I once knew a girl who’s brother was mentally ill and drug addicted, she viewed her brother and people that were like him, to be a waste of human life and undeserving of the right to live. I was horrified. I had never met anyone who considered these people completely useless. In a sense they are, as many can’t work and the country’s people work to have the government hand them money. No life is useless though. I see these people as daily lessons in how not to live life, to let the world and it’s problems pull you down.
I recently met a young woman who came into my shop. At first I thought she was a teen looking for a grad dress. As she spent more time in my shop I came to learn that she was shopping for a cheap graduation dress. I was more than happy to help, that’s what i’m here to do. As we started looking for dresses she told me she needed a dress that could accommodate her, as she was pregnant and needed something that would make room for her growing belly. “Oh” I said “that’s exciting”. She then informed me she was super tired, as the Warming Shelter at the local church tossed her out at 9 AM, as this was when everyone was sent out for the day. I tried to control my shock. Here was a girl who was young, homeless and pregnant. Not only that, she was looking to get married.
As I sit in my shop, I have the opportunity to watch life in Dawson Creek, happen. I see people with their bags from A-Z Shoes that is closing in January, or the little old man who drives up everyday to go to Bill’s News. Being a small town many of the faces I see are familiar, though I do not know them by name. Life in Dawson Creek is probably like everywhere else in the world. By this I mean we have a wide range of people, colors, beliefs and income levels. I watch as the real estate agents rush briskly through the cold to the bank or their cars. I watch as people go in and out of the Alaska Bar and Hotel. Many of these people have nowhere else to go, some find what they are looking for others wander up and down 10th street hoping to catch a break or a few dollars. Often I have these people,who society shuns or tries to hideaway, wander into my store.
After she left, my mind was left whirling. A bride to be, homeless, pregnant, and having to sit in jail for 3 weeks. How was her new husband going to care for her? Why doesn’t she live with him now? What about that poor baby? How will she afford to have that little child? I felt bad for her, wishing I could help her. I wish I could explain to her how hard it was going to be with no job, a baby and a husband that earned less than 2,000 a month. And yet, I realized, she has survived this long the way she has and she will continue to survive somehow. The human condition is to survive through squaller and pain. She is naieve to the fact that she is living below the poverty line and it will be made worse with a baby. And yet, there she is, happy and proud, envisioning her day like every other bride. I realize how spoiled an existance I live in comparison to her. I have a roof over my head, guaranteed meals, a healthy family and I like what I do.
Although I run a business that relies on image and beauty, I find myself pitying the poor souls who have less than nothing at times. I feel sorry for them out in the cold, wandering in hopes of finding their next drink or hit. I find most of them are harmless and only want someone to acknowledge them. I am curious about these people, and often wonder why they are in the position they are, or how they became the people others want to avoid.
I wish her all the best and I hope that she finds happiness and a solid life filled with good things. Not matter who you are and what you do, you deserve happiness and joy in everday things. Always keep dreaming, dreams are what feed the soul!
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