For the first time ever, since hubby and I have been together, we locked the door of our house when we left for work this morning.  It’s a sad day for us.

We live in a town of 100 souls.  We know everyone and everyone knows us and we’ve never felt the need to lock our door.  Friends can’t drop stuff of or pick stuff up if the door is locked.  We have no worldly possessions worth stealing.  there has never been a need to lock up.

And believe it or not, we‘re not locking our door because rowdy kids are breaking into homes, no gangs, nothing like that.  But a 60 yr old woman.  She was brain damaged in a car accident decades ago. Her husband doesn’t get her any help or won’t admit how messed up she is.  She wanders endlessly around town, steals things, helps herself to other people’s booze.

Night before last I wasn’t home, but my husband said she stopped at our house and wanted to come in and visit.  In the twelve years I’ve been here, I’ve always been friendly, or at least civil to her, but certainly never ever invited her into my home.  I doubt if I would have liked her even before she was nuts.  

I can’t even imagine why she would stop here, and when I’m not even around. He sent her packing.  He has no tolerance for any people other than family being in the house. And he certainly doesn’t “visit“.  She told my hubby people have been accusing her of doing things she hasn’t done and she just wanted to talk.  

Hmmm, let’s see, stealing the communion wine out of the church? Driving without a license and hitting a pedestrian?  (said pedestrian too nice to press charges)  Stealing beer out of people’s houses, going into other people’s houses when they‘re not home?  These are all things that it’s well knwon she’s done.   And she wants someone to feel sorry for her?????

It’s sad.  Our health care system lets these damaged individuals slip thru the cracks.  A community deals with them as long as they can.  She should be in an institution of some sort, but the only way she will be off the streets is if she ends up  in jail.  It would be the same way if she was a messed up 19 yr old.  Why is the mental health care system in this country so non-existent?