THROUGH THOSE EYES…

THROUGH THOSE EYES... By Joe Ingino B.A. Psychology Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States Nothing brings my heart greater sorrow than to drive down my city downtown and witness the suffering and despair of fellow citizens living on our streets. Thanksgiving comes, remembrance day passes and now Christmas. Times to celebrate with an open heart and generous spirit. A time to rejoice on spirit, faith and appreciation for all that makes Canada. CANADA. My mind happy, proud of our Canada. Yet, so full of sorrow and confusion as how can we celebrate knowing the truths that lurk before us. The realities of those fellow Canadians suffering. As I stop at a light. I look over at a soul staring right through me. Sitting on a cold sidewalk along with all his belongings. Shivering and suffering as the tempest weather pounds him. Surrendered to the realities of his life. He sits there in despair as a scene from some poor third world nation. This is not our Canada. This can’t be our Canada. How can we celebrate anything with the suffering right before us. As I look into his eyes, I can see down deep in his suffering soul. I can feel his pain. Through those eyes, I see me. You, any one of us. His pain becomes mine. As good as we may have it today. Life is a constant evolving change. A loss of job. Illness, death in the family. The realities of life can give great comforts, as it can take. Through those eyes I can feel that he does not want to be on the street. Any more than I would. Any more than any of our family members or friends would. Through those eyes I can see myself at any given time. Without money, food or shelter. No place to call home. Many discard the homeless as being addicts, mental health cases. In reality, they are one of us... with negative life circumstances. By-product of a broken social, political and cultural system. Systems that at one time focused on standards, quality of life and the preservation of culture, customs and Canadian traditions. Today’s we are quick to label people with struggles as suffering from an array of mental health issues. We have failed to be compassionate and understantive. Mental health has many faces and the social stigma in order to justify lack of standards and care is what is crippling our society. Through those eyes - I see the need for our country to go back to what worked. It may not have been pretty. But it worked. Many argue we have had this problem for ever. That due to increase population the problem is more noticeable. I say not. The poor have always been. They had their culture based on their own standards. Always maintaining the integrity of duty to Country. Today those eyes scream out for help. For guidance. We need solid change.