It's official - I'm a journalist

Time flies.
These past two weeks have been a whirlwind and I need more coffee.
Lots of coffee.

On September 10, I began my internship at Street Sense.  As soon as I stepped into the tiny office in the beautiful Church of the Epiphany, I was put to work editing the articles.  It was production day - that biweekly day of chaos before the paper goes to the press.
I stared at the computer from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. editing errors.  And I loved it!  It was actually strange how much I loved it.  I'm thinking my calling in life is probably copy editing more than it is news reporting.

Selfies in the tiny office....because my editor wasn't there and I was dressed nicer than normal.

The memory of 9/11 filled the minds of most Americans, including the Street Sense vendors (homeless men and women who buy papers from us and then sell them on the street to make a living).  Every Wednesday morning is the writer's workshop and there were several vendors in the office on 9/11 discussing the anniversary of the largest attack on American soil in any of our lifetimes, writing about how it made them feel.
They always like the interns.
We interns are fresh, innocently ignorant fools (no offense to any interns to whom that description does not apply) - a new audience for their stories.
To lighten the serious topic of mental illness - a common condition among those experiencing homelessness - Jacqueline told me a story about a time when she mistook a plastic bag on the sidewalk for a giant crab.
She credited God for holding her sanity together during her roller-coaster life on the streets.

I'm amazed at how my stereotypes of homeless people have been so quickly shattered.  Despite my prior experience in homeless ministries, I had mental blocks through which I interpreted my interactions with the homeless.
Street Sense wrecked those blocks.

There is no typical homeless person.
Jeffrey is a Conservative Republican.
Cynthia loves physics more than she loves her drugs.
Carlton is enraged that he found out through facebook that his son got in a car accident.
Reggie calls me Green Ivy and is the biggest comic book nerd I've ever met.

These people have already brightened my life, and I've only known them for two weeks!

On the 17th I interviewed the executive director of the Central Union Mission at the site of their new building under construction.  Like a genius, I wore sandals to a construction site.  They made an exception for me and I still got to see the first floor of the building.
Oh, and I rocked that hard hat, reflective vest, and those safety glasses they made me wear.  Neon yellow is definitely my color.

Not.

The historic Gales School building - new location for the Central Union Mission.

I'm blessed to work with a wide variety of interns as well.  One of the girls in my program (WJC), a fellow-Californian, is at Street Sense as well, so we commute together every day.  One intern is from Germany; another from Sweden.  Two others are semi-locals.  Our various experiences come together in a blend not unlike the diversity that America is prized for.

It's difficult to be an outspoken political conservative and work with the homeless at the same time.  When I was removed from the situation, it all seemed so black and white.  If you work hard, and make wise choices, you will succeed in life.  But the American dream isn't all it's cracked up to be, and the problem of homelessness isn't that simple.  Compassion goes a long way.  I keep silent and listen more than I try to convince others of my point of view.
My political views have by no means drastically shifted, but my time at Street Sense will influence my thinking for life.

Every day, my beliefs are challenged.
Every day, I'm faced with the results of evil in the world and the incredible beauty found in compassion.
Every day, I'm grateful that God placed me at Street Sense.

And every day, I contemplate my growing need for coffee.  The pumpkin spice latte and incoming Fall weather are only adding to this problem.