Power Struggles and Porridge

Life is tough.

I get that increasing electricity and power charges in general are placing a strain on family budgets.

I listened this morning as a number of people talked about the stress each night caused by turning off standby lights to their TV’s, Foxtel Boxes, Microwaves, Home Theatres, multiple family computers etc etc in a desperate attempt to save power costs.

I listened as someone else talked about decreasing the temperature they run their 24-hour climate controlled heating at by a single degree to save power, and the hardship this was placing on the family.

As I said, life is tough.

I had a conversation today with a Mother who described the scene earlier today over breakfast as her two children were preparing for school. The considerate and caring Mother offered a choice of eggs on toast or porridge to each child. She wanted to ensure they had something warm and substantial in their stomachs to be better prepared to face the cold morning and start of school. It was 2 degrees.

She relayed to me how she exercised self-control when the children complained at the choice because they wanted waffles. Her inclination was to withdraw all previous offers and leave Weet-Bix and cold milk as the only breakfast menu item.

Our conversation was lengthy and covered a wide range of topics including volunteer legal services, the dangers of new credit services, the homeless and how we take so much for granted and complain about what in the scheme of things, is so minor, such as hot waffles for breakfast.

You see, what this friend really, really wants to do, is cook up a huge bowl of hot porridge and take it down to the local park where a dozen or more people are sleeping rough. She wants to serve them breakfast and put something warm in their stomachs to perhaps help ward of illness, provide a ray of light in their life and show that at least some people care.

She is not seeking any Government funding or support for this. She is not looking for publicity. She is simply concerned that in this cold weather, there are people sleeping out who are hungry and cold and in more need of a hot breakfast than her children.

BUT…………

When I asked what is stopping her she referenced concern about the “haters”. Apparently if a citizen seeks to assist homeless people, there is a coterie of people who rally to quite aggressive verbal abuse. They consider any assistance provided to be encouraging a homeless way of life. They consider doing nothing is a positive step towards having the problem go away.

My friend told me of situations where others have provided rugs, pillows and clothes to assist against the elements and have been abused.

I would have thought the act of providing a hot breakfast during the cold of winter would achieve a number of positives above and beyond the warding off even if only temporary, the pangs of hunger.

I would have thought over time, an element of trust would be established which may result in conversation leading to an introduction of formal support services and knowledge of the help available should a homeless person feel inclined to seek it.

We live in a fundamentally wealthy society where we stress about the need to turn off pilot lights on our many devices in order to save power in our heated and airconditioned comfortable homes. Homes which we leave in our cars, perhaps adorned with heated leather seats and equipped with rarely if ever engaged four-wheel drive functionality.

In this environment, it can be challenging to acknowledge there are people without shelter, living in parks and under bridges, who perhaps months before had what we have. We give generously to charitable organisations and disaster recovery funds, but struggle to acknowledge the problems in the next suburb or down the road.

Back to the Porridge in the park dilemma, there is also the matter of requiring a health department (or similar) accreditation for the kitchen in which the Uncle Toby’s instant oats are prepared, but that is another matter.