Last night I had a dream where I was at one of the newly built tent cities near the Ravenna neighborhood in Seattle and I was asking to take portraits and ask some of the homeless people questions (it was probably inspired by this post going through tumblr) and I was crying in my dream as I spoke to this young woman and about her background and struggles with homelessness.
After talking to some people I've come to realize that Seattle, and probably not just Seattle, has the tendency to just have police push the many homeless people from neighborhood to neighborhood. As someone who hates being yelled at for not giving people on the street, and boy do we have some mean ones on the the Ave that will do that; I know that, that isn't the norm. These newcomers to these streets are a community, you see it in how they interact with each other. I am deeply saddened when I see them because I haven't done anything to help them. Sure, some may be partaking in illegal society but there are driving factors in their behaviors that need to be addressed before we condemn. Leaving people on the streets is condemning them to an unsuccessful life. While I am passionate about reincarnation and that they will get to live a better life in their next body, that is not an acceptable reason for people to just keep walking by.
I don't find it okay that I can have multiple pairs of shoes while some of them have none. I don't find it acceptable that housing structures are rotting when people could be living in them. We, as a society, have chosen money over others and that is seen when looking at homeless encampments.
Now, I wasn't always this impassioned about the rights of homeless, in fact I grew in a neighborhood that made me very desensitized to this population. Most who were homeless regularly frequented the local crack houses down the street; they fought for their corner time (it was organized and scheduled), and some were pushy and down right scary to a little girl. I firmly believed that they chose to be there and they chose to have a life of drugs and dirtiness and if they truly wanted to they could give it all up and just go to a shelter if they really truly wanted help. I have since then learned so much about homelessness and the circumstances that bring people to the streets. What has opened my eyes the most was when I once thought I was going to be homeless. I had places to live but none worked within my budget and were compatible with my school and work situation. I didn't know what to do. Luckily, I had the resources to and supportive friends to help me make the best decisions that I could and that saved me so much heartache. There was that chance that if I didn't have them I might not have made it.
This post is mostly a self-reflection but I ask any who read it to really think about the PEOPLE living like that and less about the stereotypes and even disgust you may feel toward them. They are real, not just blight on the sidewalk. I am going to look into how I can help with this as well; because for me, a dream is a sign you need to start reflecting and making change. To me, this dream is telling me to be grateful for what I have and start giving back. I am truly fortunate.
After talking to some people I've come to realize that Seattle, and probably not just Seattle, has the tendency to just have police push the many homeless people from neighborhood to neighborhood. As someone who hates being yelled at for not giving people on the street, and boy do we have some mean ones on the the Ave that will do that; I know that, that isn't the norm. These newcomers to these streets are a community, you see it in how they interact with each other. I am deeply saddened when I see them because I haven't done anything to help them. Sure, some may be partaking in illegal society but there are driving factors in their behaviors that need to be addressed before we condemn. Leaving people on the streets is condemning them to an unsuccessful life. While I am passionate about reincarnation and that they will get to live a better life in their next body, that is not an acceptable reason for people to just keep walking by.
I don't find it okay that I can have multiple pairs of shoes while some of them have none. I don't find it acceptable that housing structures are rotting when people could be living in them. We, as a society, have chosen money over others and that is seen when looking at homeless encampments.
Now, I wasn't always this impassioned about the rights of homeless, in fact I grew in a neighborhood that made me very desensitized to this population. Most who were homeless regularly frequented the local crack houses down the street; they fought for their corner time (it was organized and scheduled), and some were pushy and down right scary to a little girl. I firmly believed that they chose to be there and they chose to have a life of drugs and dirtiness and if they truly wanted to they could give it all up and just go to a shelter if they really truly wanted help. I have since then learned so much about homelessness and the circumstances that bring people to the streets. What has opened my eyes the most was when I once thought I was going to be homeless. I had places to live but none worked within my budget and were compatible with my school and work situation. I didn't know what to do. Luckily, I had the resources to and supportive friends to help me make the best decisions that I could and that saved me so much heartache. There was that chance that if I didn't have them I might not have made it.
This post is mostly a self-reflection but I ask any who read it to really think about the PEOPLE living like that and less about the stereotypes and even disgust you may feel toward them. They are real, not just blight on the sidewalk. I am going to look into how I can help with this as well; because for me, a dream is a sign you need to start reflecting and making change. To me, this dream is telling me to be grateful for what I have and start giving back. I am truly fortunate.