More than 300 million people live in the United States. New York City is home to more than 8 million of those people. Some of those people are homeless. I found an article from 2010 that said 3,111 people were homeless in New York. That was in addition to the nearly 38,000 people who live in shelters. Let me say that again ... 38,000. Does that number bother you? It should. Because everyone should have someone or some place to call home.
I’ve lived in cities and in more suburban areas and the homeless are people I always notice and try to acknowledge ... be it with some food or some money ... or a McDonald’s gift card. But there are people down on their luck for some reason or another. Maybe they lost their job. Maybe they’re back from the war and are just lost. Maybe they were sick and had a lot of medical bills to pay and got evicted. Every homeless person has a story. I always wonder what those stories are. I never really inquire because it’s really none of my business. I smile and ask how they are and move on.
The one homeless man I saw today didn’t seem “in the right place.” I kinda slithered pass him ... as he cursed and threw punches in the air. But he is a person.. and it bothered me as a guy in front of me pushing a double stroller muttered something under his breath at the homeless man and shook his head. I mean who are we to judge other people’s circumstances. Our lives aren’t perfect. Nobody is perfect. The fact that this man just walked away in such a matter bothered me. It’s like he didn’t care about another human being.
A friend of mine saw a homeless person the other day and it affected her as well. I think the fact that she acknowledged this person’s existence was a good thing ... because it’s when people start not acknowledging those down on their luck that one become de-sensitized.
A homeless guy I gave a health bar to the other day told me “Homelessness is a state of mind. Homeless is a state of being.” Interesting, I thought. Then ... as I walked further down the block I passed the same woman I had passed a month ago near work. She had been sitting in front of Starbucks with a sign saying “Homeless, But Not Hopeless.” This time her sign said, “Homeless But Not Hopeless. I’m waiting to hear back from a job interview.” I hope she got that job. :)
