Compassion toward the homeless
What I Discovered about Homeless People
We need to take better care of them
I had no compassion at all
I Watched as the homeless man walked off the property with The trespass ticket in his pocket. I smiled and had a spring in my step as I went to write the report.
I was a security guard assigned to a bus terminal in Clearwater Florida. One of my duties was to keep homeless people from loitering on the property. I couldn’t understand at the time why the homeless didn’t try to get out of that life. I have a clearer understanding now. I learned that understanding the hard way.
I had to learn the hard way
I was homeless for only two and a half years, but I still have open wounds four years after I got out of that life. It was a terrible experience, but I learned some valuable lessons.
Most of us didn’t choose that life
The first lesson I learned, homeless people are homeless for a reason. Every homeless person I saw and got to know, and I include myself. They had underlying issues. Issues that either lead to them being on the streets or kept them there once they became homeless.
Most of them had been homeless for years
I met a few people that got out of that life after a brief stay, but most of the people I observed had been homeless for years. A lot of them wouldn’t have it any other way.
I could never figure out why that was. I was at a Transitional Housing apartment. The residents had a room for two years. We had to leave after two years if we had a place to stay or not.
They wouldn’t or couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity
I saw quite a few people end up back on the streets after their two years were up. It was either they didn’t care enough to try to find housing or their case-worker was ineffective.
A few liked being on the streets. They were content to sleep in shelters or on park benches. I met one man who had been sleeping outside in the Minnesota weather for years.
I fit right in
Another homeless man asked me,” What led you to be here?” My stock answer was,” poor decisions and circumstances.” I would have liked to say that I didn’t fit in with the people I shared the shelter with, but I was where I belonged. I was one of them.
Being honest and being at peace with myself
I have mental health issues, but I know now know to get help. I had to accept that I had problems. I also am more at peace with my Learning Disabilities.
I look at the folks with their signs in a different way now
When I see a homeless person on the corner or a median with a sign, I no longer ignore them or think badly of them. “ That could be me,” I say to myself as I wish I had some change or a few bills to give them. I wish that Governments and Churches would do more for homeless people. I know that there is only so much they can do, but they should do more.
Final thought:
The poor and mentally ill will always be with us, and some people do not want help. We need to find ways to help the people we can. The people that want help and are willing to accept our help. We should help them.