#2 I've got a roof over my head

"Each year about 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness." *

I love to start things off with statistics because it makes me realize what is really happening in the world around me. When I lived in New York, I always complained about where I lived. Usually it was about how high the rent was or how small the apartment was. Most people living in New York City can relate to this, unless you make a lot of money, though I would hear some rich New Yorkers still complaining about the lack of space. There is always something to complain about! Not to say we don't have the right to complain, but today I have a roof over my head. I have never experienced not having a place to live. The only time I came close to homelessness was when I slept on a friend's uncomfortable futon for a month and then moved to an awful place in Harlem. I love Harlem, don't get me wrong, but I have had the worst luck with apartments there. Even then I still had a place to sleep at night. I am sure some people won't relate to this post because there are people walking around and driving around without a place to live and you would never know it. I knew a few musicians who would ride the subway train all night and sleep. They would find a public restroom to clean up. Maybe they would stop by a friend's place to wash up, go to work (yes they had a job), and do it all over again. I am thankful that I have never had to do that. I am so thankful that I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep on, and all the things that come with my apartment. A bed, TV, couch, and dishes seem so small, but if I lost all those things it would impact my life in a big way!
-M
*(From the National Coalition for the homelessness. http://www.nationalhomeless.org/)