The people who choose and the people who have no choice

Thousands of activists showed up today at the plaza, along with lots of media, although I do not know if any mainstream media was there. Hopefully they were.

It is dark, late, close to midnight and I have returned to the truck parked in a neighborhood by Jenefer's home, to quickly grab my sleeping bag and pillow and I will return to the plaza. When I left the plaza, it looked like 50+ people were sleeping on the sides of the plaza already.

I walk the 1.8 miles to the truck, down Pennsylvania to Constitution, passed the Capitol, and the streets are strewn with bodies. Many are sleeping on benches, in alcoves, across doorways, only slight humps under their ratty sleeping bags or cheap polyester holy blankets; or occasional muffled hacking coughs from a pile of thin, warn blankets hinting at life under covers. Cement sidewalks or metal slatted benches become the mattress, huge umbrellas or folded newspapers the protection from light, chill, and potential rain.

The people who are choosing to 'sleep' outside, and the people who have no choice but to sleep outside. Let us count our privileges.