Charles Brown crooned a jazz classic on the radio in my studio. I sipped coffee purchased from a convenience store after the conclusion of my morning walk. During the walk, I made three separate observations of homeless people and traversed my neighborhood homeless encampment where nothing stirred. The only difference from my previous visit 24 hours earlier was 20 or so cans of white house paint stacked in a pyramid near the entrance to a tent. Some nearby homeowner had given it away on the sidewalk and here it was as mindless accumulation that would probably end up in the creek that flowed behind the encampment.
You know as long as they are "the Homeless" we can pigeon hole them into some corner of our mind, and link all them to all the all the problems we perceive of homelessness, the drug addiction, the mental illness, the physical illness, the deplorable living situations, the damage to the environment, the unpleasant appearance we see on the street, and all that fear those ideas generate, but when "the homeless" become an "individual" we know, or think we want to know, or should care about all that pigeon holing becomes pointless. We want to believe it's a problem with "homelessness" in our society, but it's really a problem with how we deal with each individual. So based on what I just said I don't see a "group solution", no political magic. The problem, if I see one, resides with you and me and the homeless guy, and just like you and me the homeless guy has his beliefs, his ailments, his stories, and his way getting around in the "world he perceives", and it is probably a very different world he sees than the one you and I may agree upon, but it's his world, the world of an "individual "and it cries out for respect even if it pains us, even if it disgusts us, even if we want to help, but don't know what do. Is the problem I want to solve for him really his or an idea in my mind. My good intentions want to "help", but help must be accepted, acceptance comes through trust and trust happens between individuals. I must respect the person I want to help in order to gain his trust and then ask him "how can I help you? "
Everybody has to be vulnerable you and me and the homeless guy. Sounds improbable? Takes courage? I admire your courage to visit camps and talk to homeless folk. I appreciate your writings they tug at my heart and make me laugh.
You provoke me to think so these are my thoughts.
You know as long as they are "the Homeless" we can pigeon hole them into some corner of our mind, and link all them to all the all the problems we perceive of homelessness, the drug addiction, the mental illness, the physical illness, the deplorable living situations, the damage to the environment, the unpleasant appearance we see on the street, and all that fear those ideas generate, but when "the homeless" become an "individual" we know, or think we want to know, or should care about all that pigeon holing becomes pointless. We want to believe it's a problem with "homelessness" in our society, but it's really a problem with how we deal with each individual. So based on what I just said I don't see a "group solution", no political magic. The problem, if I see one, resides with you and me and the homeless guy, and just like you and me the homeless guy has his beliefs, his ailments, his stories, and his way getting around in the "world he perceives", and it is probably a very different world he sees than the one you and I may agree upon, but it's his world, the world of an "individual "and it cries out for respect even if it pains us, even if it disgusts us, even if we want to help, but don't know what do. Is the problem I want to solve for him really his or an idea in my mind. My good intentions want to "help", but help must be accepted, acceptance comes through trust and trust happens between individuals. I must respect the person I want to help in order to gain his trust and then ask him "how can I help you? "
Everybody has to be vulnerable you and me and the homeless guy. Sounds improbable? Takes courage? I admire your courage to visit camps and talk to homeless folk. I appreciate your writings they tug at my heart and make me laugh.