Homeless

How do you feel when you see a homeless person on the street, what do you think as they pass by toting all they own in a shopping trolley or a bag?

The many secret nooks and crannies of the city hide the increasing number of homeless folk, of all ages, colours and creeds. Each has their own story to tell full of struggle and despair. Empty eyes that stare as you pass them on the street. After a while you stop taking notice trying not to think about the life they may have once had or family that miss them. Then out of the blue while walking through the city one of those homeless people make it all too real. There standing before you dirty and smelly dragging his bag is a young man you have known for longer than you care to remember. He says hello, you say how are you, well that was a stupid question, just by looking you know how he is going. Then he says do I get a hug, the greeting you have given him over so many years. So much goes through your head in just a split second, dirty, smelly what will passersby think? Then you come to your senses just hug the man someone has to care. As we involve ourselves in meaningless chat his eyes dart left and right, watching out for who knows what, he starts to fidget time for him to go, good bye take care we say bye stay safe he says. Stay safe this must be what he tries to do twenty four hours a day, keeping his few belongings close by, staying awake to avoid being attacked by another homeless person, ever vigilant.

We had known for some time he had fallen prey to drugs and the world of lying, cheating and stealing that goes with it, we did not know that he had fallen into the pit of despair been thrown out by his family, his children taken away and cast off by any friends he had. 

We can sit back and say, well serves him right got what he deserves and maybe he has after years of emotionally harming his parents, siblings, children and complete strangers. But where does he go now, nowhere! He stays on the streets and probably will die on the streets there is very little help, I know I would not want him in my home as much as I know how nice he can be he can never be trusted.

I don’t think I’m much different from many others in the world, drugs and alcohol are the greatest cancers in our society, both cause grief and misery to families around the world. Not just the families of the individuals, but families that are impacted by the stealing and violence drug takers are driven to.

I don’t have the solution I just know that I gave the man a hug and hoped that would give him a little strength to get through the next twenty four hours.