Some of my friends have given me some jabs because I’m 30 and I’ve recently been on Spring Break . . . as if we are supposed to outgrow Spring Break. Well as they say, 30 is the new 20.
But I have put some thought into the idea that Spring Break is a special privilege. Many professionals don’t have the luxury of a Spring Break. But closer to home, in our Jeff. Street context, there is no Spring Break from homelessness. There are no funds to travel wherever one fancies. For many there is no loving and welcoming family to return to. There is simply no time off. Homelessness is relentless.
Taking showers with strangers in shelters. Walking everywhere in all conditions. Having to rely on handouts for food. Enduring hours of utter boredom. Worrying about theft, violence, and rape. Worrying about the future, if able to think beyond today. Life on the streets is both physically and emotionally draining. It is degrading and dehumanizing. And I thought I needed a break.
So it’s true after all, I really am fortunate to have a Spring Break as a 30-year-old. And even more than that, I’m blessed to have a fulfilling pursuit from which to take a break and a stable lifestyle to which I can return.
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