A thread for DUers that are MIA

[brer cat]

31. I was in email contact with Bobolink

when she dropped out here. Her situation was dire: she was living in her car and very low on money with little hope of improving her situation. She was losing the support of friends and groups that helped her in the past.

Bobolink was a passionate voice for the homeless and those in need of medical/mental health services. One of the most painful lessons I learned from her was of the total loss of dignity that came from being in her situation, and how some people chose to walk away from the "solutions" we as a society offer rather than give up the last shred of their control over their lives. The inadequacy of our society to deal with people requiring understanding and empathy along with meeting basic housing needs and health services is unacceptable, but solving it is very complex.

I pray that she found an acceptable safety net somewhere. We all needed the experience she brought to our discussions, because almost none of us will ever know that total devastation.