From Kent, one of the TTWS faithful (thankfully):

That pigeon photo reminds me of something that happened to me last Spring. Coming back from my favorite Starbucks one morning, I saw two pigeons at the foot of a big cement planter by the edge of a bridge. One of them was standing right next to the planter, so close that it was completely out of the rain (which was coming down at an angle), with its head slumped way forward. The other one was sort of standing beside the first, away from the planter. It seemed to be making little noises towards the first one.

Later that morning, after the rain had stopped, I came back to that same place. The first pigeon was still there, and still in that same slumped forward position, but this time it was all alone. I guess its companion must've finally realized that it wasn't going to wake up. Sometimes I think people don't give animals like pigeons enough credit for having thoughts and feelings.

About the Jersey shore - I've never been there, but I think I remember seeing ads for some amusement park at Asbury Park inside comic books that I used to read when I was very young. To be able to take a weekend trip or even a day trip to someplace like that seems to me to be an important sign of mental health, and a good way to help maintain it. I think the ease of being able to do that is one advantage that the northeastern U.S. has over other, less sparsely populated areas. I remember once taking a trip like that with a friend from Boston to the historic town of Concord, Massachusetts. We took a train (I think it was a "commuter train" - run mainly for commuters, but I'm not sure).

The sense of independence and adventure that experiences like that can give you - even when things don't go exactly right - can really improve your outlook on life and the world in general. I think it's a shame that poverty prevents many people from being able to have such experiences. It's a shame that poverty is such a constant companion to so many of us who have been through the mental health system - I think such poverty is often one of the biggest obstacles to recovery.