Eccles_the_Mighty wrote:
Let's face it, there are two types of homeless:
The first type sell the big issue, stand on a street corner playing a musical instrument or just do SOMETHING to help get the money in.
The second type sit there on their ass in front of a hat or McDonalds paper cup and expect you to put money in it.
Guess which group gets my money? Every day somewhere in town I'll see a group of three homeless guys. One plays clarinet, one plays a drum and one plays a trombone, together they produce some of the best traditional jazz that I've heard in years. I've actually sat down and listened to these guys and they are damn good, the contents of the trombone case in front of them reflects this and I even see some banknotes in there.
Having been homeless myself, it's kinda hard to motivate yourself to do much beyond stand up when you have not slept comfortably for three days and you haven't had anything to eat either. Being homeless is not just standing on a corner begging. Being homeless is on your feet almost all day because as soon as you are able to rest for a few moments someone is coming along telling you to move because you sitting there, weary looking and unbathed with your tattered clothes and unkempt hair is driving customers away. Never mind you are a human being and you have been through hell. When people look at a homeless person that is all they see is a pile of dirt and smelliness, they don't see circumstances. Its judgment every second of every day for a homeless person. NO matter what your situation or how hard you are trying that people are unable to see at that moment, they are holding you up beside the dirtiest, drug munching, alcohol binged homeless person in the alley as if all homeless are the same. Always compared with the worst.
24 Apr 2014, 10:14 pm
