The Homeless

Can you Imagine?

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As the weather grows colder my thoughts turn to those trying to survive on the streets. All of our prayers should be directed toward them. 582,000 people without a home in the United States. 171,000 in California alone. Isn’t that crazy and hopelessly sad? I cannot imagine not having somewhere to lay down my head at night. Walking the streets, adrift in misery. Alone and unwashed, facing another day of figuring out how to get through it. Where to go, how to wash up, get something to eat. What to do all day. 

One Day to the Next

One minute life is good, we have a house, a job and our future looks set. Suddenly catastrophe strikes, your job is no longer, the bank is coming after your house, and panic sets in. 

Suddenly you are parked out on the curb with nowhere to go. Your only possessions are in a backpack you have slung over your shoulder. It takes a monumental effort to get up. You stand, looking at the house that was one yours. The life you once had. Gone now, ashes to ashes dust to dust. Tears fill your eyes, an emptiness settles as you turn and walk away from the life you once had.

As you walk toward the city it gets busy with people. Everyone in a rush, all needing to be somewhere ten minutes ago. Except you, you have nowhere to go, nowhere to be. 

Sitting on a bench in the park seems like a good idea. People watching is always fun. Until it isn’t. Having a life before you used to marvel at the homeless wandering the park. You’d think to yourself, how can they let something like that happen? Now, you are among them. It’s a secret, but not a secret society. The homeless have their own rules, their own laws they abide by.

It Isn't Their Fault

 Believe it or not, many homeless people start out trying to improve their lives by looking for jobs. Stopping by a local McDonalds  and using their restrooms to clean themselves up, look presentable. It is a struggle, certainly being on the streets for over a year, a job would be nearly impossible to find. Making yourself presentable after a year of hardship and struggle on the streets would be  monumentally difficult.

Sleep is something that happens on a park bench, under a bridge, or in a tent made of boxes. If you are lucky you will find others who are in the same situation. Danger is constantly your companion, as many homeless people desperately want what meager belongings you have left. Some won’t think twice about stealing anything that makes their lives a little easier. 

Acceptance Doesn't Make it Easier

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Finally, an acceptance settles in, this is your life now. Dumpster diving for food, always seeking shelter. You’ve lost your base, your foundation, your life. Reality slaps you in the face hard. Depression sets in, making it hard to even move. Many turn to drugs, they’d rather be high, it’s their way of dealing with the course their life took. It’s a collision to nowhere as they spiral further and further into a cycle of abuse and deprivation.

Sleeplessness happens, unless you find yourself in a shelter overnight, keeping an eye out for nefarious people who silently approach and seek to do harm. Shelters can be dangerous also. Never leave any belongings behind, they won’t be there when you get back. You need eyes in the back of your head. Sleeping in spurts, the constant noise of snores, sniffles, and muted conversations. Shelters need time to regroup so you find yourself once more thrust out onto the streets wandering aimlessly with no direction in mind. Your walk turns into a shuffle, then turns into a non walk. Lying on the sidewalks, discarded, dirty, in need of a shower, hopelessness etched forever on your face. The sparkle in your eyes is gone, your body's odor has become your only companion. 

It Could Be You or Me

According to a recent report 62% of us are one paycheck away from being homeless. An emergency room visit or a car in need of fixing can drive a family out of their home. With little to no savings, many people live in fear of being put out onto the street.

Life on the streets can be a demoralizing, humiliating experience. The mental struggle alone is frightening and dehumanizing. Isolation and abuse is hard to bear. The lifespan of a homeless person is shorter than you think. Many sink into a deep depression unable to pull themselves out. Their lives take a deep dive into nowhere. The comforts of home are no longer available, their mental health shatters leaving them desolate and utterly terrified. Unable to become accustomed to the streets, they suffer a soul shaking barren, lost existence until life takes them, and they leave this earth. 

A senseless tragedy, forgotten and forsaken by others as they roam the streets, looked at with disgust or distain. They become a shell of who they once were, shame shadows their face. Unrecognizable, yet unforgettable as they walk the streets. Their clothes are filthy, their hair unwashed and ragged, desperately in need of a combing. We all look the other way, giving them a wide berth. As if what they have is contagious, if we get too close, we could catch it.

Help Them Out

Empathy goes a long way. Putting yourself in their shoes is a way to learn. Go out and buy some socks, toiletries, hand warmers, and food. Give them to the next homeless person you see. It won’t end the homeless problem here in America.  But it will make one homeless person's life easier. Give them time to take a breath, breathe a little easier for one day. Humanity, understanding, and empathy go hand in hand. Sympathize instead of judging.

 Work, and work hard. Live frugally. Do not live beyond your means. You may be the next person out on the streets with a look of shock, and how did this happen to me? The world is a cruel and oftentimes lonely place. From one day to the next a tragedy may occur, the unthinkable could happen. Your life is turned upside down and inside out. Ask yourself this question.  Would you have the strength, stamina or wits to survive out there?  

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Do not be blind and think it cannot happen to you because it can.

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