficult for me at times to manage my daily existence knowing that i'm in the middle of a neverending job search, i feel helpless to help others, and even getting up and facing another day is a win for me at this point in time. I can't even begin to image how those who have way less than I do survive.
But, I am so many of us are thankful for folk like you and others who are continuing to do the work needed to make sure that people ARE able to have basic needs met, continuing mutual aid, etc. The work is ongoing but thank you for continuing to be one of the many people who is doing it. I think you are definitely inspiring others to do the same in the way or ways that make sense for them to do so...
There were times I was homeless, hungry, and didn’t have a penny to my name. Over 30 years later, I still remember the names, faces, organizations that gave me a bag of groceries, a gas card, or helped me pay my rent. They didn’t just leave their mark on me because they helped me, they left their mark on me because I felt seen instead of invisible. I felt worthy instead of worthless. Mostly? People believed in my humanity. What an amazing gift.
Thank you for helping the (often) invisible, Fred. It matters.
Frederick, I feel you, brother and I concur with every word you wrote, every feeling you expressed. Daily, I struggle to keep from blinking as I bear witness to the dimensions and layers of suffering, of sheer cruelty and wanton desecration. In Clonakilty, Ireland I saw a brass plaque that read:In Memory of Those Who died Homeless in our Vulture Republic.” It’s everywhere. And I keep reading your writing, contributing to your fundraisers, helping folks I know, and showing up in the ways I can, mostly, twice a week at the county jail to run listening circles—because the moment we stop, we surrender our humanity. No, we won’t end the wars and the hegemony and the empire with our small acts. We will simply and meaningfully assure each other that we still matter to each other because we ARE each other.
The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference! It is exhausting to care and invite others to care, those friends and neighbors walking around in their privileged lives untouched by the suffering—for now. Watching the Indiana Democratic Party drool over a candidate for SOS like Beau Bayh because he has a pretty face, war chest funded by oligarchs and Trump supporters and a family name. But, we won’t let the b@st@rds get us down and we will continue to make good trouble.
I’ve spent my career as a social worker shoveling s^*t against the tide of capitalism. I see what you do through your fund raising, your writing and your charitable work and I appreciate everything you do. There will always be people with empathy, who care about their fellow human beings and who refuse to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the disenfranchised. We can never give up or lose hope as hard as it is sometimes. Thank you Mr. Joseph, it’s good to know we’re not alone in this fight ❤️
You have accurately summed up my feelings (or lack thereof). I find myself numb, not able to release tears when they used to flow easily.
I have not given up on kindness, compassion, empathy and continue to try my best to show these. I am exhausted though and it’s a deep tired that sleep (which is also hard to come by) doesn’t solve.
Thanks you for your work, Frederick. It is so important to so many. People like you continue to feed my faith in humanity.
Thank you for this! Please keep putting goodness into the world-it matters. 💕
brilliant. thank u.
Dear, in every sense of the word, Frederick,
What you have articulated in this post should not be offered to even what I hope is the vast numbers of your followers, but to the world. This should be in the NYT, The Post, The L>A> Times, etc....Think of the possibilities if only 2000 people got the message and donated to your efforts or those that are struggling doing the same work.
Please consider this as a possibility, and if you won't do it yourself, please give your devoted followers the right to reach out on your behalf.
Sandra
Thank you for the reminder and for your humanity and sensitivity.
I once read that in the past, highly sensitive people, empathy etc, were the sages and wise advisers to kings and leaders.
That's our role as we feel and see things others don't, or try not to.
Keep up your amazing work.
You truly are making a difference with your gifts, your voice and your heart.
It has been a challenging time for all of us the past several years (since COVID) but honestly, before that. So many people are struggling with job, food, housing, etc. insecurity. This country has the means to end it, but won't. People are doing everything they can to survive, and honestly, that isn't enough. It's been extremely difficult for me at times to manage my daily existence knowing that i'm in the middle of a neverending job search, i feel helpless to help others, and even getting up and facing another day is a win for me at this point in time. I can't even begin to image how those who have way less than I do survive.
But, I am so many of us are thankful for folk like you and others who are continuing to do the work needed to make sure that people ARE able to have basic needs met, continuing mutual aid, etc. The work is ongoing but thank you for continuing to be one of the many people who is doing it. I think you are definitely inspiring others to do the same in the way or ways that make sense for them to do so...