Three common Questions People Have About Homelessness

A little compassion would be nice

I signed the citation the police officer handed me, then I turned to the homeless man standing in front of me. He had a sullen look, and he wouldn’t look me in the eyes.

I said it so often that I knew it by heart

I gave the man “ The Speech.” You are trespassed from the bus terminal. if Security sees you on the property, we will call the police and have you arrested, do you understand?

The homeless were required to answer. “ Yeah, I understand.” The homeless also had to sign the citation. The police officer would watch as the man walked off the property.

I didn’t understand then but I do now

I worked at the terminal for over a year. There are things I didn’t understand about the homeless, but now I understand. I understand because a few years after I worked that post, I became homeless.

If you had to spend a night in a shelter, you would get it

People wonder, “why do they camp outside?” I never camped outside. If I had a tent, and if I was anyplace other than freezing cold Minneapolis, I damned sure would have.

Homeless shelters are crowded and noisy. Most of the men around me were under the influence of something, or plain nuts. If you looked at someone wrong or said something to “ disrespect” someone.” You ran the risk of getting hurt or killed.

The staff at the shelter I suspect were ex-cons. I earned respect from them because I wasn’t a trouble-maker. They were aggressive toward anyone who stepped out of line. Being surrounded by so much insanity wears on you after a while.

If you yell “ get a job” at a homeless person, you need to get right with God

A question that angers me. I know it runs through people’s minds because I thought the same thing when I was a security guard, “ Why don’t they get a job?”

Most of us couldn’t take care of ourselves. from basic hygiene to fixing our own meals, or getting out of bed on time. Most of us couldn’t handle any of that.

At one time, I had no problem with any of that stuff, but after a few months, that changed. I quit caring, apathy fell on me like a ton of bricks.

If they found jobs, they were out of the shelter as soon as they could

The ones who could get jobs, got them and they were out of the shelter in good time, but most of us were there for the long haul. Before you yell, “ Get a Job,” remember that they are homeless for a reason, they don’t work because they can’t.

Be nice, because what goes around, comes around

I learned a lot when I was homeless. I’m more compassionate, and I am more understanding, and I wish that everyone would look at the homeless differently.

Final Thought:

Before you yell “ Get a job,” remember that it could happen to you, and kindness and compassion go a long way.