Why Some People Prefer the Streets
I always arrived early
I would arrive early at the shelter because I wanted to make sure that I had a seat. Security would let me in the waiting area early. I would have an hour or so to close my eyes and nap.
We arrived cold, tired, and hungry
The room filled with cold and tired men as the evening wore on. The room would get louder as the men shouted and laughed, or got angry at something or someone.
People would rather not sleep at the shelter. Gee, I wonder why not?
I would sit without talking to anyone. I often resisted the urge to scream because the noise and odor of weed frayed my last nerve. It was months later, and I was in my room at Transitional housing.
I was on G.A. and food stamps, so I had the chance to buy a newspaper. One day, there was a long article about homelessness. The article said homeless people rode the light rail all night because they had nowhere else to go.
I didn’t have what I needed to spend the night outside
“ I don’t blame you for not wanting to stay at the shelter.” I thought as I threw the paper in the wastebasket by my desk. If I had a parka and a tent, and a sleeping bag, I would have braved the cold nights outside.
In the shelter, you’re surrounded by men with varying degrees of sanity. A lot of the men are under the influence of something, and a lot of them are plain mean.
I could have gotten hurt, but God was watching out for me
I had a few close calls, even though I worked hard to be invisible. I would have slept outside and risked freezing to death for a bit of peace.
How sane were those guys when they first became homeless? Most of the guys waiting with me for a meal and a bed had been homeless for years.
I had problems before I became homeless. The two and a half years on the streets made things worse. I am that messed up after such a short time. Can you imagine how screwed up the long-term homeless are?
There are some seriously messed-up people on the streets
It’s not right that the mentally disabled and deranged aren’t getting the help that they need. Citizens don’t want to see homeless encampments in their cities.
They don’t care that shelters are nasty and unsafe. They prefer not to see the homeless at all. As the economy worsens, people who never thought they would be homeless will end up on the street.
There are few things that are worse than feeling invisible
After a while, they will feel invisible, like I did. Homelessness can happen to any of us. Quit acting like you don’t see them and find a way to help.
Ignoring the homeless will not make them go away.
Lawson Wallace | creating Stories and articles | Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/LawsonThewriter
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