Feelings!

Hey peeps,

This is Patrick and it has been a LONG time since I have blogged. There has been quite a bit going on lately, but this week has been very eye-opening to me. Kim and I enjoyed a fun-filled weekend with family at the High Hill festival near Schulenburg, Texas. There was a cake walk, polka dancing, hundreds of pounds of fried chicken, and enough money raised to run the small town Catholic Church for the remainder of the year.

We left Schulenburg on Sunday afternoon and drove towards College Station for the Aggie game.
On our westerly journey back towards Austin after the game, we entered Highway 290 fairly close to Bastrop, Texas. Even past midnight, the flames visible from our standpoint a few miles away took our breath away. We witnessed the terrible fire than burned hundreds of homes and changed thousands of people's lives forever. We also found out that a nearby neighborhood to us, Steiner Ranch had many homes on fire as well. Two of our dear friends live in Steiner, but we soon found out that they were safe and their house was not harmed. On a more unfortunate note, I found out that two of my co-workers employed in the same section as me, both lost their homes and all possessions in Bastrop. The heartbreaking stories on the news and social media sites are simply devastating.

To change the subject, I enjoyed a three hour volunteer shift with the Foundation for the Homeless Interfaith Hospitality Network on Wednesday evening. This was as eye opening as the fires because of what these poor people have been through. One of the families barely escaped Hurricane Ike and got away with absolutely no possessions. This network provides housing to homeless people at different churches in the Austin area. The churches provide a room to sleep, along with bathroom and shower facilities. All families must pass through a strict background screening and work with a case manager to get back on their feet. This program does not just provide a free meal and bed.

I have worked with the homeless and with low income communities, but this was probably even more heartbreaking. I do not believe anyone has a desire to be homeless, but some people do not do anything about it. These people do. They are working hard, their kids are in school, and they are doing everything possible to start a good life again. My job as a volunteer was to have dinner with these families and tend to any needs they may have. Lucky for me, the only need that came across during my shift was a need for me to explain how to play a boardgame to a couple of very sweet children. They struggled with their reading, but wanted me to tell them what the words were. It took a while, but I'm glad I did, and we all had fun doing that.

In conclusion, with all the above being referenced, it kind of makes my little life struggles seem, tiny. It upsets me that I complain about my car, my job, my family, and even the Aggies potential move to the SEC. The fact is that I have all of this wonderful stuff.

Have a great weekend!

Patrick