Sunday, July 6, 2014

Bill

Today I met Bill. Bill is homeless. I first saw Bill hunched over his cart that he keeps with him just off from the McDonald's on Shaw and Peach couching below the trees for what little shelter he can get. About two years ago around the holidays I decided to give him a gift and so I bought him a two cheeseburger meal from McDonald's. A little frighten of homeless men, you never know, I quickly gave me the food, said Merry Christmas and went on my way. He replied with a smile "Thank You and God Bless You." I have had a few homeless men say that to me and all I can think is I'm already blessed.

Bill is frail in appearence and the way he limps down the street he is clearly disabled, so I wonder why hasn't God bless Bill or why two years later is he still having to suffer on the street, especially in this God-awful 100-degree weather? 

I don't know Bill, but today I met him. Instead of cowardly giving him food and walking away I thought that I would treat him like the human being he is. I walked up to him and said "Hi, I'm Carrie," he hesitated for a brief second and then met his hand to mine for a shake. I asked him if he was homeless and he told me that he lives in a car that he keeps in a Derrels Mini Storage - I think. Regardless I'm sure he said he live in his car. Well that explains why he's outside hovering below these trees rather than at "home" - he would cook in there. 

Through my job I get a lot of calls from people telling me there are on disability and social security, Veterans, elderly, etc. So I wonder why is this man who is clearly disabled and unabled to work, why is he on the streets? I asked him "You're disabled right?" He said yes, so I asked is had applied for disablility and he said that he had been denied. Hello? Government, have you met Bill? Have you seen him on the street? Have you watched him sleep in his car? How does the government deny Bill help?

Like I said, I don't know Bill whole story and I don't know the circumstances of his application, etc. All I know that it's a 100-degrees outside and I don't think poor Bill should have to suffer on the street. I asked Bill if he had resources to reapply for the diasbility and he said that someone was helping him. I hope that's true because he really needs it. 

I gave Bill a couple cheeseburgers and some water, but I can't help but think that we can do more for Bill. I fed bill for maybe a day, but Bill deserves more. Bill seems like a nice innocent man, maybe he's not - I don't know. In the end though my human nature tells me that no one should have to live like that and there's enough resources for everyone to thrive. Something got to be done though. We all deserve to thrive. I don't have the answers to making a change in this world, but I do know that I would to make one. Even if all I can do is give a man food, maybe that gives him enough hope to keep going and never give up. I don't know. I never know if I'm doing the right thing, but I like to think I'm a good person and people like Bill help me realize how blessed I am. I hope Bill hopes you realize it too. 

Saturday, July 5, 2014

The Show Must Go On With or Without "Him"

Back in February I reached a HUGE feat and lost 6 lbs in 4 weeks. I lost more than 4% of my body weigh and I was really starting to feel good and was really proud of myself. My weight loss trickle on for a month or so more. I even one day showed a 10-pound weight loss from where I originally started, but life happened. I started eating whatever I wanted to again and gave in to the cookies sitting on the counter at work. So as you can assume what happened - I gained the weight back. While I don't think I'm as big as I originally started. I can still feel that I am more toned and muscular than I was before I started my journey it is still disappointing knowing that I regressed and I wasn't able to maintain all the hard work I did.

So here I am again back to square one and working on making those habits that I had while on my dietbetter.com mission lifestyle habits. I need to do these things not just because I want to win a bet, but because it's good for me and it makes me feel happy and proud of myself. While this lifestyle was very all-consuming, I'm not going to lie - I believe through practices and persistence that it will be natural and easy. I can still maintain normal social lifes - minus eating the junk food with them. 

The last couple of months I've been focused on online dating and there was a lot of birthdays and celebration going on in June that made it nearly impossible for me to get back on track with my fitness and healthy eating. But frankly I'm exhausted with online dating, every guy just feels wrong. A guy messages me and I just have no interest in talking to any of them. 

So I'm ready to be a little self-centered again. Even though that term is usually associated with a negative condotation, in my case I really don't think it is. I need to be me with or without a man in my life. I know that I have a lot of potential and that I want to be the best version of me I can be and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. 

Dating, talking to men, dealing with all the games and BS is exhausting and I'm just over it. I'm ready to just refocus on me and just be Carrie without a man. Maybe in the journey of things I'll figure out something new I want to do with my career. For now I'm refocusing my energy on one thing I know I have 100 percent control of, my fitness, and hopefully the rest of life with all just fall into place. So that's the plan and I'm sticking to it. 

***Part what of what helps me stay on track is me helping others. So if you would like any recipes, tips, menus or guides to how I originally lost the weight please contact me carriegir311@gmail.com

Or find me on Facebook at Carrie Holt. 

Happy healthy days everyone!!!