talkmagic.co.uk

How about this, Sunday - i ordered a new lcd tv and stand. Tv came on tuesday. No stand. I ring, "they couldn't deliver it". Yet they could the tv. So, out for delivery again today. A deliveryman came. With a two person hammock!

Well done Argos. So, i get it arranged (this is all for my family, not for me by the way) for a similar one to be held in store. So i get a cab there, carry the damn thing to another cab office. Cab fare £15 all told.

Silently fuming, not looking forward to explaining to the rest of the family what freeview means, how to work the remote etc. And as i go by in the cab.

I see something...

Or rather, someone. A small pot-bellied man. A vest, and a tatty shirt. Worn out shoes, and a hat. Unshaven. At first, i think it's just a reflection. But its not. It's some poor old sod sitting on a wall. Smoking a roll up. Looking off into the distance. Sad. Lonely. And obviously homeless. A small stack of plastic bags at his side.

Tomorrow is Christmas. However bad your situation, your woes, your horrible things that you, and yet everyone has to go through. Just remember that there are people with absolutely no one. No thing. No magic. And certainly no Christmas.

Not that that makes your problems any less. More the case of to just remember what you DO have. And what you CAN do for yourself and others. It's just often the case that we forget how powerful we can be as human beings. And that ultimately - lots of things don't really matter in life.

BUt the few things that truly do - love, friendship, having somewhere warm to live. Something to eat. All those things - be more greatful for them. Appreciate what you do have. Not covet what you don't.

Merry Christmas.

I spent a long time homeless either sleeping rough or living in temporary accommodation!! It's heart warming to know that even though when homeless you don't see it, there are people thinking about us/them!!

I have rebuilt my life since being homeless and all it took was one act of extreme generosity in taking me back to his family home, letting me bathe and shave and giving me new clothes. This happened in a February when I was "living" under southsea pier or a yet to be opened toilet block in the centre (depended on high tides etc). Anyway, I went to sleep one night in an unused yet to be opened PC but by mrning they were open... a, erm user, saw me asleep, woke me up, gave me couple fo quid for brekkie and said to meet outside a well known store that evening... I didn't initially want to but I decided that I would and I was given food, cleansing, clothes and a bed for the night...

Within 7 days I had gone back home and started to rebuild my life to where I am now....

The point is, a single act of kindness changed the direction of my life so DO think of the homeless at Xmas!!

my youth group and me used to do "charity" hampers for homeless near us at xmas and we would go to their "home" and take hot drinks and sit with them for a bit.

Im pretty sure just the acknoledgement tehy existed was worth more than our gifts.

f x

sounds like you learn't a valuable lesson... and at Xmas time too, best time to learn to be grateful for what one has rather than covet what one wants.