Mean Streets

I can remember when I would look at homeless people at various intersections around town and wonder what course their lives took that they ended up living rough. What sharp and twisted turn of events caused them to lose everything –– both possessions and dignity. With so many people living on the edge with no savings or family to turn to, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the only recourse is a life on the streets.

It may look easy but it’s a hard, hard life. Harsh weather, a lack of decent clothing, and the absence of any semblance of nutritional intake take a huge toll. You may think you see the same people on the streets, but it’s actually a continually changing cast of characters. And every day, more members join the cast.

The crude signs they hold are real admissions of both the state of their existence and how they came to be asking for spare change in the median strip by the stoplight. They are hungry and anything will help. They are veterans who came home with psychic and physical wounds. They are abused daughters or battered wives. The stolen shopping cart, wagon or duffle bag holds everything they own (and some things they don’t). The dog on a leash is both a faithful companion and a way to tug on the heartstrings of pet owners (i.e. if not for me, give some spare change that will help feed the dog).

There’s no real census for these desperate souls – only an estimate that fluctuates with the season or weather. If you travel on any major street with a median and stoplights, you can do your own count.

Do you think the homeless person at the traffic light takes in a lot of money during rush hour? Some drivers will hold out a single dollar bill. Will that happen five times, ten times, or more? Let’s say they collect ten dollars for two hours spent on the corner. That might buy them a nutritionally poor meal from a fast-food joint, and it might be the only meal for that day. They might even make enough for a second meal tomorrow.

By now, you might be asking yourself, how does he know so much about homeless people? Ah! You’ve guessed the answer. I’m just one more homeless person who was lucky enough to have someone tell my improbable story.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.