It’s common for people to dehumanize homeless people. You see them daily, and there comes a point where they don’t surprise you anymore. It’s pretty unfortunate that this is the case.
You see, we all have to remember that they’re PEOPLE. Human beings, with human emotions. Oftentimes life wasn’t fair to them. They had a cruel home-life, suffered addiction, or even served over seas and face mental repercussions. It’s time we all do our best to remember that homeless people deserve respect, and to be spoken to and treated as equals, not inferiors.
If you need even more of a reason, besides the fact that they are homeless, to start treating them with more respect, read these 21 peoples’ experiences. They have lived through a lot, and everyday are in fear for their safety. So think twice before being a d*ck to homeless people, because they’ve been through the ringer.
These 21 homeless people talk about some of the hardest things they go through:
1.
I spent most nights curled up inside a doghouse of a family that didnt have a dog anymore. It had a door that closed and I could wedge it to stay closed at night and it was insulated. I could fit my entire body curled up inside my jacket.
2.
Spent 2007-2012 homeless. Most of that was my teenage years spent with my father (also homeless). The scariest thing is spending the evening in some homeless shelters, or out of them in this case. I was in one in Portland, Maine. My dad was assigned a “spot” to sleep on the floor because they were overcrowd that day. They didn’t have a spot for me so I slept across the street in the garden of the local Catholic church since the priests don’t kick people out. It was a popular place to sleep when the shelter was “over booked”. I remember sleeping in the grass near a couple whom I overheard talking about robbing me for well over 20 minutes. I didn’t let go of my knife all night.
3.
The thought that someone would find your camp and ruin your shit was a real concern. Also just finding somewhere to sleep that is secure. One morning, early, I was sleeping in an abandoned warehouse up a set of stairs nearly in the rafters and was woken by 4 raccoons like 4 feet from me eating my bag. Having to shit in the middle of the night is also awful.
4.
Lived out of my car for 6 months when I was 16 to get away from an abusive mother. The scariest part was worrying that the authorities would find out. I didn’t want to end up in foster care, or forced back into that hell of living with my mother. I still went to school, and I showered & sometimes stayed over at friends houses if their parents were okay with it. If I thought friends parents were getting worried about me being over so much, I would sleep in my car. Sometimes friends would sneak me in and I would sleep on the floor of their bedrooms and sneak back out around 5 in the morning before their family woke. It was rough, but better than being abused and locked up at my mothers.
Alex is a New Yorker currently living in Austin. She loves cats, grass, and latex but unfortunately is allergic to all 3. She makes mom and dad jokes more than she cares to admit (jk she'll admit it loud and proud). She isn't as funny as she thinks she is. She is the founder of thelazygurl.com.
