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LETTER: My current occupation

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Staff

So, here I am, occupying a public place, by the Chapel Hill courthouse. I stopped to sit for a moment and watch the show. I’m not protesting, even though recently, I finally lost my truck, job and home. After the past few years of struggle, it’s almost a relief. Not much to lose now. Why worry? The few tents pitched here remind me of a storms aftermath. The few people milling around resemble storm victims, waiting for help to arrive, while knowing that it won’t, but hoping anyway.
Some are young. Others are old. Here waits a real cross-section of society. These are regular people, trying to survive the anarchy of corporate rule. Survivors are what we are, now, in our own country. The occupiers have been considerate to me. They immediately offered me food, and warmth. They didn’t yell about the man, or the system. They simply welcomed me, as if I belong in my own hometown. Most of them claim our village as their home, even while homeless, like me. Although I have been priced out of my village, Chapel Hill will always be where I belong. It is my hill, shared with the state.
Shivering here, I notice that the cold wind floats the soft voices of women singing, easing the chill, a bit. Funny, how that helps. It signifies community. That’s what we’ve lost – each other. I suppose that if we must occupy yet another country, at least this time, it’s our own. I’m reassured that someone is pointing at the problem, while they are laughed at, and insulted, for performing the public service. Walk on by. Live it up, for tomorrow.

Charles Little
Chapel Hill

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