I always seem to be apologising

Hi to all of you, sorry not to have posted anything for a while, but have had a chronic Arthritis flare up, and for the last week have spent most of it in bed, with umpteen painkillers, finally on Thursday my Surgeon, decided to agree to a total Knee replacement within the next 12 weeks, this should take the constant pain away, at lease from the area which is worst, suffice to say, I have not been blogging or indeed writing, very difficult with swollen painful finger joints. Any way apology over and I am back,
I wanted to share with you something I wrote in Baltimore, following a talk with a homeless street person, it may have to be in two instalments, dependent on how my hands hold out.

The Tragedy of the American Homeless.

As I walk around the Canton district, I see forlorn and in the main elderly street people, wearing layer upon layer of clothing from the thrift stores and the charity bins at the local Churches, pushing their handcarts, containing their worldly goods.
Ed, a guy I have seen a number of times, and bought him numerous coffee's and sandwiches, is willing to talk to me.
His story is like so many others, back in the UK, marriage break-up, repossession of family home. He has been on the streets for 17 years, surviving on handouts and soup kitchens, clothing and the occasional bath from charitable concerns.
He has a hacking cough, and a real shortness of breath. His clothes are held together with twine and pins. His handcart is overflowing with his precious belongings, spare shoes and clothes he can layer onto what he is wearing as the weather gets even colder. A zimmer frame for when he is not pushing the handcart.
He tells me he is 52, younger than me, but to my eyes he looks in his late 70's or early 80's, I a shocked. His weathered face, so full of expression, and still he has remarkably twinkly eyes. If you manage to catch a smile, which is rare, his whole face transforms, and lights up.

(to be continued tomorrow)