Week 13: Four of Hearts

 Jenna and Hagai were over for Gwumpkies so I made them pick a card when our dinner was through.  Jenna was astounded to find the Golem of Prague haunting my cards.  You can read more about the folklore here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem

 Jenna shuffled, Hagai cut the deck, and Jenna picked what she said was 'Perfect for Easter' - taking CTA cards to a homeless shelter.  I'm not sure what prompted me to write this goal other than I generally feel a calling to help those less fortunate.  Perhaps the snowy day when I was brainstorming my list made me think how fortunate I was to have a warm, comfortable home when so many others don't.  Maybe my thoughts drifted to my job search - and my interim step back into school while I looked and tried to figure things out.  It may have been that my new snow boots arrived and I was feeling particularly blessed that I was born into a family that could (and did) support my move and graciously offer me a place to stay so I could have this great adventure... and use my savings for something frivolous like new boots instead of hoarding every penny and worrying about where my next meal would come from, where I would lay my head, and if I'd be warm enough when the temperatures were sub-zero.  My thoughts are always with those who do not have it easy like I do.

CTA (or Ventra) cards seemed like a good idea to me at the time.  I have loved riding the busses and 'L' to get to my destinations.  It's nice to not have the hassle of a car and people watching is an added bonus.  While I think it's pretty reasonable to spend $2.25 to get where I want to go, I do recognize that it's a luxury... and $2.25 can add up quickly (as is evident by the amount of times I've been caught off guard when my card says 'insufficient funds' and I think it's only been a couple weeks since it's been loaded)!  So I thought it may be nice to help other people who are also looking for work - and for whom the $2.25 to get to a job interview may be too much of a burden to overcome.  You'd hope that you could find a job close by... walking distance would be ideal... but the city's a big place and jobs are hard to come by - I'm now trekking an hour and a half to Hyde Park for mine... So if a Ventra card or two could help someone get to an interview, get a job, end the cycle of poverty... well, I guess that was my ultimate hope when I made this goal.