I’m homeless not crazy
Not everyone who is homeless was thrown out because they were crazy
I strongly believe that for many homeless people, they go crazy from homelessness and it’s not always the other way around.
There is such a lack of human dignity, so significant and so painful that possibly your mind can’t comprehend the idea of not belonging anywhere or worse, that nobody wants you. That nobody cares at all to the point of digging through trash to half drank bottled water or a half eaten sandwich that is not yet so moldy… it’s a horrible experience. No wonder they walk away mumbling to themselves.
The way human beings are created, we are all wired to connect, to love and to belong. When we feel that we can’t get that within our spaces let alone anywhere on a planet of 7B people. It’s easy to loose it. Actually it’s only a matter of time.
As I was waiting for the office doors to open, two homeless people walked up and picked the trash for anything they could salvage and when I walk around the city and see unused buildings and a pilfering government honestly it is frustrating that homeless people must continue to grapple to survive with their teeth and fingernails when they should be some kind of provision from their own governments.
Once I believed a homeless man to be an angel in disguise because of his shining blind eye and easy smile. Another time an angry well spoken homeless man scared me into a trot when he began shout in my ear. I have had odd experiences and while I am sympathetic out of fear, I also don’t know how to help directly. I once bought fruits for a homeless guy and got scared to approach him, so…I kept walking. Especially after the fruit vendor had dubbed him crazy and laughed sarcastically when I asked about him.
The stigma that homeless people face are similar to my own reaction that day. That they are possibly dangerous and especially because they have been called ‘crazy’.
Their loss of sense of self I believe, also stems from the brutality they experience and facing cruelty daily despite being among the human kind. It’s no wonder they lash out and act out sometimes.
In a small way this post is meant to demystify the stigma that surrounds homeless people and hopefully inspire a few people to act on their sympathy as they overcome their fears in a small way to communicate with the homeless people with kindness…Including myself. Next time hopefully I will have the courage to stop and share.
