Ever been homeless? I have. My wife and I spent 4 days with no home and it was very strange. The daytimes pass okay. There are always things to look at; you can wander in and out of malls, hang out in parks, visit the library, that sort of thing.
But, nights are a different thing, especially in an urban setting. There are folks who stay in wooded areas and survive fairly well, but we were in the middle of Fort Lauderdale, Fl. No place to go. No place to hide. You are wary of talking to anyone, strange people roam the late night city. You cannot stay in one spot for long without the cops starting to pay attention. If you do find a place out of sight, you cannot sleep because if you find that spot, you can be sure others will too. The sleep is the big issue. After 3 days of no more than a few minutes light dozing here and there, you are more than exhausted; mentally you are just fried and hallucinations become an issue.
My point? Not everyone on the streets is a worthless drug addicted, alcoholic bum. Sometimes, life just deals you some funny cards and you have to play the hand until the deck is reshuffled and a new deal goes down. Do not judge the homeless too harshly, especially in these economically difficult days. Remember, many of them are veterans and about one-fourth are children. I cannot imagine what it is like to be out there for long periods but I understand that the longer you are, the harder it is to get back to normal.
Shelters? I know some who have stayed in them and many would rather stay outside, that's how bad they are. If you stay in one you have to be constantly on your guard.
There are those who live in sort of a nether world. They are not on the streets or in shelters. Instead, they have managed to keep enough ahead to pay rent in extended stay motels. That is our currents state, one that is about to end soon. They are better than the alternatives but, often, still dangerous. A good many who stay in these places are transients and none too stable. Others are dealers in various substances who find it to their advantage to have no permanent address. On the other hand, there are many. like us, who have simply had some rough times and, sadly, a lot of families, sometimes with 3 and 4 kids are forced to stay in these places.
How bad are they? The one we are in now is really not too bad. Some are dreadful, filthy places a cockroach would not want to call home.
Here is the problem. Once you move into one of these places, you are stuck. If you are working a low paying job, or like us, on a fixed income, you will have difficulty saving enough to move to a nicer place, one requiring first, last and security. You have to pay rent in extended stay weekly and it is brutal to save. You do get your utilities included, but without a full kitchen, it is hard to prepare food that is economical.
The solution? Well, I do not have one. Sorry, I am fresh out of ideas except to say that much of the fault lies with big businesses. I do not mean run of the mill businesses, I mean the huge corporations. I have shown in earlier posts how the mega-corporations have manipulated the American economy into the sewer. That must change, but I do not know how that will happen.
I will also add that I am disappointed by the Churches. Often, too often, they preach charity and the only thing they do is, maybe, provide a wee bit of cheap food. Here and there, they may help with a week's rent. Yet, they have enough to build grand Churches, while paying their Pastors huge salaries. Again, let me be clear. I am not talking about the little Church on the corner or storefront Churches. I am talking about the grand Mega-Churches, the ones raking in a whole lot of cash and using it to build luxurious buildings where they can meet and pat each other on the back, assuring each other of their piety. I do not believe that is what Jesus had in mind.
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