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By Wendy Rojo
Freedom is being autonomous. It means making my own choices based on my own morality without fear of control or interference. For example, I choose to protest, vote, travel, and write — all of which create a sense of freeness. Freedom, however, is constantly misused by those who believe it means doing whatever you want without regard for others. That is a misguided definition of freedom.
Freedom means being able to go for a walk, to read, to write, to create, and to express ourselves without fear for our safety. Our lives can provide a sense of freedom through helping others acheive their liberty. Even simple acts like translating for someone can create a safer, freer place.
Freedom means being able to go for a walk, to read, to write, to create, and to express ourselves without fear for our safety.
Feeling stable and accepted is what freedom should mean. We should feel safe in our communities, jobs, and lives. Having the ability to do the activities that bring us joy and make us feel connected to others creates a sense of belonging.
Writing brings me a sense of belonging and stability, as it does for others at The Stewpot. The STREETZine provides an outlet to express ourselves freely and without judgment.
Writing for this newspaper gives us a sense of community, too. Our Writers’ Workshop meets every Friday and we spend an hour writitng together, catching each other up on our week, and sitting together.
Not only are we as writers part of the STREETZine community, but we are also a part of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP). The INSP is a nonprofit organization and a global community tackling poverty and homelessness through street papers.
The papers provide creative outlets and job opportunities for those who often need them the most. The network is a reliable safety net because the authors wholeheartedly understand why writing and creative arts are crucial. Streetpapers are unique because we are the only ones who do what we do: We provide people experiencing homelessness a place to express themselves.
We each bring something different to the table and our differences build a large community of people who each have something we are good at doing.
Of course, freedom is meaningless if only some people feel free and safe. We should all feel welcomed and secure in our communities regardless of our differences. They should be celebrated and embraced because our distinctions make us unique as human beings.
Our freedom is reinforced when we can stand by each other and hold each other up, whether through creative expression, political expression, or self-expression.
Our uniqueness helps us build a community and support each other. We each bring something different to the table and our differences build a large community of people who each have something we are good at doing.
Our freedom is reinforced when we can stand by each other and hold each other up, whether through creative expression, political expression, or self-expression. We must continue to support each other because if we do not protect our freedoms we will never fully get to feel safe and welcomed.
By creating an open community, we can celebrate and embrace our difference. They, after all, make us unique as human beings.
Wendy Rojo is managing editor of STREETZine.
The STREETZine is a monthly newspaper published by The Stewpot, a ministry of the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. The Stewpot provides services and resources for people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of being homeless. The organization also offers opportunities for a new life.
As part of this ministry, the STREETZine seeks to raise awareness about the issues surrounding homelessness and poverty. The monthly publication also offers financial opportunity for Stewpot clients who sell the paper to Dallas residents. Vendors are able to move towards economic self-sufficiency by using the money they receive from selling copies to purchase bus passes, food, and necessary living expenses. Clients also receive stipends for contributing articles to STREETZine
The content in STREETZine does not necessarily reflect the views or endorsement of its publisher, editors, contributors, sponsors or advertisers. To learn more about this publication, contact Betty Heckman, Director of Enrichment, 1835 Young Street, Dallas, Texas 75201 or BettyH@thestewpot.org. To read more about STREETZine, a member of the International Network of Street Papers, go to www. thestewpot.org/streetzine.
Managing Editor: Wendy Rojo
Editorial Advisory Board:
The Rev. Amos Disasa
Brenda Snitzer
Suzanne Erickson
Russell Coleman
Poppy Sundeen
Sarah Disasa
William McKenzie
Betty Heckman
Dee Leone
By Reverend Amos Jerman Disasa
Editor’s Note: The essay below is excerpted from a sermon Rev. Disasa recently delivered at the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. The sermon focused on Matthew 13: 24-30 and 36-40.
The kingdom of God is like a seed that falls in fertile soil, prepped for the planting of God’s word. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. The kingdom of God is like yeast. And it is like a treasure hidden in a field. It is like a merchant searching for the most exquisite pearl in the world. As soon as she finds it, she sells everything she has in order to buy it. And it is like a farmer who plants a wheat field that is sabotaged at night by a rival farmer.
All of these kingdoms of God sightings come from the 13th chapter of Matthew’s gospel. They are parables of judgment and grace. Grace for now, judgment for later. Sometimes the order is reversed.
These are parables of exponential growth — potential is packed in small, easily misplaced, hard-to-find objects that fall from the front pocket of a farmhand or thrive in the bosom of anonymous shellfish minding their business. And they are parables of final judgment in which grace is constrained by the limits of nature — birds eat the seeds before they sink in the soil and malicious weeds wind their roots through innocent wheat fields.
This is where we find ourselves today — stuck in a budding wheat field intended to evoke memories of God’s kingdom. The half-grown wheat came from seeds we carefully set in rows we methodically plowed. The soil was honest, so was the seed, so were our calloused hands and weary feet. No gimmicks, no tricks. No favors. The land always returns what we give to it.
We can bear what we don’t understand, those truths yet to be revealed hidden in the wisdom of God. But we know exactly where the weeds growing in our wheat field have come from. These weeds came from weed seeds planted by the farmer down the street.
He wants to ruin our crop, which would reduce the local market supply, thereby driving up prices for the wheat that’s left to sell, of which he would have plenty.
Or he is launching a new wall business, for which there is currently not a market because the farmers in town have no reason to worry about the security of their fields. But once they learn about an invasion of migrant weeds crossing open farm borders, there will be plenty of demand.
Or the farmer down the street is out for revenge because he blames our boss for a series of recent misfortunes. Or he wants to drive our farm out of business so he can buy it. Or he is bored and has nothing better to do than make trouble where there was none for the thrill of it.
The text doesn’t tell us which of the above scenarios matched the profile of the enemy that sowed the wheat field with weeds. What we do know is that these are not ordinary weeds.
Zizania is the word translated as weed in our reading. Zizania is the Greek word for what is more commonly known as darnel weed, which is frequently mistaken for wheat when both are young. Both are narrow and grasslike as they grow. But wheat kernels are golden when ripe. Darnel kernels turn black.
Which is maybe why it took so long for anyone to notice. By the time darnel was identifiable, the roots of the wheat and weed were intertwined. Removing one would uproot the other. Weeding the field now would threaten the wheat harvest later.
We know this to be true: How often the good things in life are corrupted by insidious forces working under the cover of darkness while honest folks are asleep. How often our senses are betrayed by surreptitious agents working under ground, burrowing deep into our institutions, our families, our houses of worship, our collective hopes, and prayers, and dreams for each other.
While the innocent sleep, or when we least expect it, small zizania seeds of suspicion and resentment take root in fields of grace and mercy. Before long
Continued on page 4
By Brenda Snitzer
As I reflect on our 249 years of Independence as a nation, I am conflicted about the cause of freedom in a nation that I love so very much. On the one hand, freedom has marched forward over our country’s history, not in a linear path, but nonetheless forward. And yet it is with sadness that I consider the course of freedom at this point in our history.
Freedom comes in waves, or so it seems.
In June, we celebrated Juneteenth, which is known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or Jubilee Day. It is the commemoration of June 19, 1865, the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free. The Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln had been issued January 1, 1863, but the news and the action freeing the enslaved African Americans in Galveston didn’t happen for two and a half more years. So, for the first 89 years of America’s independence and freedom, a big portion of our country did not experience that liberty.
Women were not given the right to vote until 1920, or I should say “white women.” Segregation, the misnomer of “separate but equal,” was found unconstitutional in 1954. But the Civil Rights Act didn’t come until 1964, outlawing discrimination in public accommodations and federally funded programs and employment. African Americans still were not guaranteed the right to vote until 1965.
Although these changes happened at the federal level, discrimination, prejudice, and racism have continued for people of color and those who are not heterosexual. And not just through individual acts, but through systems like denying loans to people in certain parts of town that have made it hard for some Americans to move forward.
These injustices have been a part of our history and continued into 2025. For a period, affirmative action provided strides in education and employment for people of color. But there was a backlash and affirmative action was reversed. More recently, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives have been struck down.
Unfortunately, despite substantial progress since 1863, there are varying degrees of freedoms for groups of people. And with the recent immigration raids, this country that was built on welcoming the “stranger” and the immigrant or those that needed asylum
is painting a very different picture of the United States as being home of the free. Even those who are natural citizens, with their families going back many generations in this country, can be accused of being an illegal immigrant just by the color of their skin.
The Statue of Liberty has primarily symbolized freedom, hope, and democracy and welcomed those coming to this country with its very name, “Liberty Enlightening the World.” France even gave us this symbol of our democracy to help celebrate the abolition of slavery in the United States.
But, troublingly, the hopes and dreams for freedom for so many are hanging in the balance in 2025. May we who are citizens strive to welcome those who come to our land seeking freedom and opportunity and who uphold our laws and live in peace with their neighbors. May we nurture those law-abiding “strangers” onto the pathways of citizenship, showing the promises symbolized in the Statute of Liberty.
I draw hope from the fact that our national experiment is not over. And I hold onto this passage from Romans 8:21: “That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
Continued from page 2
we become suspicious of the grace and resentful of the mercy extended to people we’ve judged are unworthy of either.
How often the good things in life are corrupted by insidious forces working under the cover of darkness while honest folks are asleep.
While the innocent tend to appearances, a few zizania seeds of comparison and competition slip beneath the surface. Soon their roots snake through the soil of our community, convincing us that love is scarce and belonging must be earned.
While the innocent preach peace and sing of unity, zizania seeds of selfrighteousness root quietly in the corners of our hearts. Before long, we confuse faithfulness with control and mistake certainty for holiness, choking out the wild and unpredictable movements of the Spirit.
Of course, the disciples ask, why the zizania are present at all. Jesus doesn’t seek to explain the motivations of the enemy. This is not a parable intended to answer questions about why bad things happen to good people. The enemy did it is enough of an answer.
What the farmer does tell his farmhands is to “Let it be.” Or “leave them alone.” It’s too risky. The roots of evil are wound too tightly around the roots of faithfulness. Zizania is everywhere, you can’t do anything about it right now. Let them grow together, give them both time, at the end of season, the two will be separated and all will be well. Notice that it won’t be the farmhands that separate
the wheat from the weeds. That is a task reserved for God’s reapers.
The same Jesus who says, “Let it be,” says “Do not resist” when John judged himself to be unworthy of baptizing Jesus in Matthew 3. The same Jesus who says to the disciples “Let it be,” says “Do not resist her” when they judge a woman’s attempts to anoint him with costly perfume an extravagant waste of money in Matthew 26. The same Jesus who tells the disciples “Let it be,” says “Do not intervene” and “Let the children come to me” when the disciples judge children to be a nuisance in Matthew 19:14. In every case, Jesus resists the urge to interrupt what is holy with our zealous impulse to control.
But please don’t be confused. “Let it be” is not apathy. It’s not indifference.
“Let it be” is the hard spiritual discipline of waiting for God instead of rushing in with our certainty. It’s the wisdom to recognize that we will not know what’s wheat and what’s weed until the final harvest, when the Son of God returns to redeem the world from all the zizanias we have seeded. The violence of war, the tribal sorting, the ethnic cleansing, the wall building, the wealth hoarding, all of it will be redeemed.
“Let it be” is the hard spiritual discipline of waiting for God instead of rushing in with our certainty.
So, we wait. We watch. We trust that God is tending the field in ways we cannot see. And we pray for the courage to live faithfully among the tangled roots.
Reverend Amos Jerman Disasa is senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas.
Matthew 13: 24-30 and 36-40
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Editor’s Note: Each Friday morning at 10 a.m., The Stewpot hosts a Writers’ Workshop. During the sessions, participants address selected topics through prose or poetry. In this edition of STREETZine, we feature the essays of writers that reflect how they view freedom and what makes them feel free.
By Mike McCall
The first thing that comes to my mind when I see the word freedom is how much we take it for granted. This is especially true for those who have lived in a country that does its best to offer and protect that freedom. Growing up in the United States, I became one of those individuals until my freedom was taken away for the first time.
For most, the loss of one’s freedom would forever leave them jaded. But it gave me a new appreciation for a privilege I had since overlooked.
The old song lyric — “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” — echoed in my ears after my first 24 hours behind bars. I was a 19-year-old man, full of ignorance and answers to everything, or so I had led myself to believe. This illusion was crushed after seeing the crowd of older, bigger, meaner, seasoned criminals I realized I was going to be sharing a roof with for the next few months. All the freedoms I had been taking for granted were stripped away.
Thankfully, I was able to make it through this ordeal without incident, more mature, and self-aware. But it was an eye-opener
By Evan Williams
Freedom means a lot to me, especially the freedom to attend church. The ability to go to church every day means I can read my Bible there. That makes me feel better.
I am now able to attend church every day, although one of my churches is moving away. While I am happy the church is moving in a better direction for its members, there might be days where I’ll have to alter my schedule and find another church to attend. Finding another church is one of my priorities.
This is important to me because participating in church gives me a sense of freedom. It does so through bringing me closer to God. Prayer brings me
as to what really matters in this world. While I did not learn from my experience like a normal human being, I did gain some needed education and life lessons. I would end up spending close to three more years making choices that would revoke my freedom.
While I developed a tolerance for losing my freedom behind bars, my biggest loss of freedom had been lurking in the shadows, slowly infiltrating my mind and spirit. What I am referring to now is the cage my addiction was putting me in while cloaking itself as a cure to all my problems. The craziest thing about it all was how much money I was spending to finance this erosion of freedoms I was given at birth.
When you get incarcerated, your freedoms are stripped for free. When you suffer from addiction, you pay this revocation with your time, relationships, savings, future, employment, health, and for some, your life.
Over the course of 25 years, I turned my mind into a landscape stripped of all its minerals and my surroundings into a forest without any trees due to all the things I cut out of my life. This became a very lonely and ugly existence with only two abilities left: chase pleasure or avoid
closer to God through talking with Him.
Reading my Bible in church and throughout the week brings me closer to experiencing and understanding freedom. The exercise makes me more peaceful and that gives me a sense of calm.
Of course, when I hear about freedom, I think of the Fourth of July. I’m familiar with America’s struggle for freedom because it is on display during the Fourth with fireworks that get better over time. Kaboom Town in Addison’s fireworks display illustrates what freedom means to America.
Firework shows are celebratory attractions for people of all ages. A good firework show can bring a whole community happiness because of
pain. My freedom to do anything else had vanished along with my will to live.
I was already on my 10th second chance and for some reason or another I was given one more. The irony of the situation came when I found my mental and spiritual freedoms behind the same bars that took them away the first time.
While I was incarcerated, I gained freedom from my oppressive addictions and my disregard for my own well-being. I found solace in the chaos as I slowly regained control. I was not free to do what I wanted but I was granted the freedom to find myself again.
These events helped me become the man I am today. One that no longer takes the simple things in life for granted. A man who knows what it is like to lose it all just so you can see the truth. Freedom is a privilege that I no longer take lightly. Without it, I became the darkest version of myself until I learned to respect these freedoms and use them to my advantage. I suggest you take a minute and sit in silence. Utilize your freedom to be grateful for the freedom you truly deserve.
Mike McCall is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
the bright colors, unique sounds, and technical variety. In their own way, they bring a sense of calm.
Evan Williams is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
By Darin Thomas
Freedom means more than one thing to me. It can mean being free from hurt and pain. It can mean being free from incarceration. And it can mean being free from a bad relationship. I could go on and on but let me offer one example.
I hated my dad for so long that I thought I was going crazy. I thought about how he used to beat my mother and hurt her mentally and physically. Not just my mother, but my brother, my three sisters, and me. I had love for my father for trying to be a dad from time to time. But when he murdered my mother, I lost all love for him.
I loved my mom and wanted her back. But she was gone, dead and gone. I had so much hate and didn’t know what would come of my life. I wanted to die, just give up on life. I didn’t care to live. I needed help, someone to show me love and compassion.
My granny, Bertrue Siddall, gave me that love. She did a good job raising me and my siblings. She started taking me to church and having me read the Bible, which was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. I let God and Jesus Christ come into my life, helping
By Ty Umondak
and showing me how to be a forgiving human being and letting people know the real me.
I truly forgave my father for what he did to my mother, my sisters, my brother, and me. He took our mother from us and did something to us for life. Through Jesus Christ, I was able to forgive him for her death and for taking us through hurt and depression. I give my Heavenly Father and Lord and Savior all the glory in Jesus Christ’s name. This is a true saying about a person having true freedom in their life.
Now I pray that my time is coming soon for me to be released from being incarcerated. I’m praying for that freedom very soon so I can enjoy my outside freedom.
Life is short, so pick up and enjoy your freedom on this earth. Know there’s life after this one. Your freedom could be good or bad. You get to choose your own destination and how to spend your freedom in the next life.
Freedom is the mind that is free from social norms but allows the norms the liberty to inform.
True freedom brings us into purpose which can ignite the flame that brings our gifts to the surface.
Freedom is the courage to love unconditionally.
Sometimes freedom is freedom from oneself in order for us to become someone else.
Freedom can be far or it can be close. It’s the door to the heart that must be opened or closed.
Real freedom brings healing, not just a feeling, but it starts with one ingredient and that’s believing.
Belief in the midst of poverty, belief in the midst of fear, sickness, and disease, belief during trying times. There was a belief in the midst of our nation’s captivity at one point in history;
Yet freedom was a choice, and freedom had a voice!
Ty Umondak is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
For me, I want to take my freedom seriously and live life to its fullness. I don’t want to take my freedom for granted.
a
By James Varas
Freedom is a powerful expression because it requires so much understanding to truly grasp its meaning. Freedom can mean something to one person and be completely different to another.
Let me explain:
I have often thought we as Americans have a great responsibility to preserve our freedoms. And we have fought wars to do so. The Civil War was waged for all to have equal rights
I once thought it was better to stay clear of any conflict and remain quiet while the rest began to fight for their views. I thought it was my job just to love one another and let God take care of the rest. But I watched a world quickly change and it was embracing a very sandy foundation.
People began fighting for the rights of something that might seem wicked to God. They began to fight for men wanting
By Gershon Trunnell
to marry men and women wanting to marry women. This is not how God planned it. If it were so, then men and men could reproduce, and women and women could reproduce with no help from the other gender.
I get it. They are still people but so are we. Why do we have to change our views to meet those of a warped society?
If we remain quiet as Christians, I have a feeling God will start holding us accountable for the fall of humanity. What I am saying is if we let evil and wickedness use their voice and do not defend what is right according to our beliefs, and do not speak up for our doctrines as Christians, then what good is our voice?
We must stand for God’s Holy Light and shatter the darkness that is trying to take over this world. When we are in heaven, that will be another story; now our voices are on this earth.
I feel we should really try to preserve the goodness that still shines throughout our land. Today, though, I see a battle for
They say we are free to speak, but what can we say in freedom? In today’s generation, the word freedom is an incarcerated word, because it has so many boundaries and loopholes. The definition of freedom: to obtain or achieve without cost or consequence. It means to do what you want at your leisure — able to go wherever you want to go. It’s not being hindered.
I try to express myself freely and truthfully, but when I can’t say certain things, I am limited as to what I can and can’t express. If I say I’m Hebrew, people get nervous. I should be able to represent my lineage and true history while people who have no idea of who I am tell me that I can’t be me. I should be able to express my heritage without being scrutinized.
I love to make and wear my clothes and do everything I want to do. But with limited freedom, it’s hard to do. For example, I may have a design in my hair that I cut into a style. People may try to copy what I do. Sometimes people copy my work. With this being said, how can I be free? This is what I mean. I do things differently than others, dress differently. I see people wearing the same styles as each other. I don’t want to be mistaken for anyone else. Freedom to be different!
Gershon Trunnell is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Worksop.
goodness being fought by the bride of Christ, which is His body of believers. I see His love shining through them, and they one day will join Him in heaven.
The battle is to preserve our right to worship and praise our Jesus Christ. As an example, some people dispute whether we are allowed to pray while attending public schools. Those who favor prayer claim the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment protects religious freedom. In the other corner, those who oppose religious freedom believe the Establishment Clause of that same amendment prohibits promoting religious freedom in public schools.
To me, freedom means my right to fight for the Light. And, in this case, it means standing up for the right to pray in classrooms and my right to choose a bride that is of opposite gender. I fight for goodness to prevail in a world that has lost its way.
James Varas is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
By Kenneth Henry
As you get older, a person realizes you cannot take freedom for granted as in your early years. In my case, freedom has meant something a little different because of experiencing homelessness. Living at the shelter, you have rigid rules; A 6:00 p.m. curfew, certain times to eat, and you’re not allowed to bring food or snacks into the shelter. I miss having late night snacks to eat.
Privacy is another freedom I do not have right now. There are people around you all the time. You have to wait in a long line to eat meals and are get seated in the cafeteria. Once you are seated, the security guards rush a person to eat in 10 minutes.
Using the restroom becomes an adventure. Sometimes you have to wait in line depending on how many people are in there. The restrooms are not very sanitary at times. The showers are the same. A person has to wait for a shower to open up and use.
Sleeping is another freedom I don’t have right now. I am surrounded by other people and their whims, such as snoring, loud music, and cellphones going off in the middle of the night.
By Vicki Gies
Not having a car is another freedom that I took for granted. I miss being able to hop in my car and go where I need to go. I now depend on buses and trains to get where I need to go.
As my housing gets closer, I am looking forward to having my privacy back and having the freedom to come and go as I please. Just having food that I want to eat is exciting to me. I think many people take these freedoms for granted until they lose them, like I did.
Of course, I do not take the bigger freedoms for granted. I am thankful to be living in a country where you can make our own choices, good or bad, to live life the way you want. I am thankful for being able to choose an occupation and the freedom to go to any school you want for an education. I am thankful for free speech and being able to express our opinions.
us celebrate our personal and public freedoms and have a wonderful Fourth of July.
In conclusion, freedom means different things from one person to another. I have learned not to take anything for granted. With all the tension in the world,
Freedom is the basic foundation of America. There are so many ways that freedom can be expressed. For example, I have the freedom of commercial speech (my stories in STREETZine); and I have the freedom to choose...
What church I want to go to;
Which religion I choose to follow;
How I choose to spend my life;
Who I want to vote for;
What I want to wear;
What music I want to listen to;
What books I want to read, including the Bible.
There are so many countries that don’t allow certain freedoms, such as what to wear; how to wear your hair; who or what to worship, if any; women’s total freedom; what school or any other form of education to choose; and anyone’s freedom of speech in voice or commercial!
I’m so glad and grateful to God that I can live free!
Vicki Gies is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.
Daniel J. Boorstin
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.
Kris Kristofferson
Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.
Pope John Paul II
Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.
Moshe Dayan
Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.
George Orwell
Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it. Pericles
Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.
Hunter S. Thompson
Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
Mahatma Gandhi
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
Ronald Reagan
Freedom lies in being bold.
Robert Frost
Freedom is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be.
James Baldwin
Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.
Epictetus
Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose — and commit myself to — what is best for me.
Paulo Coelho
Freedom is the will to be responsible for ourselves.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Freedom is obedience to self-formulated rules.
Aristotle
Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.
Albert Camus
Editor’s Note: The following essays showcase various themes that the writers have addressed. These blog posts, along with many others, can be found online at www.thestewpot.org/street-level
By Savita Vega
There’s an ‘80s song by Bruce Hornsby and The Range that captures many people’s sentiments today about those experiencing homelessness. The chorus chimes, “A man in a silk suit hurries by/As he catches the poor old lady’s eyes/Just for fun he says, ‘Get a job.’” The basic ideology underlying the comment, of course, is that if she would just get a job, her problems would be solved.
This may well have been the case in 1935 at the height of the Great Depression when my father was born — or even in 1950 following World War II. But today’s economic landscape is very different. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, as many as 40 to 60 percent of people experiencing homelessness are employed, as was I when I became homeless.
I still remember the timing very well — precisely when I was evicted — because it corresponded with seasonal lows in sales at my work in a retail store and, thus, with a cutback in hours. In December, during the Christmas rush, when my employer needed all the help they could get, I had been working not just fulltime but overtime for weeks
on end. Then came January and the seasonal slump in sales, and suddenly my hours were cut from 45 or 50 per week down to five with no warning.
I just opened the app on my phone with my new work schedule and saw that I was only down for five hours. At the same time, I had rent that was coming due in a couple of weeks. My income had just gone from $2,200 a month or more with overtime to something like $270. I had no idea what I was going to do. I knew that this was not the time of year to be looking for a job. No one in retail would be hiring then. At the same time, my boss was encouraging me to just “hang on,” explaining that this happened every year in their store and assuring me that the hours would go back up soon enough.
So, with what money I had saved from the overtime pay I made during the holidays, I managed to scrape up just enough to cover rent for February and March, which brought me to the end of my lease but also left me completely broke and behind on some of my other bills. In addition, my car had broken down, and I didn’t have the money to fix it, so I was without transportation.
All of this led me to choose the path of re-signing a lease, despite the fact that my rent went up 55 percent, from $937 to
$1,450. First, I didn’t have enough savings left to use for deposits for another apartment. Secondly, what money I had coming in had to go to bills. And having no car, I was very limited in my ability to even go out and search for another apartment. Therefore, although it was against my better judgment, knowing I couldn’t afford it, I signed the lease.
Fortunately, hours did pick up a bit and my employer even began to hire new workers. Through a referral, I got my daughter on, and she began to work there as her first job, which increased our household income somewhat. Still, it just wasn’t enough. The $1,450 in rent along with other household bills was simply too steep for our incomes to cover.
The apartment complex wouldn’t allow for partial payment of rent, and the April rent went unpaid as did May. By June, fortunately, my daughter was away in Savannah staying with her boyfriend who was finishing up the final semester of his master’s degree at Savannah College of Art and Design. I went to court alone and was evicted. By then I was back to working full-time, but it was too late.
Savita Vega is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
By Jason Turner
Have you ever walked into a room and felt all alone? Glared at by everyone, uncontrollably uncomfortable, but then a person arrives and just brightens up your entire experience?
The first thing that may get your attention is the outfit the person chooses to wear. When I get up in the morning and get dressed, I like to remember the saying, “dress for success.” Dressing to impress can lead to a great outcome in any situation.
A smile is the next crucial part of coming off in a good way. A smile brings comfort and can mean you are easily approachable. When people smile at me, I feel more relaxed and know that they notice me.
Making good eye contact also is a grand gesture. It shows you are paying attention to someone, although it is hard for me to make eye contact. That sometimes makes me nervous and then I forget what I’m talking about.
By Mike McCall
This world is full of pages bound together in a book, decorated with words, forming a verbal painting full of ideas and stories. The power of words has always been a foundational structure for civilizations. They inspire, inform, create beliefs, and educate our youth. And for some individuals, finding the right book can change their lives.
The book that captivated me — “Refuge Recovery” — taught me how to live my life without drugs and alcohol. For those who have never heard of this book, it is a Buddhist-inspired path to recovery.
Like many other addicts and alcoholics, the traditional groups that have been around for years didn’t seem to help me as much as they did others. Just as an individual’s tastes are unique to their preferences, so are the tools for recovery. You need to find the one that works best for you.
After years of failed attempts and trying to force-feed myself a choice I didn’t find helpful, I found what I needed in the gold-and-black book with three diamonds
I don’t want my list of important gestures to feel like an interview class, but a firm handshake or a natural high-five is important, too. If appropriate, a hug can even be better. And a nod in favor of what’s being talked about is another kind gesture.
Some of these may work for you and some may not. People do perceive everything differently. I once heard that 90% of misunderstandings are linked to non-verbal communication. I don’t know if that exact percentage is correct, but these are a few gestures that are important for me, and I try to use them wherever I go.
a conversation progresses, I try to use signals to show acceptance. I don’t try too hard to fit in, but I always remember to smile.
Sometimes people call me very animated, and I have been told to tone it down on occasion. I enjoy letting people know how I feel, whether it is good or bad, As
on the cover. “Refuge Recovery” gave me the hope that I need, the methods to achieve it, and a group of like-minded individuals to come home to.
The path to recovery is rarely successful without support and guides to show you the way. The path requires you to believe in something bigger than yourself and a willingness to try something different. I was fortunate enough to embrace these requirements in the practice of meditation, The Four Noble Truths, and The Noble Eight-Fold Path. “Refuge Recovery” teaches you these methods to overcome your addictive behaviors and live a life full of joy and acceptance.
This book changed my life because I had spent 25 years battling a lifestyle that controlled me. One I repeatedly tried to escape without avail. One that was destined to kill me one way or the other. A way of life I didn’t want to live anymore but was so powerful I couldn’t let it go.
That is, until I found the path that provided refuge from the storm and a path to escape its damage. A path to the lifestyle I have adopted for almost three years now and one I’m trying to help others find for themselves. A sober life,
Jason Turner is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
full of joy and fulfillment. The life I was meant to live learning how to thrive and not just survive. One in which I wake up every day full of gratitude and purpose.
All because of the combined letters that filled the page with the words I needed to hear and the skills I needed to achieve the freedom my soul was seeking. Simply put, “Refuge Recovery” fed my soul with the light I yearned for through most of my life.
Mike McCall is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
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CHAPTER 31, SECTION 31-35 of the Dallas City Code
Solicitation by coercion; solicitation near designated locations and facilities; solicitation anywhere in the city after sunset and before sunrise any day of the week. Exception can be made on private property with advance written permission of the owner, manager, or other person in control of the property.
A person commits an offense if he conducts a solicitation to any person placing or preparing to place money in a parking meter.
The ordinance specifically applies to solicitations at anytime within 25 feet of:
Automatic teller machines, exterior public payphones, public transportation stops, self-service car washes, self-service gas pumps, an entrance or exit of a bank, credit union, or similar financial institution, outdoor dining areas of fixed food establishments.
