Review: A must-read diary of not-walking-by
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 16, 2014
Dennis Cardiff’s Gotta Find a Home doesn’t just put a human face on street people; it invites non-street people like me to wear a human face too. Short chapters grouped into months offer a diary of life walking the streets, as the author travels to and from work, helps in a food kitchen, and takes time to chat. Sometimes a gentle poem will lighten the mood—“I want to see your smile each day/A memory – it just won’t do.” Sometimes he offers the background story of one of the people he’s met. And sometimes readers are simply asked to listen to voices of strangers not so different from the rest of us; people who live in apartments, struggle with rent, read books, sometimes drink too much, may have suffered abuse in the home or in jail, may have children, grandchildren even, and might like a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast today.Joy isn’t always joyful, but the author’s writing shares his delight when she is. The dog might bite. The law’s long arm might threaten. Tempers can flare. And yes, this friend might drink too much, that one take drugs, another make foolish financial r social choices. But these people are friends with loyalties and an oddly different sort of hope. Cold in winter, it angers them if someone freezes to death. It should anger us too.“I’ve been sober for two days now.” Sounds good. “I’m on  the second floor of the Salvation Army.” But even shelter life isn’t easy, and fear of crowds might keep a friend away. Meanwhile the author doesn’t judge; he just joins in, like an outsider gaining entry to the family. He finds a willing ear to listen to his worries, as he listens to theirs. Then worlds that might seem far apart grow closer than we think. And I read his blog to learn who’s still alive and who is gone.Gotta Find a Home is a must-read memoir of real people, real needs, real streets, and a real world we too easily ignore. So go read it!Disclosure: I was hooked on the blog, signed up for a  giveaway, and was given a copy of this book. Thank you Dennis, and I offer my honest review.