Revelation

I love it when things become less complicated for me. Sometimes that happens when I'm least expecting it. Sometimes the complications remain no matter how hard I search for clarity. Today was a good day for a bit of clarity.

I ran into Paul again this morning. You may remember him from previous blips: Filckr Set - Paul. We really had a great conversation about how we spent the summer and the fact that the chill of fall is in the air. Paul shivered as he told me he needed a winter jacket. "I don't like the cold," he told me. "It hurts." I agreed. I asked Paul if he could get a new coat at the shelter, but he told me it was too complicated. He actually had to fill out paperwork and then he was only placed on a list to "maybe" get a coat. "Too much hassle."

We talked some more about the impending rain and cold and then parted ways. As I drove away I remembered The Dude, Jeff Bridges saying that "Poverty is a very complicated issue, but feeding a child isn't." The truth of that statement really resonated. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The same is true for so many of the issues we face. All too often we have a way of making simple things really complicated. Whether it's because of politics, ideology, greed or any number of things, people in positions of power are masterful at finding (often creating) the path of most resistance. Whether it's in regards to problem solving the most basic things like food, clothing and shelter or creating access to medical care, and education - we make things so complicated.

Well, I thought for a moment and riffed on The Dude's philosophy. "Homelessness is a complicated issue, but giving someone a coat isn't." So many "complicated" things could probably be solved if we broke them down to the basic elements. I hope Paul enjoys the new coat that I will be giving him the next time we meet up.