I have been reminded of this blog and what I wanted to achieve with it a few times throughout the past few months.

Time out: look around, reach out

Chicago is a busy city. During morning rush hour, the el is packed with people reading that morning’s copy of The Redeye and playing games on their iPhones. Very rarely does anybody actually speak to another person, because that would be venturing out of his or her comfort zone. However, there are some people who take a short time out to look around and reach out to those around them. This usually results in a small act of kindness that brightens someone’s day.

For example, every morning I am greeted by the man who works at the CTA station near my apartment. He smiles and says, “Good morning,” to each person getting on the train. He puts a smile on my face before I even get to work.

Also, on a morning train into the city, I noticed someone offer her seat to a mother and her two children. It may seem like common courtesy, but common courtesy goes a long way when it often seems the world has become so numb that people no longer see the people they sit next to on the train or walk past on their way to work.

A few weeks ago, I was at work and helping a customer. The woman who was in line behind my customer needed change for the bus. Knowing she must wait her turn in line, she decided to ask the customer I was working with if she had change for a dollar. My customer gave her a few quarters (refusing to accept the woman’s dollar) and helped her figure out the bus system (the woman had said she was visiting someone and did not realize the bus driver could not give her change). Again, this was just a small act of kindness that probably made someone’s day.

Imagine if more of us took the time to commit to one small act of kindness per day. How much happier would this world be? How much more enjoyable would daily life become?

If you are reading this, please share a small act of kindness you have recently witnessed. I am sure someone has a good story to share!

Last week I was babysitting my parents’ adorable shi-poo (shi tzue/poodle), Chloe. Chloe lives in a small town in Ohio, so everything about the city was new to her. Although she was very skeptical of the fenced-in back yard, she absolutely loved going on walks, meeting new people and new dogs.

On Friday, I took Chloe for one last walk (I would be returning her to my parents that evening). We left my apartment around 9am, walked to the park, stopped at the bank (we are members of a pet-friendly bank; love it!) and returned home. Walking up to the front door, I realized I had forgotten something… my keys.

Where were we going to go? What were we going to do all day? We went for our second walk of the day while I contemplated what to do next. Of course, about half-way through the walk, Chloe relieved herself (for the second time that day) and I had already thrown away the one grocery bag I had brought (before I realized I did not have keys and would be stuck outside all day). So I scrambled through my purse and found some old receipts… disgusting, I know. I am lucky she is a small dog!

After that, I decided we could not keep walking around the park. I would run out of receipts! So we were stuck hanging out at the house. We played in the back yard for awhile, then sat in the back yard for awhile. I was starting to get hungry, and it was starting to get cold. I put Chloe on my lap and covered her with my body so we could keep one another as warm as possible. We were both still shivering, so I took her into our small entryway, where we sat on the floor, avoiding the wind and the rain.

For six hours, Chloe and I sat in the entryway, went to the back yard and returned to the entryway, back and forth all day as the rain came and went. At one point I started calling friends to pass the time. My cousin had the brilliant idea of ordering a pizza. Duh! Why hadn’t I thought of that? So I ordered a pizza from down the street (I would have picked it up, but dogs are not usually allowed in restaurants or anywhere food is being prepared/sold). I also ordered bottled water and an empty bowl (for Chloe); I’m sure the lady taking my order thought I was crazy.

Real homelessness in Chicago

I was without a warm, comfy home for a mere six hours (and I even had shelter!), and from that day on I will never be able to watch the nasty, windy and rainy Chicago weather from the comfort of my den without thinking about those who are stuck on the streets every day, not only without shelter, but often without food.

I have not yet been able to find full-time employment since graduation, but I am very fortunate to have the strong support system of my family so that I can stay afloat and continue searching for a job. Many people are not lucky enough to have that kind of support system. My heart goes out to them, and I hope soon my hands will too. This month I will begin training to volunteer at Anixter Center, an organization that “enhances the ability of individuals living with or at risk of disabilities to live, learn, work, and play in the community.” I have not been officially introduced to the organization, but I hope it will allow me to help individuals gain skills that will enable them to enter the workforce.

With this position, I am hoping to help prevent homelessness, but there are many out there who are already homeless and need our help too.

What can you do to help?

• Volunteer at a local soup kitchen
• Donate to Goodwill
• Smile at everyone you pass on the streets.

Homeless PEOPLE are PEOPLE too, and they deserve our respect just as much as a business man wearing a suit or a college student carrying books. Never underestimate the gift of a smile. It costs nothing.

Yesterday I ventured to the western suburbs to visit a couple animal shelters, hoping to find the perfect puppy. I had never been to an animal shelter, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.

As I walked into the first shelter, the atrocious smell didn’t surprise me too much. After all, animals don’t exactly smell like flowers. After filling out the adoption application, I was able to see the animals. At first, everything seemed normal – dogs and cats lined up against the wall in crates. One puppy looked particularly terrified as the dog next to him barked uncontrollably. I felt bad for him but assumed this was a typical shelter situation.

Then I went to the back room, a much larger room. This is where they keep the big dogs: labs, German shepherds, pit bulls, you know the breeds. It didn’t take long to realize where the stench had originated. Half of the dogs in this room were sick, and their cages had not been cleaned. Some of them walked through their own messes while others cowered in the corner, knowing enough to stay away from the accident they had been unable to control. Some dogs sat patiently in their cages, as if they knew they were on display, and others barked as though we were dangerous intruders. Not one seemed happy or excited.

My eyes filled with tears.

Although I have worked with a humane society’s development department, I am by no means an animal expert. If you or someone you know does have more knowledge about animals, their needs and the current state of shelters, please share that knowledge in the comments section.

How can a shelter like this continue to “save” animals?

Do you believe these animals are being rescued?

Is there anything we can do to help give these animals a better life? I wanted to take every one of those puppies home, but that simply is not possible.

I will not name this specific shelter because I do believe its intention is to help animals, and it is probably doing everything it can. We are the ones with the power to change these puppies’ living conditions. Visit a shelter near you. Offer to volunteer. Everyone is capable. Clean cages; walk dogs; give the animals personal attention and build relationships with them.

What a shelter can be

I visited one more shelter last night: A.D.O.P.T. in Naperville. I walked in with my husband, and we were quickly introduced to an adoption counselor. The counselor asked us questions about our lifestyle and what we were looking for in a pet. She knew immediately which dogs and puppies would be our best matches because she knew the personality of each dog in the shelter, something that is very difficult for a person interested in adopting to learn in one shelter visit. I would highly recommend this shelter to anybody wanting to adopt a dog or cat.

I understand that not every shelter has the financially stability of A.D.O.P.T., but perhaps other shelters should study what A.D.O.P.T. has done to gain that stability and mimic its practices.

Ms. Single Mama – She was the first to take me to the other side of the web, the side where content, layout and design are created. After watching her develop her online voice, I wanted to see mine come to life, even if for a small audience. However, Alaina knew I was better than a small audience of friends and family, and she encouraged me to push the envelope and really delve into this project. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I spent a couple weeks considering various blog ideas, drawing inspiration from my tweeps, other blogs and the world around me.

Invisible People & @hardlynormal – Invisible People was started by Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal) in order to make the “invisible” visible. He has experienced homelessness first-hand and previously he created videos for organizations that were trying to help the homeless. Now he travels and introduces himself to the homeless across the country. He records their stories on video and shares them with the world, this time “raw and unedited.” By following @hardlynormal on Twitter, I have learned the stories of many homeless people throughout the country as well as the benefits and possibilities of a grassroots campaign.

@padschicago – I (virtually) “met” @padschicago when she was interviewed my @hardlynormal. She is homeless, has PTSD and is using social media to connect with the world. Her insight is helpful in understanding what a homeless person goes through on a day-to-day basis. It has been encouraging to watch someone take advantage of public Internet access in order to build relationships that would otherwise not exist. Loneliness is painful, but even virtual relationships connect people to the world, making them “visible,” not only in their own communities but throughout the world. Everybody deserves to be heard, and @padschicago has shown that social media is an effective way to be heard.

I can not end this post without at least mentioning Shane Claiborne. I started re-reading his book “The Irresistible Revolution” last week. This is an excellent book that never fails to make me think. With every page, I am forced to ask myself what I am doing that makes me a Christian, and too often I am not happy with the answer. It is time for action. And so, I create this blog, hoping others will join the conversation and maybe even what Shane has dubbed “The Irresistible Revolution.”