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A PLACE OF HOPE

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LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

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Desafíos del Derecho Internacional en Oriente Medio

Hamás así como Israel enfrentan acusaciones de violaciones al derecho internacional en medio del conflicto desatado el 7 de octubre. Ataques recientes, como el ocurrido en el hospital Al Ahli al Arabi en Gaza, Por Yuri Cunza someten a juicio la Editor-In-Chief @yuricunza integridad de las leyes internacionales en el caos de la confrontación. Hacer valer el imperio de la ley en medio de la violencia es un desafío complejo, no obstante, las normas conocidas como los códigos de conducta en tiempos de guerra, establecen el marco para dicha evaluación. La posición de la opinión pública es polarizada debido al acceso a información independiente sobre lo que ocurre en la zona de conflicto. La ONU, por su parte, asegura estar recopilando pruebas de crímenes de guerra cometidos por ambas partes, como parte de su misión de preservar la paz y la justicia en la comunidad internacional.

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El conflicto en Oriente Medio ha alcanzado un punto crítico, con acusaciones de violaciones del derecho internacional por parte de Hamás e Israel. Este recrude-

siones y conflictos entre las comunidades judía y árabe que compartían la tierra. En un intento de encontrar una solución, las Naciones Unidas aprobaron un plan de partición en 1947, dividiendo el mandato británico en Palestina en dos: una parte para los judíos y otra para los árabes.

El Estado judío recibiría alrededor del 55% del territorio, incluyendo áreas como el desierto del Néguev, y tendría una población de 500,000 judíos y 400,000 árabes palestinos. En ese momento, los judíos poseían solo el 7% de las tierras en Palestina.

Foto: United Nations

The UN Security Council Meets on Situation in Middle East, Including Palestinian Question

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civiles, como el reciente ataque al hospital Al Ahli al Arabi en Gaza, aumentan la urgencia de este proceso de investigación.

El derecho internacional establece reglas claras para el comportamiento de las partes en un conflicto armado, conocidas como las "reglas de la guerra". Estas normas incluyen la protección de civiles, la distinción entre objetivos militares y civiles, y la prohibición de ataques indiscriminados. Cumplir con estas reglas es esencial para evitar crímenes de guerra y proteger la vida de civiles inocentes atrapados en medio del conflicto.

El respeto por el derecho internacional y las reglas de la guerra no solo es una cuestión de legalidad, sino también de humanidad. La protección de los derechos de los civiles y la minimización del sufrimiento en tiempos de conflicto son principios fundamentales que todos los actores deben respetar. Solo a través del respeto mutuo y la adhesión a estas reglas es posible avanzar hacia una solución pacífica y duradera en la región.

Desentrañando el Conflicto IsraelíPalestino a lo Largo de la Historia

El Estado árabe palestino recibiría cerca del 44% del territorio y estaría habitado por 725,000 árabes palestinos, con una minoría de alrededor de 10,000 judíos.

Moving Pictures

A pesar de que los judíos aceptaron el plan de partición, los árabes lo rechazaron, lo que desató una guerra civil y la expulsión de una gran parte de la población palestina. El 14 de mayo de 1948, coincidiendo con la declaración de independencia de Israel, los Estados árabes vecinos declararon la guerra al recién creado Estado de Israel. A pesar de sus esfuerzos, fueron derrotados por Israel.

Al final de la guerra, Israel se negó a permitir el regreso de más de 700,000

El conflicto israelí-palestino es un con- refugiados palestinos, quienes desde cimiento de la violencia se desató el 7 de flicto social y armado de larga data que entonces han Stephen vivido en campamentos Contributor vendors King’s The octubre, después de unwrite ataque sorpresa La Noticia, one the involucra aof israelíes y palestinos en una de Hamás contra el Estado judío. En Sin embargo, hacer cumplir estas leyes lucha por el control de la tierra de de refugiados y ciudades en Líbano, medio de este conflicto, la comunidad en el fragor de las hostilidades es un Palestina, una disputa que tiene sus Siria, Jordania, la Franja de Gaza, otros lugares. in this issueinternacional about creeps observapain, con preocupación desafío leading monumental. La situación en raíces en el siglo XX. Surgió con el Cisjordania y Boogeyman Spanish-language y busca evidencias de crímenes de guerra Oriente Medio es un recordatorio de la movimiento sionista a finales del siglo cometidos por ambas partes. importancia de mantener el respeto por XIX, en respuesta al creciente anti- Este contexto histórico muestra la y duración del conflicto el derecho internacional incluso en semitismo en Europa. Después del complejidad moving, homelessness, from closet just in newspapers thenazination, israelí-palestino, que the sigue teniendo La ONU, en su papel de árbitro y momentos de conflicto. La comunidad in Holocausto y el final de la Segunda defensor de la legalidad internacional, internacional y las partes involucradas Guerra Mundial, la población judía en un impacto significativo en la región y en todo el mundo. está recopilando pruebasfor para deter- deben esforzarse por garantizar que se Palestina creció sustancialmente.

God, and auditioning time for Halloween. Now brings Spanish content to minar si se han cometido crímenes de haga justicia y que se rindan cuentas guerra en el transcurso de este conflic- por cualquier violación de estas reglas Este aumento masivo de la población Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: judía en Palestina desencadenó ten- news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569 Los informes de ataques a objetivos fundamentales.

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Simon, Yasmin and Ella. CREDIT: CENTRE FOR HOMELESSNESS IMPACT

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Sean and Kyha. CREDIT: CENTRE FOR HOMELESSNESS IMPACT Damian and Elsa. CREDIT: CENTRE FOR HOMELESSNESS IMPACT

The power of dog ownership for people experiencing homelessness

BY STACE Y KELLY

The Centre for Homelessness Impact and Dogs Trust have partnered to create a collection of non-stigmatising images of dog owners who are also experiencing homelessness to challenge negative stereotypes.

Dog ownership amongst people experiencing homelessness has an array of health and social benefits, including reducing loneliness, isolation and depression. But pet ownership is also believed to perpetuate homelessness by restricting access to support services.

In a recent study by Dogs Trust, 70 per cent of homelessness services said that their clients had experienced barriers for accessing homelessness services because they have a dog.

The Big Issue highlighted this problem in a recent canine-centric issue, with features covering housing discrimination against disabled people with assistance dogs and the story of John Chadwick, who died by suicide after being forced to choose between his pets and a home.

Dogs Trust provides support to dog owners experiencing homelessness through its Hope Project.

As well as helping accommodation providers to become more dog-friendly, the Hope Project provides free veterinary treatment to dogs whose owners are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and an online directory of

dog-friendly homelessness services in the UK. It also provides a Christmas parcel service, sending out canine goodies to homelessness services across the country that support dog owners.

Keiran, who was photographed with Storm, spoke about the importance of having a pet: “There have been some tough times and she kept me going. She doesn’t really notice what she means to me, she doesn’t realise what she does. Just her company, going for walks. Having someone to talk to.

“When I am having a dull time or feeling lonely, Storm can sense it. She jumps straight up and gives me a cuddle. She can sense if I am feeling a bit down or not quite with it and she keeps me happy, and she gives me a routine.”

Dr Jenny Stavisky, clinical research Manager at VetPartners, has produced research on dog ownership, addiction and homelessness.

“Companion animals have been widely recognised for their ability to alleviate feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression, while also increasing resilience,” she said.

“Companion animals have been widely recognised for their ability to alleviate feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression, while also increasing resilience.

“Acting as a buffer against stressful life events, the presence of pets has been shown

to have a significant positive impact, with studies showing that individuals affected by homelessness who have pets exhibit lower levels of depression and loneliness compared to those without.

“This highlights the crucial role that companion animals can play in providing emotional support and fostering a sense of connection for those facing the challenges of homelessness.”

Dr Ligia Teixeira, chief executive of the Centre for Homelessness Impact, agrees.

"Our collection of images underscores the profound significance of dog ownership in the lives of those experiencing homelessness,” she said. “These images hold the power to transform public perceptions by showcasing the authentic faces and stories of homelessness, diverging from outdated stereotypes.

By portraying the reality of homelessness with respect and realism, we aim to dismantle misconceptions and foster a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who bravely participated in this initiative, united in our mission to combat stigma and promote empathy through compelling evidence."

Radi Ivanov from the Hope Project at Dog’s Trust added: ‘’We’re thrilled to have

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

collaborated with the Centre for Homelessness Impact to add photographs of some of the people we support on the Hope Project and their dogs to this library of images.

“Dogs can be a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness and provide much needed comfort and stability, often being crucial for their mental, physical health and recovery.

“We know dog owners experiencing homelessness would often make sure their pets’ needs are met before their own, and we hope these evidence-led images will help tackle some of the misconceptions about homelessness and dog ownership.”

The image library, which was launched by the Centre for Homelessness Impact in January contains hundreds of images that aim to depict homelessness realistically and respectfully by working with people with lived experience to define the brief for each shoot.

Most were taken by Jeff Hubbard – a photographer with lived of street homelessness who began learning photography techniques through the homelessness charity Crisis. He now works as a freelance photographer and runs photography workshops at Crisis.

Courtesy of the Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI) / the International Network of Street Papers (INSP)

PAGE 4 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

The life of Tennessean Cordell Hull

BY RIDLEY WILLS II

My memory is that Cordell Hull’s first visit to Nashville came when he was a teenager working on a raft owned by his father that floated down the Cumberland to deposit logs at one of the sawmills on the east bank of the river in Nashville. While most men who worked these rafts spent their money in Nashville saloons, Cordell used his money to buy books in a Nashville bookstore.

Born to a poor family in isolated Pickett County, Tenn., on Oct. 2, 1871, Cordell’s elementary school education was in a one-room schoolhouse that his father built in nearby Willow Grove. In high school, Cordell attended the Montvale Academy in Celina, Tenn., and the Normal School in Bowling Green, Ky. In college, he attended the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio. He then received a law degree from Cumberland University in 1891.

Not yet twenty, Cordell began the practice of law in Celina. Having an interest in politics, he decided to run for the state legislature as soon as he was of age. Successful, he served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1893 to 1897. His political career was temporarily sidelined when he served as captain of the Fourth Tennessee Regiment in the Spanish American War. When discharged, Cordell moved to Gainesboro, Tenn., where he practiced law.

In 1903, Hull was appointed judge of the Fifth Judicial District. He held this position until 1907, earning the nickname “Judge.”

That year. He was elected to Congress to represent Tennessee’s Fourth District. Hull served in the House of Representatives until 1931 interrupted by two years as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Hull married Rose Frances Whitney, who always called him “Judge.”

Hull’s career in the House of Representatives was distinguished. For 18 years, he served on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. He became a leader in the movement for low tariffs and was the author of the first Federal Income Tax Bill in 1913 and drafted a resolution providing for the convening of a world Trade agreement at the end of World War I. In short, Cordell Hull was a recognized expert in commercial and fiscal policies.

In 1931, Hull was elected a United States Senator from Tennessee for a six -year term.

However, on March 3, 1933, Hull accepted an invitation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt became his Secretary of State, and resigned from the Senate.

In September 1933, Hull headed the American delegation to the 7th Pan-American Conference held in Montevideo, Uruguay and there won the trust of the South American diplomats laying the foundation for the “good neighbors” policy among the twenty-one American nations. This was followed by the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace in Buenos Aires (1936), the 8th Pan-American Conference in Lima (1938) and the second consecutive

meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Americas in Havana (1940).

During the second half of the 1930s, Hull negotiated reciprocal trade agreements with numerous countries, lowering tariffs and stimulating trade. He also realized the danger to peace in the rise of dictators, Adelph Hitler and Benito Mussolini, and advocated rearmament. He condemned the Japanese encroachment into Indo-China and warned the Secretaries of the Army and Navy and the Secretary of State about the danger of Japan’s naked aggression.

In the late 1930s, America was an isolationist country unwilling to enter Europe’s

war. When Japan invaded China in 1937, Hull lamented the violation of treaties and principles, but believed no vital American interests were at stake. He was wrong. Japan did not crumble in China and instead kept expanding its control over southeast Asia.

In Europe, Germany was on the march.

Roosevelt, with support from his Secretary of State, asked Congress in 1938 to repeal the Arms Embargo which prevented us from selling arms and munitions to England and France. Congress relented and did so.

In September 1940, Roosevelt, again with the approval of Hull, signed an agreement with Churchill to give England older American destroyers in exchange for the right to establish American naval bases in British territory in the Atlantic. These were crucial lifelines to England.

On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Japan’s ambassador to the United States, Sabura Kurusa, and Japanese Admiral Kichisaburo met with Hull in his office. They told him that their relationship with the United States was a “powder keg” but that they hoped to resolve the situation peacefully. They then went to the White House and told President Roosevelt the same thing. While they were doing this, the Japanese Navy and Air Force were closing in on their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Although Hull accused the Japanese of lying, both men claimed to the end of their lives that they were ignorant of Japan’s surprise attack.

During the early years of our involvement in World War II, Roosevelt personally handled foreign policy management and pretty much ignored his secretary of State.

In addition, Hull’s health was deteriorating.

Ill with tuberculosis, which he kept secret, and exhausted by the summer of 1944, Hull stayed in office long enough to see Roosevelt elected for his fourth term. He then retired and lived out his remaining years in his comfortable apartment in Washington, never returning to his native Tennessee hills.

Cordell Hull died on July 23, 1955 and was buried in a crypt in the National Cathedral in Washington. Although he played no role as an elder spokesman, Cordell Hull would probably have been the Democratic candidate for President had Roosevelt decided not to seek a third term in 1940. Cordell Hull was a great Tennessean.

Ridley wrote a book!

Longtime writer for The Contributor Ridley Wills II has published a book cataloging all of his work writing History Corner articles for the paper from over the past decade. All proceeds from the book will be donated to The Contributor to continue its mission of providing low-barrier income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness so that they can find sustainable housing.

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

PAGE 6 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Learn More about the Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care Strategic Plan 2023-2026

BY JUDITH TACKET T

The Continuum of Care’s Homelessness Planning Council (HPC) adopted a newly updated three-year Strategic Plan at its September meeting.

The Strategic Plan outlines two main goals.

The first goal focuses on assessing the current state of homelessness planning, while the second goal aims to “deploy all available resources to end homelessness in the future” in a collaborative manner.

• Goal 1: URGENT AND RESPONSIVE: Recognizing the urgency, Nashville will employ evidence-based, data-driven decisions to serve and empower individuals experiencing homelessness.

• Goal 2: ALIGNED & ACCOUNTABLE: The Housing Crisis Resolution System (HCRS) will align resources that close the resource gap and have clear lines of accountability.

Each goal lists four objectives.

• Objective 1.1: Reexamine and strengthen collaborative infrastructure and roles played by key stakeholders, including individuals with lived experience, governance, committees and members.

• Objective 1.2.: Identify inventory.

• Objective 1.3.: Outline a plan to improve data collection, analysis and presentation for all populations.

• Objective 1.4: Establish effective goals and metrics to report on strategic homelessness initiatives.

• Objective 2.1: Mobilize community partners and maximize funding to serve all populations.

• Objective 2.2: Work towards ending all homelessness.

• Objective 2.3: Maximize community wide HMIS data collection, sharing and use.

• Objective 2.4: Develop an ongoing, robust, and transparent communications strategy to advance collaborative efforts to end homelessness.

Among the positive parts of this plan is the focus on integrating people with lived experiences and doing so by providing dedicated staff support.

I believe the Office of Homeless Services, which is now directly responding to the HPC, is wellequipped to provide solid staff support without taking over the conversation.

Most strategic plans tend to be a little lofty

when written by a community group. But overall, I think the CoC Strategic Planning Committee did a better job this time around (compared to last year’s effort) and has clearly aligned the plan with “All In,” the federal strategic plan to end homelessness. I must say, I personally was thrilled to see the reference to implementing a “targeted universalism” approach, a topic I addressed in an earlier column (see box).

The vision currently states that, “the CoC is tasked with building and maintaining an effective Housing Crisis Resolution System to prevent and end homelessness for all Nashvillians.”

To me visions outline an ideal state that a community or organization strives to achieve, which I don’t find in this wording. Rather it is describing a task, not outlining a vision. Having said that, there was ample time for me or any community member to provide feedback to the CoC’s Strategic Planning Committee. The CoC generally does a great job allowing for public input.

While I did send in my feedback, I simply missed submitting my concerns about the formulation of the vision statement.

Let’s move on. “The mission of the CoC is to create a collaborative, inclusive, community-based/inspired process and approach to planning and managing effective homeless assistance resources and programs (by which Federal, State and local funding resources will be actualized to adequately fund all homeless assistance needs) to end homelessness in our community, consistent with 24 CFR Part 578, the HUD regulations that guide the CoC program.”

The Strategic Plan also explains in detail CoC’s values, which can be summed up as housing-focused, person-centered, data-driven, committed to the effective use of resources and race-equity focused.

While I would have liked to see some specific goals included based on data evaluation as part of the strategic planning process, that did not seem to have happened. What I am talking about is that All In, the federal strategic plan, set a goal to reduce homelessness by 25 percent by 2025. That’s a very ambitious goal, and I’m not saying the local CoC should simply adopt it. What I am saying is that we have HMIS and local homelessness data now to set some goals and there was an opportunity for the CoC Strategic Planning Committee to dig a little deeper.

However, I believe the CoC Strategic Planning

Committee ultimately may have recognized that because Objective 1.4 clearly calls for setting these types of goals. I personally think there was ample time over the past two years to actually do some analysis and evaluation in coordination with the CoC’s HMIS and Data committees and include some specific goals based on that.

In reading this Strategic Plan, I noticed a few nuances that indicate a lack of experience, but that is expected under new board and staff leadership and can be corrected. I am not too concerned yet because Mayor Freddie O’Connell understands these nuances. Specifically, I am referring to the title page of the strategic plan that makes it sound like the Homelessness Planning Council is a Metro government board. You may question why I home in on a relatively small thing like a title page. On its own, it would not worry me, but coupled with a few other mistakes that I’ve seen published recently by the Office of Homeless Services, it’s worth paying attention.

Let me just state clearly that the Homelessness Planning Council — or HPC — serves as the governing body for the Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care. I don’t believe the Office of Homeless Services fully understands that yet because staff released a recent RFP referring to the CoC as the Metro CoC. The official name under the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for our CoC is “Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care.”

Therefore, changing the CoC name to indicate it’s a Metro entity is significant and is a big “no, no” for me, as it sends a strong message of a topdown Metro hierarchy, which has the potential of undermining true community collaboration.

Furthermore, when I was searching for the final Strategic Plan on the HPC website, I came across the following information: “The Office of Homeless Services was voted by the Continuum of Care voting body to serve as the System Lead in May 2018, and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and local government approved the transfer in November 2018.

“The System Lead is responsible for managing the system for the Continuum of Care’s geographic area, in accordance with the requirements of the Program Interim Rule and any requirements prescribed by Housing and Urban Development.”

Actually, the CoC voted for Metro Social Services to become the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead agency, which

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

is different from a vote to make Metro a systems lead. That type of misinformation is a red flag.

However, the reality is that the new Office of Homeless Services is likely to become the CoC Collaborative Applicant*, a move that I support, and with that it would de facto become the overall backbone organization to serve on behalf of the CoC and under the HPC as the systems lead.

Nuances matter because they show expertise and experience, and they are important to build trust.

Truth be told, I have high expectations of Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration because he understands the role of the CoC and that the HPC was created as a community board, not a mere, status-quo Metro board controlled by department staff or the administration.

Furthermore, I believe wholeheartedly that O’Connell, who led the creation of the Office of Homeless Services as a councilmember, understands the importance of Housing First and what it means to truly implement a Housing First-oriented systems approach. The key to implementing Housing First is to line up permanent housing units and utilize temporary housing as part of a Housing First-oriented system as an option for people who choose time to adjust and get their paperwork in order before moving to permanent housing. And don’t forget, Housing First includes having the right supportive services in place and being able to offer an individualized service approach.

With leadership strengthened, the likelihood of the Office of Homeless Services to become the Collaborative Applicant and the CoC systems lead in the next few months, Nashville is poised to connect the dots, restore trust, and move forward with a true person-centered approach that’s focused on serving people in dire need. All we need is solid leadership. *Per the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), “The Collaborative Applicant is the eligible applicant designated by the Continuum of Care (CoC) to collect and submit the CoC Registration, CoC Consolidated Application (which includes the CoC Application and CoC Priority Listing), and apply for CoC planning funds on behalf of the CoC during the CoC Program Competition. The CoC may assign additional responsibilities to the Collaborative Applicant so long as these responsibilities are documented in the CoC's governance charter.”

A FEW QUESTIONS WITH

A Few Questions With Hal Cato

J

BY JUDITH TACKETT

ust about a year ago, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) announced Hal Cato would become their new CEO effective November 2022.

Cato is a highly regarded visionary who previously served as the CEO of Thistle Farms.

His footprints are visible across Nashville from his work to establish and expand Hands on Nashville early in his career, to leading and growing Oasis Center. In between his multiple nonprofit ventures, Cato garnered corporate experience, for example as the founder and CEO of Zeumo, a healthcare communications company.

The Contributor interviewed Cato as part of our A Few Questions With series where we interview local leaders about their experiences in Nashville.

How were your first few months at CFMT? The first eight months have been to listen, to learn, and to get to know my team, get to know our board and get a sense for where the community needs us to go right now. I wanted to come in and meet as many people as I possibly could to hear [about] their experiences with the Community Foundation. Where we disappointed them, where we’ve confused them — really just understand how they see us, how they would like to see us, and what they would like the Community Foundation to do better.

And it’s going to be very different from where we’ve been.

Do you already have an idea what direction CFMT will take?

I think the role of a community foundation — and this is going to sound funny — is to make a community more of a community. The most important word in the name is Community and not Foundation. It is to operate less like a charitable bank where we are managing donor dollars and just sending [those dollars] to where they want. [We need to be] much more of a community leader where we step humbly into spaces where we can start weaving together providers, especially those who are newer and have ideas that are overlooked because they are not in one of the big powerful organizations.

How can we match their energy and ideas with our donor dollars? And then what are the most pressing issues the community is facing?

That’s where this foundation should stand, and that hasn’t always been the case. I don’t have a specific [plan that says] we’re going to fix this or that. We’re now building a new strategic framework that will establish our priorities.

But I’m not ready to say what they are yet.

What is the one goal you’d like to have achieved through CFMT? Whenever there is a disaster, CFMT has always been that first responder that stepped up, that identified the needs, that mobilized the dollars that got people thinking how I can help.

Why do we have to wait for a disaster to be that responder? We have disasters every day in this community, looking at our unhoused population, looking at early childhood,…. How can we mobilize the community to meet those needs

the private sector. We kind of write our own viewpoints, and it’s confusing a lot of people.

Donors don’t know anymore what to believe or [whom] to believe.

in a way that they feel good about and that is transparent? That’s what I want to do, create better partnerships with nonprofit organizations. I don’t like the word grantee. Changing that language where they truly are a partner, and where we understand what they’re trying to do and how we can come up alongside and support that agenda and not the other way around. It’s really democratizing philanthropy as best we can that’s not happening now.

There seems to be a lot of change in community organizations including CFMT, Hands on Nashville, the Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM), a new mayoral administration, etc. What are the opportunities for Nashville you see in these leadership shifts?

For the last few years, each of these organizations have operated in silos. Yes, we may come together and have lunch or breakfast now and then, but there hasn’t been a true spirit of collaboration between all of us. And knowing our new Mayor like I do, seeing CNM having really been humbled and now redefining where they want to go, Community Foundation the same — we have an opportunity to come together. I think the most powerful question any community can ask is, “What do we want to do together that none of us can do on our own?”

And bringing that group together, putting that question on the table, and answering it in a way that’s honest, could be transformative for this community.

I went and met with the United Way Board months ago, and I talked about this new spirit of collaboration between United Way and The Community Foundation that I am really committed to. I described what I call the golden triangle of collaboration, and it’s a shared vision, trust, and humility. If you have all those three in place, there is no limit to what can be done. You take any issue in this town, and you put trust, a shared vision, and humility in the room, and things will happen. Though we haven’t had those three things between the Mayor’s Office, The Community Foundation, CNM, and United Way. We’ve just been doing

our own thing. So, I really see the leadership transition as an opportunity to start fresh.

And you have to be in dialogue. You have to be in community. You don’t just get together once a quarter and check in. You really have to invest in the relationship piece, and that’s what I’m committed to doing and I hope the others will be as well.

Do we have enough accountability built in for what we’re funding in Nashville?

That’s a really interesting question. It starts with defining accountability and making sure that we’re on the same page there. I’ll just speak for philanthropy. Philanthropy traditionally has been mostly accountable to the donor and the board, whether that’s the family whose money we’re giving away or the folks we’ve collected money from. The community may have been secondary.

How do we change that model?

I think The Community Foundation, just by the nature of our name, has to be more accountable to the community first. That means being very deliberate and understanding the problems first, and that comes from sitting with those who have the lived experience and the expertise who know what works and what’s not working now and then building funding systems and streams that address those [issues] — and not the other way around.

So, do we have enough accountability now?

I don’t think we do. And it’s going to take a real shift to get there. Now, for government and other institutions, it’s a different thing.

[Whom] are they accountable to? Is it the taxpayer? Is it the department head? I don’t know.

It’s a fascinating question.

I do see a lot more transparency in government, obviously, than I do in philanthropy.

It would be great if we were all playing from the same playbook. I really want to have a report that we’re issuing every few years that really is Nashville’s vital signs. How are we doing as a city? So that we’re all looking at the same data and what data means for business, for government, for philanthropy, for

PAGE 8 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

What do you see CFMT’s role is in addressing homelessness?

I’ve been thinking about our engagement and funding in our community in three ways.

What are we doing downstream, midstream and upstream?

Downstream is how and where we serve those who need help today and tonight. Upstream is where we lean in on practice and policy level changes that address some of the bigger issues driving community conditions.

Midstream, to me, is how we’re bringing people together to collaborate and connect policy change and direct services.

So, [in regard to homelessness] downstream I see that we need to be more involved in Housing First … and making sure that those organizations that are doing the best job of it are getting the funding that they need. Since most of our funding is donor-directed, I want to make sure fund holders know what’s working and what’s not in regard to helping our unhoused neighbors. We need to be a lot more communicative with them, help them understand the problem and see how they could be a part of the solution.

At midstream I would love to see how we come together with other foundations and pool funding. The philanthropic community in Nashville has historically not collaborated on big issues and there are big things we could do together that none of us can do on our own.

Upstream, it’s more housing, preserving housing, and preventing people from losing existing housing. The question is how we are doing it faster.

Foundations obsess over their 5-percent payout each year. We have these big endowments, and we give away 5 percent each year.

What about the other 95 percent, and how that’s invested? And how we’re investing has an impact on the community as well. So, I would like to see a lot more program-related investments. For example, The Community Foundation is getting ready to lean into a new catalyst fund that we’re setting up that will invest in mission-oriented developers who want to preserve naturally occurring housing and then build affordable housing. We’ll do that by making low-interest loans. That’s a lot cheaper capital than they could get from financial institutions. But we’re leveraging our endowment to do that. It still creates a return for us. It’s a smaller return than in the market, [but] it gives developers part of the capital that they need to build affordable housing. I think it’s direct service. It’s how we’re collaborating and coming together, and it’s how we fund more housing.

Also, take a stand, too – a moral stand for this issue [of homelessness] and speak out. And when we’re looking at public policy and advocacy, [let’s make sure] that we’re there speaking about it and not being silent.

Historically, philanthropy has been silent.

VENDOR WRITING

Who Really Is My Neighbor?

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan — found in Luke 10:29-37 — Jesus answers the question, “who really is my neighbor?”

Recently, I found myself reflecting on that.

You see, my apartment complex is currently undergoing a massive renovation. The residents (including me) are gradually being relocated to a nearby hotel until the work is completed. So, you could say I’ve found myself in uncharted territory, in somewhat unfamiliar surroundings.

One particular Sunday evening, I struggled to navigate the steep descent into the hotel parking lot with 2 relatively large boxes of bread, all while holding on tightly to my wheelchair. Before I knew it, the darkness of night had come upon me. Many individuals in vehicles and on foot passed by without offering to assist me. But that was not the case with Earl.

Initially, he hurriedly approached me,

which made me feel a bit uneasy. That feeling did not go away, especially as he got closer and slowed his pace to match mine — which for him must’ve seemed like a crawl. He asked if I needed help. I nervously replied, “No, I think I’ve got it. Thanks!”.

Even though I refused his offer to help he didn’t leave my side. Instead, he walked me to the front door of the hotel and used his own key to get in so I didn’t have to look for mine. Feeling a bit better about his presence, I said: “Oh, so you’re a guest here too, huh?”

He said “Yes ma’am,” as he continued to escort me and all my goodies onto the elevator.

When we reached my room I said, “Well, since you took the time to walk me all the way to my room, I think I should at least know your name, don’t you?’

When he said Earl, I audibly giggled which prompted him to ask: “Is that funny?”

I apologized and said no, but the last person who stopped to talk with me that night invited me to sing along to the song that was blaring from their car (as many of my readers know, I’m ALWAYS singing.) What was the song that was playing? "Goodbye, Earl." As I continued to try to explain my laughter he interrupted and simply said: “I get it.” How embarrassing!

If that wasn’t bad enough, turns out he was staying in a room just down the hall and his lady (as he calls her), Ms. T (who I know very well from the local Taco Bell) then walked out into the hall and asked, “what took you so long?!”

He answered her, “I’m sorry, but I saw her with all this stuff, and I didn’t want anything to happen to her; she’s our neighbor.” (It turns out they really are my neighbors; they live directly above me in the same building!)

He continued, “I walked her home 'cause it

was the right thing to do. I mean these days you just never know what might happen!’

I also apologized to Ms. T for delaying his return, but when she saw who I was she was really cool about it. As a reward for his kindness, I let them go through my boxes of bread to get whatever they wanted out of it.

It wasn’t much, but it was the least I could do under the circumstances.

In the days in which we live, it can be all too easy to assume the worst in people and suspect their true motives. But whenever possible, why not try to give someone the benefit of the doubt? It is just as Jesus taught. Anyone around us, regardless of their ethnicity or economic class, can be our neighbor if they set aside any bias or prejudice and sacrifice their time, money, or convenience to help someone else in need.

As for me, I am fortunate to have such a neighbor in Earl!

Moving Out and Back In, Again

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Y'all know how often people say: "If you need ANYTHING, just give me a call," but when you do, you're met with, "oh, I'd love to help you with that but ... feel free to insert any excuse you've heard here."

I’ve found this to be true ESPECIALLY when it comes to moving. Readers, you ALL know EXACTLY what I’m talking about! Now don’t get me wrong, I KNOW there are plenty of LEGITIMATE reasons people may not be able to help you, especially last minute—this article IS NOT directed at those individuals.

As many of you know, I don’t drive. I do have MANY acquaintances and a few people I consider close friends. I’m often hesitant to ask those I do have for help for fear of getting the response mentioned above.

Thankfully, that was NOT the case with Dean! I called him up and told him on short notice that I needed help getting 2 weeks' worth of stuff to a hotel while my apartment building underwent renovations.

His response?: “Just give me a call when you need me and I’ll be there.”

And he was! Upon arrival, he carefully loaded all the stuff that was packed to go to the hotel (unlike the movers hired by

the apartment complex), including dishes, food, clothing, multiple cats, and all their cat supplies. After making two trips from my apartment to the hotel and back, he could’ve said “OK, I’ve done what I said I’d do, I’ll see ya later,” but that is NOT his way. Instead, he said “You guys are gonna need something to eat, aren’t you? I doubt you feel like cooking.

Where would you like to go?”

I must admit, it was a tempting offer, but I didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness any further. But then he suggested the restaurant Cinco De Mayo and that’s where we went. Yum! We returned to the hotel with our tummies full and tried to get settled in. After saying our goodbyes, my granddaughter and I each took a turn in the shower and FINALLY got to the end of what had been a LONG day.

You’d think that’d be the end of the story; but wait, there’s more!

Three weeks later we had what you might call “the same song, second verse.”

It was time to return home, so I called Dean, and once again, he came to the rescue, first loading the car with all my stuff and dropping it off at my ‘newly renovated’

apartment. In between loads he even took me to run a vital errand at the bank.

In the midst of all the chaos, I somehow managed to lose my little calico cat, Piglet, who’s faster than greased lightning ( and, as many of my readers know, I am not!).

One of the hotel guests said they’d seen her and Dean immediately went to look for her, at one point even disappearing into the woods.

Now you’d think after ALL that he’d be ready to get rid of me for sure. But instead, he took me to pick up my granddaughter from school and took us to get something to eat, AGAIN! After helping me get a few things situated that were obviously in the wrong place (the microwave in the living room floor, the freezer in the hallway, etc.) we parted ways again.He left me with these parting words: “Don’t panic, you probably won’t be able to find anything for about a month.” Let me tell you, truer words have NEVER been spoken!’

Though I haven’t seen him in person since that day, he has called and texted to check on me. To me, it’s AMAZING that he did all of this for me and my granddaughter.

It’s even more impressive when I stop to

I Wish I Was Able to Sell My Papers

BY JAMIE W., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

What can I say? Ever since I got hit by a car I still can’t walk. Thank God my husband, Tommy, is here to help me. He’s worn out from having to do everything; times are very hard for us now. I miss all of my customers. I’m in so much pain and I can’t win for losing. There are some days lately that I feel so bad I wish I would die; but, by the grace of God, I’m still here.

My cats don’t understand why their mom is back here in the room all the time. But I tell

them, “one of these days I’ll be back in the living room when I am well again.”

I just want to walk again but I’m scared that I’m gonna fall. I’ve been doing physical therapy twice a week and it is killing me. The pain is really bad, but I’m doing the absolute best that I can. The cats don’t know what to think about me being home all the time. They are running wild, like wild horses.

I know there are probably a lot of people

worried and wondering where I’m at. If I could I would be out there, but it’s good if I even make it from the bed to the bathroom. I can’t do anything unless Tommy is back here, in case I do fall.

May God Bless and I love and miss all my customers and everyone at The Contributor.

This is like that Tanya Tucker song “I’ll Come Back As Another Woman.” When I come back to work it will be like I’m back and brand new.

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

consider the fact that he is older than me and has had his own medical issues to deal with. Still, he was true to his word!

In addition to Dean, there is someone else who is equally deserving of high praise—and many thanks — his wonderful wife Louise, who was kind enough to send him to provide me with the assistance I needed. I find it difficult to put into words what feel for them, but hopefully, they (and you) will understand if I explain it this way: There is the family we are born with that we can’t change, and then there’s the ‘family’ that helps provide for your physical, mental, and emotional needs that we choose for ourselves. Or perhaps they find us by the grace of God. I suspect these individuals are often unaware of the positive effect they have on the lives of those they touch, but their magnanimous spirit comes through in ALL they do for others. All I can say in response is THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

With As Much Love As My Heart Can Hold, Norma B.

COVER STORY

Nashville Launch Pad aims to shelter, house homeless queer youth with new Mobile Housing Navigation Center

BY JUSTIN WAGNER As temperatures plummet, Tennessee’s unhoused youth endure the effects of a gap in available shelter and accessible housing options. Non-profit Nashville Launch Pad is working to help close that gap, one bed at a time.

Launch Pad has been assisting LGBTQIA+ young adults find housing in Nashville since it was established in 2014. They recently set out to expand their services to include a Mobile Housing Navigation Center, which has begun construction inside Connection United Methodist Church in collaboration with Community Care Fellowship.

The center is nearly finished and set to open in early November. HG Stovall, executive director of Launch Pad, called progress on the shelter units “fantastic.”

“We’ve had many volunteers sawing

and hammering away, building room dividers in these former daycare rooms,” said Stovall. “Sort of dorm-style, if you will. It’s been fun to watch it happen.

New faces, old faces; old faces, young faces. It’s been really heartwarming.”

Originally billed as an alternative to staying at a shelter or camping outside, Mobile Housing Navigation Centers aim to speed up the search for permanent housing. Clients are taken into the space and given a roof overhead for 120 days, as well intensive case management.

The case management at Launch Pad’s center will follow a Critical Time Intervention model, which emphasizes rapidly housing individuals and then slowly integrating community supports, like healthcare centers and other non-profits, into their daily lives. The approach

is tailored to the individual’s needs, and case management is meant to end after the 120 day limit has been reached.

However, according to Community Care Fellowship Executive Director Ryan LaSuer, if the client still hasn’t found housing and still has serious need, an exception could be made to the time limit.

“It’s not like they have to leave the shelter for a certain amount of time before they can come back,” LaSuer said.

“We’ve had guests that have gone past that time and we’re not going to exit them from the program as we’re working towards [housing].”

LaSuer, alongside the former director of Metro Homeless Impact Division, Judith Tackett, first conceptualized Mobile Housing Navigation Centers as they exist

PAGE 10 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

in the city today. LaSuer said the new center was a fortuitous opportunity for Launch Pad and Community Care Fellowship to lean on each other’s strengths.

“We knew we wanted to serve different demographics and different spaces, and when we decided on serving youth, HG was already a part of [Connection United Methodist Church], so it just made sense to partner with someone already serving youth.”

LaSuer also acknowledged some of the challenges that come with mobile housing navigation.

Due to the case management focus and finite space, the centers must limit their capacity somewhat — though he also noted that this can be beneficial for any clients who have trauma related to crowds or packed shelters.

COVER STORY

He also noted that housing navigation can’t meet a citywide need for available low-barrier housing, childcare centers, and other community supports, all of which require significant resources to create.

“A developer that I was talking to said, ‘they’re not making any more dirt,’ in a sense of not having enough space, sometimes, to even build more affordable housing.”

LaSuer said projects like the Mobile Housing Navigation Centers had the advantage of being able to make economic use of church space, comparing them to tiny home villages, and was hopeful that these sorts of spaces would help make existing housing accessible to more and more people.

Stovall thanked the dozens of volunteers putting the Launch Pad center together, noting that the “retired straight guys and trans millennials” working together so well was a welcome microcosm of their larger mission.

“It’s hard work, but it’s life-changing,” said HG Stovall. “It feels like my calling.”

As for the value of a demographic-based center like Launch Pad’s, Stovall said that it’s pragmatic as well as compassionate.

LGBTQIA+ young adults comprise 40% of the homeless population in that age range despite only comprising 7% of the total young adult population, according to youth homelessness non-profit True Colors United.

While Launch Pad’s services – and consequently, the new mobile housing center – will not be restricted to queer clients, there will be a focus on affirming those experiences and creating a secure

space for LGBTQIA+ youth.

“The data is that LGBT young adults are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their straight counterparts,” he said. “What we do is open and affirming to LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies.”

Stovall also explained that seeing and living alongside situations familiar to one’s own can restore a sense of hope sometimes lost in the din of government buildings and shelter lobbies.

“What we know from experience, from the commentary of young adults we have

served, is that they find Launch Pad to be a place of hope,” Stovall. “They have found the adult-serving shelters to not be as hope-filled. If you walk into a space and you see people that are 50, 70 years old, and they don’t have housing, it can be easy to decide that you will have the same path. If you walk into a space with other people your age, you can build a network to support each other and break that cycle.”

LaSuer echoed Stovall’s hopes for a more interconnected community, saying

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

that shelter projects like these benefit from different agencies working with common purpose.

“We will be opening some additional sites hopefully by the beginning of next year and are opening to partner with other agencies to open those sites,” said LaSuer. “That’s ultimately how we do things well: by coming together in a collaborative way with all of the other nonprofits … and connecting those dots. Even if we could, we don’t want to do this work by ourselves. We want to do it together.”

LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

2023

L a N ticia

Año 21 - No. 382

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

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Newspaper Nashville

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Nashville, Tennessee

Desafíos del Derecho Internacional en Oriente Medio

Hamás así como Israel enfrentan acusaciones de violaciones al derecho internacional en medio del conflicto desatado el 7 de octubre. Ataques recientes, como el ocurrido en el hospital Al Ahli al Arabi en Gaza, Por Yuri Cunza someten a juicio la Editor-In-Chief @yuricunza integridad de las leyes internacionales en el caos de la confrontación. Hacer valer el imperio de la ley en medio de la violencia es un desafío complejo, no obstante, las normas conocidas como los códigos de conducta en tiempos de guerra, establecen el marco para dicha evaluación. La posición de la opinión pública es polarizada debido al acceso a información independiente sobre lo que ocurre en la zona de conflicto. La ONU, por su parte, asegura estar recopilando pruebas de crímenes de guerra cometidos por ambas partes, como parte de su misión de preservar la paz y la justicia en la comunidad internacional.

El conflicto en Oriente Medio ha alcanzado un punto crítico, con acusaciones de violaciones del derecho internacional por parte de Hamás e Israel. Este recrudecimiento de la violencia se desató el 7 de octubre, después de un ataque sorpresa de Hamás contra el Estado judío. En medio de este conflicto, la comunidad internacional observa con preocupación y busca evidencias de crímenes de guerra cometidos por ambas partes.

La ONU, en su papel de árbitro y defensor de la legalidad internacional, está recopilando pruebas para determinar si se han cometido crímenes de guerra en el transcurso de este conflicto. Los informes de ataques a objetivos

siones y conflictos entre las comunidades judía y árabe que compartían la tierra. En un intento de encontrar una solución, las Naciones Unidas aprobaron un plan de partición en 1947, dividiendo el mandato británico en Palestina en dos: una parte para los judíos y otra para los árabes.

El Estado judío recibiría alrededor del 55% del territorio, incluyendo áreas como el desierto del Néguev, y tendría una población de 500,000 judíos y 400,000 árabes palestinos. En ese momento, los judíos poseían solo el 7% de las tierras en Palestina.

Foto: United Nations

The UN Security Council Meets on Situation in Middle East, Including Palestinian Question

civiles, como el reciente ataque al hospital Al Ahli al Arabi en Gaza, aumentan la urgencia de este proceso de investigación.

El derecho internacional establece reglas claras para el comportamiento de las partes en un conflicto armado, conocidas como las "reglas de la guerra". Estas normas incluyen la protección de civiles, la distinción entre objetivos militares y civiles, y la prohibición de ataques indiscriminados. Cumplir con estas reglas es esencial para evitar crímenes de guerra y proteger la vida de civiles inocentes atrapados en medio del conflicto.

Sin embargo, hacer cumplir estas leyes en el fragor de las hostilidades es un desafío monumental. La situación en Oriente Medio es un recordatorio de la importancia de mantener el respeto por el derecho internacional incluso en momentos de conflicto. La comunidad internacional y las partes involucradas deben esforzarse por garantizar que se haga justicia y que se rindan cuentas por cualquier violación de estas reglas fundamentales.

El respeto por el derecho internacional y las reglas de la guerra no solo es una cuestión de legalidad, sino también de humanidad. La protección de los derechos de los civiles y la minimización del sufrimiento en tiempos de conflicto son principios fundamentales que todos los actores deben respetar. Solo a través del respeto mutuo y la adhesión a estas reglas es posible avanzar hacia una solución pacífica y duradera en la región.

Desentrañando el Conflicto IsraelíPalestino a lo Largo de la Historia El conflicto israelí-palestino es un conflicto social y armado de larga data que involucra a israelíes y palestinos en una lucha por el control de la tierra de Palestina, una disputa que tiene sus raíces en el siglo XX. Surgió con el movimiento sionista a finales del siglo XIX, en respuesta al creciente antisemitismo en Europa. Después del Holocausto nazi y el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la población judía en Palestina creció sustancialmente.

Este aumento masivo de la población judía en Palestina desencadenó ten-

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una) Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

por

www.juanese.com

juanese@usa.com

PAGE 12 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

El Estado árabe palestino recibiría cerca del 44% del territorio y estaría habitado por 725,000 árabes palestinos, con una minoría de alrededor de 10,000 judíos.

A pesar de que los judíos aceptaron el plan de partición, los árabes lo rechazaron, lo que desató una guerra civil y la expulsión de una gran parte de la población palestina. El 14 de mayo de 1948, coincidiendo con la declaración de independencia de Israel, los Estados árabes vecinos declararon la guerra al recién creado Estado de Israel. A pesar de sus esfuerzos, fueron derrotados por Israel.

Al final de la guerra, Israel se negó a permitir el regreso de más de 700,000 refugiados palestinos, quienes desde entonces han vivido en campamentos de refugiados y ciudades en Líbano, Siria, Jordania, la Franja de Gaza, Cisjordania y otros lugares.

Este contexto histórico muestra la complejidad y duración del conflicto israelí-palestino, que sigue teniendo un impacto significativo en la región y en todo el mundo.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

VENDOR WRITING

WeGo Takes Seniors for a Ride — Again

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Over the number of years I have lived in Nashville, I have been an avid consumer of our city's transit system. I am over 65 and have a very fixed, limited income. I have lived through any number of "plans to improve" Nashville's transit system. But it seems to me that those plans haven't worked or have just been abandoned by the folks in charge of making the improvements. As someone dependent on the bus system to get me around town, it's been frustrating!

And now there's a new plan. Beginning on Oct. 1, 2023, WeGo intends to raise fares, eliminate transfers, and require over-65 riders to adopt their Quick Ticket fare option or pay out the wazoo for a ride to and from

the grocery store or pharmacy. On top of the 100% fare hike for seniors, they want us to pay an additional $3 "processing fee" and give vital personal information to them for the privilege of accessing this senior fare.

I suppose this "processed" validation will require a second card so that we can get a senior rate fare at QT retail outlets in town.

Just another piece of the complicated puzzle to keep track of. And who is going to have access to this vital personal information?

This plan certainly does not make bus travel or life easier for senior riders!

It's apparent to me that whoever came up with this new plan for senior fares is 1) not a senior resident of Nashville and 2) does not

use Quick Tickets on a regular basis. There have been several times that I have tried to use the tickets and they haven't worked. If your QT gets wet, it won't work. If the QT reader on the bus doesn't work when you try to scan your QT, your QT will not work on the next bus you try to board. And what if a rider with an arm full of groceries drops their QT or forgets where they put it? All of these fails mean that a senior is out of scarce funds. And someone living on a shoestring already doesn't want to be aggravated by some complicated fare procedure.

I called WeGo to ask about the hoops seniors must jump through to take a ride on a city bus. A very nice woman told me that I

could just put my credit card on my phone to access a ride. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't have enough money to have a credit card and if I did I certainly wouldn't put that kind of dangerous information on my phone. I'm poor and old! Please!

Our new mayor says he has ANOTHER PLAN to improve transit in Nashville. I can only hope that this one allows seniors to access a ride for free without a processing charge. We built this city. Consider it reparations for all that we have done. I'll be walking the miles down the road to the grocery after Oct. 1. Honk if you see an old woman or man pulling a cart full of bundles down the road!

We'll appreciate your support!

Be Still

BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR “Be still and know that I am God.” -Psalm 46:10 Have you ever had a day when you get up and think about all that needs to be done and you don’t even have what it takes to start?

Well, today was an interesting day that won’t be forgotten. I awoke this morning. I got up and went to sit on the couch. I just sat there for about half an hour, just me and God. He knows what’s

in your heart and your mind, but many times he wants you to talk to Him anyway.

I got up and couldn’t find my money, so I grabbed my backpack and walked out the door.

I couldn’t catch the bus because I didn’t have the money. I walked down Lafayette until I got to 8th Avenue. I went and stood beside Room at the Inn. I had a quick ticket card in my wallet that I was positive I’d spent all the money off of. But I tried it on the computer anyway and it ok’d me

for a ride on the MTA bus. Right then, I looked up and smiled because I knew the good Lord up above was walking along with me that morning.

I caught the bus to my corner. I didn’t have but two papers: an up-to-date issue, and the previous issue. I sat. I waved. I smiled. I continued doing this for about two hours; still, no one bought the paper. So, I stood up and walked under a shade tree across the street. I looked up and said, “Lord, help me.”

A Day in the Life of James “Shorty” Pt. 1

BY SUZAN Z., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I met James “Shorty” three weeks ago. He brightened my life the moment I met him. We talked for a whole, and I was blown away that, although he’s in pain every day of his life, he made me smile and laugh with his awesome sense of humor.

I went with James to sell his paper and to find out what he’s all about on Sept. 26. I was expecting to be bored out of my mind, to be honest. But instead, I had a blast and laughed all day. His clients want to know how he is and what he needs to survive. I saw many clients stop just to have a conversation with him and leave laughing and happy on their way to work.

His clients genuinely care about his well-being.

James lets his clients know about his pain and his accomplishments. When he told them he got an apartment, they were ecstatic that he was no longer homeless. They then wanted to know what he needed for his new apartment.

The love for James is real y’all! And, the love that James has for his clients is pure. He worries about the ones he hasn’t seen in a while, just like they worry about him. He is adored by many, as he should be.

James has taught me that no matter pain, sickness, rain, sleet, or snow we should “suit up and show up.” James follows this manta, keeping right on his daily promise to clients: “I will see you tomorrow.”

I’ve witnessed his pain and sickness and I suggested he stay home. James replied, “ I have to go to work. I promised my clients I would give them the new issue today.” He is a man of his word. No matter how he feels or how awful the weather is, he will show up and work. Through his example, James has given me the tools to be a successful paper vendor. His type of dedication is something that others should live by.

Time pt. 2

BY JAMES "SHORT Y" R., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Time is so precious, no matter how long it is. Let’s not take it for granted; we need to learn to let it run its course. So let’s cherish all of it. It’ll be gone before you know it and you won’t know where it went. So let's enjoy

the journey. I’ve said it before. And do it.

Share it with someone who cares the same way, before it’s too late. It will pass you up. Time. Don’t forget what I’ve written before, however we measure it up.

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

Ten seconds later, a lady stopped and gave me money; she didn’t even want a paper. I went back across the street and people kept stopping.

I packed up, still with the paper in my bag, and left to catch the bus back home. I guess what I’m saying is I woke up that day and gave everything that had to be done that day up to God, and he guided me throughout my day. It was a splendid day.I’ve decided, from here on out, to be still every morning before I start my day.

FUN

HOBOSCOPES SCORPIO

The leaves fell all at once this year. You may not have noticed. I just happened to be looking out the window at the exact moment that they dropped. Never a single leaf winding through the air. Just a muffled thump and suddenly there were no more leaves on trees. Just layers and layers of reds, oranges, browns and yellows piled on the ground.

It feels like that sometimes, Scorpio. A change that happens all at once. You were expecting it, but you thought it would be more gradual and now here you are. Give yourself some credit and some time to catch up. And if you have to rake, just do one section at a time.

SAGITTA R IUS

They sucked the blood right out of me, Sagittarius. Took every drop they wanted.

Poked a needle in my arm and told me to make a fist. Then they gave me a lollipop and sent me home to wait for results. Just the standard battery of tests. All the things they check for in folks my age. And now I have to wait, Sagittarius. That’s the scary part. Up to five business days! Do you think it’s been a business day yet? That’s shorter than a regular day, right? Because of labor laws? Ugh. Breathe in with me, Sagittarius. And try not to think about all the possibilities. The best we can do is be in the present moment. Move that nervous imagination toward hope and away from fear.

Is this it? Is this the call? I thought I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket, but it was just my hand trembling on the TV remote. Sorry, Pisces, I’m extra-nervous today. Waiting on test-results is the worst. My doctor said he’d call as soon as they came in, but that was 36 hours ago! Should I call the office? What if they forgot? What if it’s really bad and nobody there wants to tell me? What if they’re laughing at how low my B12 is? I know, I know, there are some things we can’t control. And the stories we make up are always worse than reality, because reality is only ever just the one thing. But could you sit with me while we wait? We can watch that friendly baking show.

ARIES

Vampire bats are the only mammal that feeds only on blood. It’s hypothesized that their ancestors were insectivores who ate the bugs that were attracted to the wounds of larger mammals. Eventually they found they could get better nutrition going right to the wound itself. Over generations, they learned to make their own wounds with subtle bites from their sharp teeth. What about you, Aries, are you happy with the bugs? The little bits of fulfillment that buzz around the thing you really want? Or are you ready to go right for the vein?

TAURUS

CAPRICORN

There’s a kid in a wolfman mask on the swingset in the park down the street. She’s been at it for a while now. Up and down. Back and forth. Honestly she reminds me of you, Capricorn.

She’s putting in the work and seeing results. Up and down.

Back and forth. She gets a little higher and then the chain goes a little slack and she decides to reign it in. Up and down. Back and forth. It’s not about how high you go, Capricorn, it’s about how you keep going. And it’s also about knowing when to stop swinging altogether. Up and down. Back and forth. And take a breather in the sandbox.

AQUA RIUS

PISCES

What a perfect day, Taurus. We should do something! We could go to that farm where they let you pick apples or we could drive out of town and look at the trees in their fall colors. Then we could go to the get-together at Leo’s place and roast marshmallows and tell spooky stories.

Grab a jacket and I’ll fill up a thermos with cider. Unless you don’t feel like it, Taurus. Because that’s totally legit, too. If you’re tired of hearing how perfect it is and you want to stay in and play Lords of the Fallen 2, I can’t see anything wrong with that.

GEMINI

You know how it goes, Aquarius. There’s a genie, or a blue fairy, or a monkey’s paw. And you get to make a wish. But you have to do it carefully, because, well, you know how it goes. So you just freeze there, with your eyes fixed on the lamp or the star or the ancient talisman and you don’t say a word. What if you say what you want but then you find out it wasn’t really what you wanted? Well, Aquarius, I’m afraid the only way to find out is to say it. Maybe just practice with a regular non-wish-granting person. Talk it out and see how it sounds.

Looks like I just missed a call from my doctor’s office. I guess this is probably the end for me, Gemini. Before I call them back, I just wanted to let you know that I know I’ve given you a hard time in the past, but it’s only because you’re one of my favorite signs. Also, I should remind you that this is a great day to return the messages you’ve left un-replied to. Texts, emails, calls, whatever you’ve been avoiding. It will probably go better than you think.

Now, hand me my phone so I can call my doctor back and find out how many weeks I have to live.

CANCER

When you’re a kid the weather changes all at once. It’s hot in the summer and cool in the fall. You get what you expect and that’s how it’s supposed to be. You run through the sprinkler and then jump in the leaves and then make a snowman and that’s how it goes. But grownups talk about the weather like they just discovered it. Every day is full of risk and surprise. “What if if storms? How can it be this cold already? Should I bring the plants inside?” Just for today, Cancer, be more like you were as a kid. Take what comes and accept it as it is and plan your joy inside of it.

LEO

It’s like when they put spaghetti and grapes in the covered box and make you put your hand in it and then they tell you it’s eyeballs and guts. What I’m getting at, Leo, is that reality is sometimes different than feelings. It feels like right now is crucial–so big and so important. It feels like you have to keep squeezing or everything is going to fall apart. But in the long run, Leo, it’s just spaghetti and grapes. Go wash your hands and look at the clouds outside.

VIRGO

Well, my doctor finally got back to me with the results of my physical, Virgo.

You were right, it wasn’t all that much to worry about. They want me to cut back on sugar and go for a walk five times a week. That is gonna be a little tricky because I’ve got all this bulk halloween candy.

And, honestly. I never get trick-or-treaters. Maybe I could go for a walk around the neighborhood and just take it door-to-door. A little reverse-holiday action.

How many walks do you think it will take to get rid of the whole case? New patterns are hard, Virgo. Start with something that sounds fun.

LIBRA

Can I borrow a tissue, Libra? Don’t worry, I’m not sick. It’s just allergies, but they sure are hitting hard today. It’s hard to admit sometimes that you’re being affected by the greater world around you. That those little bits of story that you pick up from everywhere you look get into your head and make everything less clear. You can’t stop breathing it in, but I think you could stop and notice what it is you’re feeling. And what it’s connected to. Can you do anything to change it? Maybe so. Start there.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified allergist or a trained phlebotomist. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

PAGE 14 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

21st Wednesday after Trinity

22nd Monday after Trinity

LET humility be always at work, like the bee at the honey-comb, or all will be lost. But, remember, the bee leaves its hive to fly in search of flowers and the soul should sometimes cease thinking of itself to rise in meditation on the grandeur and majesty of its God. St Teresa of Avila: The Interior Castle.

SUDDENLY, I saw before my inward eyes these words—God only . . . they were at the same time a Light, an Attraction and a Power.

A Light which showed me how I could belong completely to God alone in this world, and I saw that hitherto I had not well understood this; an Attraction by which my heart was subdued and delighted; a Power which inspired me with a generous resolution and somehow placed in my hands the means of carrying it out.

Sister Lucie-Christine: Spiritual Journal.

HUMILITY is not insipidity, but it is seasoned, as it were, with salt.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

21st Thursday after Trinity A BROTHER asked an old man, saying, "What is humility?" And the old man answered and said unto him, "That thou payest not back evil for evil." That brother said unto him, "And supposing that a man cannot attain to this measure what must we do?" The old man said unto him, "Let us flee and follow after silence."

The Paradise of the Fathers.

HE who owes everything to grace in such a degree that he understands he is superfluous must be all the more obedient. True, all that exists is nothing in the hands of the Almighty who created it out of nothing; but that which by coming into existence attains nothing more than to be superfluous must understand most profoundly that is is nothing.

Kierkegaard: Christian Discourses.

21st Friday after Trinity WHEN religion is in the hands of the mere natural man, he is always the worse for it; it adds a bad heat to his own dark fire and helps to inflame his four elements of selfishness, envy, pride, and wrath. And hence it is that worse passions or a worse degree of them, are to be found in persons of great religious zeal than in others that make no pretences to it. History also furnishes us with instances of persons with great piety and devotion who have fallen into great delusions and deceived both themselves and others. The occasion of their fall was this; it was because they made a saint of the natural man. My meaning is, they considered their whole nature as the subject of religion and divine graces; and therefore their religion was according to the workings of their whole nature, and the old man was as busy and as much delighted in it as the new.

William Law: Christian Regeneration.

21st Saturday after Trinity JESUS Christ, without riches, and without any external exhibition of knowledge, is in His own order of holiness. He did not invent; He did not reign. But He was humble, patient, holy, holy to God, terrible to devils, without any sin. Oh! in what great pomp, and in what wonderful splendour, He is come to the eyes of the heart, which perceive wisdom!

Pascal: Pensées.

HERE is the root then, the love of the Father, and the tree, the merit of the Son; except there be fruit too, love in us, to them again, both root and tree will wither in us, howsoever they grew in God. Donne: Sermons.

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity THE seeking is common—that every soul may have with his grace —and ought to have that discretion and teaching of the Holy Church. It is God's will that we have three things in our seeking: —The first is that we seek wilfully and busily, without sloth, as it may be through his grace, gladly and merrily without unskilful heaviness and vain sorrow. The seconds is, that we abide him steadfastly for his love, without grudging and striving against him, to our life's end: for it shall last but a while. The third is that we trust in him mightily of full sure faith, for it is his will. We know he shall appear suddenly and blissfully to all that be his lovers.

For his working is privy, and he willeth to be perceived; and his appearing shall be sweet and sudden; and he will be trusted. For he is full kind and homely: blessed may he be!

Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

IN the Son of Man I see the Son of God, because Thou art so the Son of Man that Thou art the Son of God and in the finite attracted nature I see the Infinite Attracting Nature.

Nicholas de Susa: The Vision of God.

22nd Tuesday after Trinity IT is nature which teacheth a wise man in fear to hide himself, but grace and faith doth teach him where. Fools care not where they hide their heads . . . But because we are in danger like chased birds, like doves that seek and cannot see the resting holes that are right before them, therefore our Saviour giveth his disciples these encouragements beforehand, that fear might never so amaze them, but that always they might remember, that whatsoever evils at any time did beset them, to him they should still repair, for comfort, counsel, and succor.

Hooker: Sermons.

I AM not come to this meaning, or to this work and knowledge through my own reason of through my own will and purpose; neither have I sought this knowledge, nor so much as to know anything concerning it. I sought only for the heart of God, therein to hide myself.

Boehme: Aurora.

The Feast of All Saints

HE who desires to become a spiritual man must not be ever taking note of others, and above all of their sins, lest he fall into wrath and bitterness, and a judging spirit towards his neighbors.

Tauler: Sermons.

22nd Thursday after Trinity GOODNESS procreates itself and all that is in the good soul: knowledge, love, energy, it pours them all forth to the good man, and the good man receives all his being, knowing, love and energy from the central depth of goodness and from that alone.

Eckhart: The Book of Benedictus.

22nd Friday after Trinity THE faithfulness of God may be obscured, but we cannot be rid of it; His gifts may evoke no gratitude, but they will not be withdrawn; His goodness will bring under judgement those who withstand it, but it is His goodness none the less.

Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

THE benefits that God contrives to give in any one way are to be found and gotten in good ways one and all, and we ought to find in one way the good things common to them, not those peculiar to that one. For man must always do one thing, he cannot do them all. He must always be one thing and in that one find all.

Eckhart: In Collationibus.

22nd Saturday after Trinity BEFORE the foundations of the worlds, and before all that can be called 'before', thou art, and art God and Lord of all which thou hast created: in thee abide, fixed for ever, the first causes of all things unabiding; and of all things changeable, the springs abide in thee unchangeable; and in the live the external reasons of all things unreasoning and temporal.

St Augustine: Confessions.

IT is the feast-day of all those who loved Jesus Christ, who gave Him their souls and their blood for pure Love, who were without pride, without confidence in themselves, and who, because of that, shine with the greatest imaginable splendour.

Léon Bloy: Letters to his Fiancée.

UNLESS the shape of his Manhood be withdrawn from our bodily eyes, the love of his Godhead may not fasten in our ghostly eyes.

The Epistle of Privy Counsel.

AS verily as we shall be in the bliss of God without end, him praising and thanking, so verily we have been in the foresight of God, loved and known in his endless purpose from without beginning. In which beginning love he made us; and in the same love he keepeth us and never suffereth us to be hurt (in any way) by which our bliss might be lost. And therefore when the Doom is given and we be all brought up above, then (shall) we clearly see in God the privities which now be hidden to us. Then shall none of us be stirred to stay in any wise: "Lord, if it had been thus, then it had been full well"; but we shall say all with one voice: "Lord, blessed mayest thou be, for it is thus: it is well; and now see we verily that all thing is done as it was then ordained before that anything was made.”

Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

THE Gospel is not one thing in the midst of other things, to be directly apprehended and comprehended. The Gospel is the World of the Primal Origin of all things, the Word which, since it is ever new, must ever be received with renewed fear and trembling. The Gospel is therefore not an event, nor an experience, nor an emotion—however delicate! Rather, it is the clear and objective perception of what eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Moreover, what it demands of men is more than notice, or understanding, or sympathy. It demands participation, comprehension, co-operation; for it is a communication which presumes faith in the living God, and which creates that which it presumes.

Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

About him all the sanctities of heaven Stood thick as stars, and from his sight received Beatitude past utterance.

Milton: Paradise Lost.

23rd Monday after Trinity

22nd Wednesday after Trinity I ALSO wish thee to look at the Bridge of My only-begotten Son, and see the greatness thereof, for it reaches from Heaven to earth; that is, that the earth of your humanity is joined to the greatness of the Deity thereby. I say, then, that this Bridge reaches from Heaven to earth, and constitutes the union which I have made with man . . . So the height of the Divinity, humbled to the earth, and joined with your humanity, made the Bridge and reformed the road. Why was this done? In order that man might come to his true happiness with the angels. And observe that it is not enough, in order that you should have life, that My son should have made you this Bridge, unless you walk thereon.

St Catherine of Siena: Dialogues.

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity

THIS only is charity, to do all, all that we can.

Donne: Sermons.

THE Day of Jesus Christ is the Day of all days; the brilliant and visible light of this one point is the hidden invisible light of all points; to perceive the righteousness of God once and for all here is the hope of righteousness (Gal. v. 5) everywhere and at all times. By the knowledge of Jesus Christ all human waiting is guaranteed, authorized, and established; for He makes it known that it is not men who wait, but God—in His faithfulness.

Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

23rd Tuesday after Trinity THE soul, when it least uses its own proper ability, travels most securely, because it walks most by faith.

St John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel.

SOMETIMES, when the soul least thinks of it, and when it least desires it, God touches it divinely causing certain recollections of Himself.

St John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel.

Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

PIECES OF POETRY / 10

Recollect?

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

THEME: H A LLOW EEN ACROSS 1. Down in the dumps 5. Letter-writing friend 8. Trampled 12. Hokkaido people 13. D. H. Lawrence's "____ and Lovers" 14. Near the wind, archaic 15. Mideast ruler 16. Hipbones 17. *Pumpkin, e.g.

18. *"The ____", movie 20. Jackson 5 member 21. Twinings product 22. ___ canto (singing style) 23. Appetite whetter 26. Chucking 30. Pilot's announcement, acr.

31. Short sock 34. Kuwaiti leader 35. Dapper 37. "____ the ramparts ..."

38. Origami bird 39. Popular picnic side 40. Weary walk 42. Often precedes "whiz" 43. Larry of Oracle 45. Most idle 47. Napkin holder 48. Gamy, alt. sp.

50. *What witches' brew does in 52 across 52. *"Eye of newt and toe of frog" holder 55. Shell-less gastropod, pl.

56. Siren's song, e.g.

57. A Flock of Seagulls' hit (2 words) 59. Ottoman title 60. Type of mine passage 61. Head of family 62. Aid in crime 63. *World's largest Halloween Parade location, acr.

64. Bulgarian or Serb

DOWN 26. Group of cows 1. Ovine utterance 27. JPEG data 2. Margarita fruit 28. "To the ____," or "to a 3. Windows alternative in great extent" computers 29. Roll out the red carpet 4. "Europa ____" movie 32. *Kandy ____ (1990) 33. Romanian money 5. Disease in Philip Roth's 36. *Stephenie Meyer's "Nemesis" vampire saga 6. Licorice-like flavor 38. Relinquished 7. Future atty.'s exam 40. Spinning toy 8. *Michael Jackson's spooky 41. Gin plus lime cordial classic 44. Chip dip 9. Disorderly retreat 46. *"Monster Mash" words, 10. M lange e.g.

11. "Silent Spring" subject, 48. Tasteless and flashy acr.

49. Gold-related 13. Make ill 50. Spill the beans 14. Subsequently 51. Yorkshire river 19. Settle a debt 52. Kin group 22. Contrary conjunction 53. Word of mouth 23. End of "incense" 54. California wine valley 24. In the least (2 words) 55. R&R destination 25. Birth-related 58. *All Saints' Day mo.

I really do like being able to write.

Silently fighting a damn good fight.

Leaving it up to you to decide.

Those who choose to, Keep Hanging on for The Ride.

Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

Some things, Are Well Worth Remembering.

Some things, are best to forget.

Life is an Un-solved Mystery, Never knowing what to expect?

Like, Pieces of History, We keep and collect, That have their fair Share, Of Side Effects.

Like, Mistakes we once made, That we’ll always regret.

Or the damage done that comes from, The Years of Neglect.

Like, the things that to this day, You refuse to accept.

Like, the fact that life’s a gift, That you consider a debt.

If that’s how it is, Then answer me this, Are We Having Fun Yet? The things we Recollect...

You’ve heard of the term, “Garbage in - Garbage out” Speaking the Truth, To remove all doubt...

Some things, are just not worth, Worrying About...

And some things, You’re just better off without.

“Why did this have to happen?”

Is the Eternal Unanswered Question.

Try to find Satisfaction, From Life’s Surprises, Adventures and Lessons.

You take the good with the bad, And you keep on smiling.

This too shall pass in a little while.

Everything eventually, Goes out of style.

Another minute living in it’s, Just another mile.

Every experience, Has a time and a season.

Have fun trying to find, The Rhyme and the Reason.

Every Small Victory, Or Minor Achievement, Had a reason why it had to happen...

PAGE 16 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The Parable of the 55 Gallon Drum

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN You start with a 55 Gallon Drum, Containing, Information Accumulation.

Two holes on top, One’s for what we take in.

The others for what, Comes out in the end.

A lot of its toxic, Dangerous stuff, Tainted with hatred, And lacking in Love.

Now take yourself, A garden hose.

And insert it into, The take it in hole.

You turn on the water, And just let it run, And run, And run, And run, And run, And it cleans out, The black stuff, Contained in the drum.

Give it some time, And eventually.

Nothing but, Clean fresh clear water, Flows Free.

This earthly story, With a heavenly meaning’s, A moral that’s taught, Metaphorically speaking.

The drum represents, The total sum, Of the things that have made us, What we have become.

The contents, Are not hard to understand.

They’re the things, That come out of, The heart of a man.

The garden hose, And the water that flows, Is God’s Holy Word, Which cleanses the soul.

The more that you read, You search and you seek, Eventually comes out, In the words that you speak.

This parable’s written, With the Wisdom that comes, From a water filled, 55 Gallon Drum.

VENDOR WRITING

Decisions

BY VICK Y B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR A car, a hotel, a youth room at a local church and an RV my family had called home for many years due to homelessness.

Being a single parent of twin boys was hard but it was a decision I made shortly after they were born. Married to an alcoholic and an abuser I wanted better for my kids, they deserved it.

Growing up a minister’s daughter, homelessness was something I never knew much about. It was when I left the kids father that I found out just how tough it was going to be. A decision I’ve never regretted to this day. One income didn’t make it possible to pay the rent most times so evictions were a normal for us. After seven evictions in as many years no one would rent to us even if I did have the money to pay it. Affordable housing was the only way, however after talking about it with the kids they said no.

I honored their decision as most decisions we made together as a family.

Shortly before the final eviction we ad-

opted a shelter dog that became my Emotional Support Animal. We called her Faith. She became emotional support for all of us and I believe it gave us some type of normalcy in a homeless life. She provided unconditional love and 100 percent acceptance. Shortly after adopting her, we found out she had hip dysplasia. Being homeless was the best thing for her. Limiting her activity helped to not aggravate the condition.

Through panhandling to buy food and such I was introduced to The Contributor, Nashville’s Street paper and I found a job I could do. A microbusiness that helped me pay for things such as food and personal items, while Paul paid the rent on the hotel or RV park a couple of days a week. I learned to write for the paper and found my therapy. I made connections and learned how to budget.

Eventually Jason got married which left Paul, myself, and Faith together. The mar-

riage didn’t last long, less than two years until his wife decided she didn’t want to be married anymore. With Jason alone to make the high rent soon Paul moved in with his brother and to this day they share the same apartment.

A stroke six years ago left me disabled, but I could still manage the RV with help.

Leaving the hospital with several prescriptions costing almost $500 a month was not an option until I got a referral to Neighborhood Health. Neighborhood Health took care of me when I couldn’t do it myself.

They filled my prescriptions each month until I finally received health insurance through disability.

This left me alone for the first time to make decisions on my own. Living in the now broken-down RV parked at my church, I liked an MDHA Facebook page, and was alerted to housing wait lists opening. I applied when it was time and after 7-8 years of homelessness, I finally got the call that

they had an apartment for me. A home for Faith and myself.

Every single one of these events led me to where we all are today.

If it wasn’t for me leaving my husband the cycle of abuse could have continued.

My kids could have become alcoholics and abusers. If it wasn’t for the stroke, I would have been disqualified from the housing I’m in today. I wasn’t 62 or older, but I was disabled. Through it all I leaned on my faith in God and followed the path He chose for me and my family.

Through good and bad we learned lessons, important lessons that no teacher can teach. I know that everything happens for a reason. People often say God works in mysterious ways, but that’s wrong. God knows exactly what’s He’s doing. It’s up to us to follow the path chosen.

I’m not a fan of where my apartment is located, but I love my apartment and God’s still working in my life daily.

Slow Travel

BY LISA A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Nearly two decades ago, I wrote and directed a video called Slow Travel. The concept involves grabbing a day pack, a change of underwear and a bank or credit card then walking out your front door on a two week vacation. The goal is to refrain from using the combustion engine in order to travel. We traveled all around middle Tennessee without the use of a car. It did not involve a whole lot of walkin … you will have to check our online newspaper in order to follow the story further or watch any of the video clips.

Slow Travel did not start out as an idea.

It started out as a personality trait.

Due to a club foot in a cast, I spent the

first two years of my life in a stately parade, atop shoulders, hips, and prams. With plenty of time to drink in my surroundings, I developed a predilection for dawdling.

“Come on pokey!“ My mom would exclaim. I tended toward entropy. Watching the way the sun refracted through the windshield, I had to be pried from the car.

I was always the last to leave the lunchroom. The playground. I made friends with the ants on the playground. I was the last on the school bus and the last one off at my stop.

My parents were military, so I had the great good fortune of two adventurers for parents. We spent my tweens in India and Nepal, dawdling through open markets,

underwater schools of fish, on trains, boats and on foot through the Himalayas.

Even on foot, I felt we were moving too fast. While trekking, I stopped to join a village dance. My dad had to backtrack to find me.

Once free of parental constraints, the condition worsened. Defiant, I knew I was onto something. I just couldn’t explain what that something was. Many years later, after several adventures with my beautiful, rescued English Shepherd, and a mate who loved to take the Blue Highways in his tiny Geo Metro- (50 mpg folks), I came up with an idea. Slow Travel.

Please join me online at thecontributor.

org as we go about traveling without the use of the combustion engine. It will start out as a blog, then graduate to a vlog.

We will take bicycles, stilts, kayaks, glider planes, sailboats, and maybe cheat a little and take a train. Some journeys will cover one whole foot of distance.

You may remember that a couple of decades ago everyone was running around pell-mell to their destinations. The idea of slow travel was inconceivable. Then COVID-19 happened. I think the time has come to look at our way of approaching the world.

Come and learn how to dawdle. Or just come to be validated for who you are .…

My Audition for 'America’s Got Talent'

BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Well hello there, my name is William Boyd and I am wanting to enter America’s Got Talent. I have quite a few gifts that the Lord give me. I sing, I play the spoons, I can tell some good jokes, and I can do what a wrestler calls, “the spinneroonie” which is a break dance. And I would love to show all this to you and I have been singing ever since I was 3 years old. I’ve been playing the spoons ever since I was

8 years old. I’m 69 now. If you give me a chance to show you what I can do, I think you’ll be amazed at my age what I can do, I’m going to do three different things for you: sing a song by Tennessee Earnie Ford called Peace in the Valley, Play the spoons to a song called “Maria” by Brooks and Dunn, and sing a song from the late 60s called, “The Last Kiss.”

View William's audition video here:

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

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ABBY R. RUBENFELD Attorney at Law

arubenfeldlaw.com

202 South Eleventh Street Nashville, Tennessee 37206 Telephone: (615) 386-9077 Facsimile: (615) 386-3897

PAGE 18 | October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MOVING PICTURES

Stephen King’s ‘The Boogeyman’ creeps from the closet just in time for Halloween

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC When I was in college I was a serious student of literature and a dedicated author of short stories with dreams of a great American novel occasionally passing between my ears. I was reading Hemingway and Raymond Carver and Jim Harrison, and I did my best to ignore my friend who kept insisting that Stephen King was a genius. But he was persistent, and when I discovered King’s Night Shift (1978) short story collection it seemed like just the right sampler to read so I could dismiss King and my annoying pal once and for all. I read the first three stories in the book over three nights just before sleep and was greeted with three of the most terrifying nightmares I’ve had to this day. After that third story I quietly placed the book back on the shelf without reading the rest.

Stephen King is a genius.

One of the scariest stories in Night Shift is “The Boogeyman.” It’s a twisted yarn about grief that superimposes the myth of the monster in the closet over the horrors of losing a child. It’s a terrifying read with some fun twists — it’s perfect for any gloomy night in October. Director Rob Savage’s movie version expands on the short story, book-ending it with the therapist’s office setting from Stephen King’s tale and adding a brooding family drama in-between. After Will Harper’s (Chris Messina) wife dies in a car crash, he’s left to raise his daughters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Saw yer (Vivien Lyra Blair) on his own while managing his therapy practice from a home office.

Will receives a visit from a deranged-seeming man named Lester Billings who claims he’s being blamed for the

murder of his three children who were actually killed by a monster. While Will sneaks off to call the police, Billings hangs himself in the closet of his deceased wife’s art studio.

Strange things are happening in the Harper household following the incident, and that’s when Sawyer sees a monster under her bed.

Savage has previously directed screen-based thrillers like Host and Dashcam. I’m no fan of this gimmicky movie genre that takes place on the laptop and phone displays we already spend too much time staring at. I was surprised that the haunted house atmospherics of The Boogeyman are one of this film’s biggest strengths given Savage’s previous resume. The director and cinematographer Eli Born make the most of their doomed domestic settings, a creature that’s repelled by light and children who are afraid of the dark. The house begins to feel like a sinister maze more than a familiar home before the film’s climax drags everyone into the basement for a final standoff. Savage and his effects team also do a great job with their creature here, slowly revealing the beast in glimpses and flashes — the first real look we get at a visit to the therapist’s office is truly disturbing.

Some critics say that The Boogeyman has too much mood and not enough genuine terror, and that’s a common criticism for any horror film that dares to take its time. I might have felt the drag myself if I hadn’t enjoyed the performances here so much. Sophie Thatcher is especially engaging as the teenage girl protagonist struggling to keep her family together while unraveling the mystery of the otherworldly monster. The

Boogeyman is a solid new Stephen King adaptation that introduces a unique movie monster to horror cinema. Add it to your cauldron of spooky season

movie viewing in these last few weeks before Halloween.

The Boogeyman is currently streaming on Netflix

October 25 - November 8, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.