Connecticut Green Living

I spent the other night outdoors, because I am job and apartment searching and couldn't afford my Airbnb. A family member helped the next day, after I realized I'd developed frostnip. If you are wondering why "the" homeless -- a cruel way to categorize individuals -- avoid shelters, consider this: I have had a respiratory illness and no private rooms are available. A warming center I considered allows pets. I am terrified of pitbulls and some other breeds. Bundling up, I neglected a crucial body part: my wrists. With so many layers, my sweaters scooched up my arms, causing me to look like that kid at school whose mother dresses her funny in winter . But none of this is a laughing matter. When the human body is forced into this extreme cold, frostbite (which is more serious than frostnip) can occur in just a few minutes. The National Weather Service says, "Exposure to cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia and become life-threatening. Infants and elderly peop...