Life Uncommon

It’s been too long since my last post. Thanks for hanging in there. As the year comes to a close, I am doing lots of thinking about life and our common humanity.

Our dog Chaplin goes to doggie day care at Barkway. He goes there at least every other week, when our cleaning lady comes to the house. For the day, Chaplin is in a heated playroom, complete with other fun dogs, TV to watch, sofas to jump on, an outside jungle gym, and webcams. His dads spend more work time than we should watching Chaplin frolic on the webcam with his day care pals. As I was driving to pick up Chaplin the other night it got me thinking about how lucky Chaplin is, and how lucky we are to be able spoil him in this way.

There are two large shelters on the way to Barkway, the Rescue Mission and Samaritan House. I stop by to each one several times a year to drop off clothes and household things we don’t need anymore. There are always lots of people standing in lines for a meal or a place to sleep. On this particular Friday the temperature was a bit on the cold side. It is winter in Denver. These people spent the day outside, and probably much longer, while Chaplin was at Barkway. I pondered how different the day was for these fellow human beings than it was for Chaplin. I was thankful that I increased my donation to United Way this year and that my employer matched my United Way donation. I was proud of the great work the folks at the Mayor’s program Denver's Road Home are doing in their project to end homelessness in Denver. But how will we get people on the road to a home if the concept of Not In My BackYard (NIMBY) is so front of mind to many of our fellow human beings?

A large Denver-based non-profit is ready to break ground on a new building that will help its clients living with AIDS to not be homeless and to better care for themselves. This building will be built on a vacant lot in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, around the corner from Denver’s infamous Midtown Spa. Partnering with a real estate developer and with the City and County of Denver, this non-profit has the approval from every city agency and historical review board. This non-profit is receiving a grant from the city as part of the funding to build this apartment building. The plans show for it to fit in with the neighborhood. Since most of the residents do not have cars (remember, they were just homeless) it will not add traffic to the neighborhood. The neighborhood residents are fighting the city to make this grant. These residents would rather have “those people” living on the street than in a building in their neighborhood.

It made me sad to read some of the public comments about people living with AIDS that these neighborhood residents made to city council. Fearful and hateful. Even today. Bill Clinton recently told us that the biggest problem facing the world today was that our differences are viewed as more important than our common humanity. It could not be more true in this instance. And it made me so proud that this non-profit is working with the real estate developer and with city council to make this happen in the neighborhood. Hopefully, a road home.

OK, in the spirit of full disclosure, I chair the board of directors of this large Denver-based non-profit and will present to City Council on 12/26. Board of directors aside, I hope that if I were one of these neighbors that my interest in common humanity would guide my response. Everyone should have a Life Uncommon.