MY FIRST NIGHT IN MIDTOWN

I REMEMBER IT WAS NEARLY THE FIRST NIGHT I HAD MOVED DOWN HERE. TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS, MIDTOWN. I HAD JUST WALKED BY FACES AND SOME OTHER BARS, REALLY JUST CHECKING OUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT. SOME HIGH QUALITY PEOPLE-WATCHING TO BE HONEST. THEN I SAW SOMETHING THAT, TO BE FRANK, MADE ME STOP IN MY TRACKS. UPON THE STEPS OF A CHURCH THEIR WERE MULTIPLE SLEEPING BAGS. IN FRONT OF ME A GROUP OF FRIENDS CARRIED A 24 PACK OF BEER THAT THEY HAD JUST PURCHASED FROM THE LOCAL LIQUOR STORE. ODDLY, THOSE FILLING THE BAGS SLEPT ON OR AT BEST, SIMPLY IGNORED. IT'S AS IF THEY DIDN'T EXIST, BUT THEY DID. THEY TRULY DID. THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE LACKING THE COMMONALITY OF WARMTH, BASIC FOOD, AND OF COURSE, PERHAPS WORST OF ALL, CONNECTION TO THE REGULAR..REAL WORLD. I THINK THAT PERHAPS THAT IS THE WORST ASPECT OF HOMELESSNESS ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW 4 SURE AS I'VE NEVER WALKED A DAY IN THEIR SHOES. ON THE STEPS OF THIS CHURCH IRONY SCREAMED OUT IN ITS LOUDEST MOST SHRILL VOICE. THE IRONY, I DON'T KNOW, TO ONE GROUP...THAT THE CHURCH PERHAPS TURNED A COLD SHOULDER TO THOSE THAT LAID HELPLESSLY ON ITS STEPS. TO ANOTHER, PERHAPS THAT THE CHURCH WAS THE ONLY SAFE PLACE THAT THEY COULD A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP THAT NIGHT.