Hello friends, well-wishers, and passers-by,
I thought that I would give you a brief glimpse into the workings behind this project. Once I'm finished with the project – at least this incarnation – I will elaborate in more detail, but for now, I'm just going to answer a few questions/comments I get on a regular basis:
1. "Are you going to be staying in shelters and living with the homeless?"
No, I have not been staying in shelters. I have hundreds of dollars worth of equipment on me that I don't want to get stolen – most of which is integral to the project. I stay at friends and families' houses, and I've also stayed with people from CouchSurfing.org.
2. "So do you just approach people on the street and talk with them?"
No, and not because of fear, but for simple self-respect. As I am a person who does not look homeless and who has zero background with the homeless, I do not want to just approach a random person and ask them to elaborate about themselves. Some might say that I could get away with doing this, that some homeless people might be really open to it, but I personally don't feel right about doing so. I always go through ministries or shelters.
3. "How many shelters do you plan to visit? We have plenty of shelters here in ::insert town/city here::."
Usually, because of time and travel restrictions, I have only had time to visit one shelter. There has been an instance or two where I probably could have gone to more shelters, but for the most part, I've been restricted. Also, I have learned as I've gone along that it's good to communicate with the shelter beforehand. Sometimes it takes them a day or two to find a couple people for me to talk with, and as I'm only in a certain place for a limited time, it usually seems/feels like I'm on a time crunch; also, not every shelter/ministry has been receiving of my intentions, though the majority have. I would not be opposed to talking to numerous homeless people from the same area, but also, my goal has been to chronicle the homeless around America. For me, this means not focusing heavily on one place.
4. "How are you getting around?"
In Kansas City, Missouri, I was informed of a Greyhound pass that allows you to have unlimited travel for a month, so I've been using that to get around. I'm pretty sure it's the cheapest way to travel in the States right now, unless you want to hitchhike. Once I get to the Greyhound station, friends, family, or Couchsurfers will pick me up. After that, I am pretty much reliant on them for rides. Unless I get used to the layout of the city, I am awful with public transportation and figuring out how to get around. Were I to take a public bus around any given town, I would get lost without question.
5. "How long are you going to be out and about?"
A fantastic question! I'm not sure.
I hope this has answered some questions for you, if indeed, you had any questions about this endeavor. If anybody has a question for me, feel free to post it in the comments section.
I'll be posting a new profile tomorrow. Stay tuned!
Do you feel that the people you have interviewed thus far has been a good sample of homeless people in the United States? Have you been discouraged, encouraged, or had both emotions when listening to their stories and what they talk about?
ReplyDelete-Boaz W.
Do you think people are taking homelessness with the right mindset? Are they negative/positive/apathetic/etc?
ReplyDelete-Boaz W.
Hey Boaz,
ReplyDeleteAllow me to answer those questions in the order you asked.
I feel like, so far, the people I have talked with are a good sample of homeless from the Midwest. With the exception of Portland and Fort Worth, everywhere else I've been could be considered the Midwest. I hope to get to the East Coast, the Southwest and the South in the future.
I've been discouraged and encouraged. I haven't so much been discouraged with people as I am some of the shelters I've visited. Many of them are excellent, while some are questionable. I have been encouraged by many of the attitudes of the homeless that I've met.
I'm not sure I know what you mean by "people." Are people who AREN'T homeless taking homelessness with the right mindset? or are the homeless taking their own condition with the right mindset?
Hey Dylan, thanks for answering my questions. When I say "people", I mean those who either have been homeless for a while or are just recently homeless. I guess I just me those you've talked to in general. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteBoaz
Yeah, that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteOf course, none of them want to be in that situation. I think it's natural to be negative, but many have positive outlooks for their future. Most of the people I've talked to have had homelessness thrust upon them, others as a last resort. It is a terrible situation, but the majority of them continue to press on in whatever form. Very few accept it, and most people I've talked to say they're constantly looking for jobs, but with the current crappy economy coupled with their limited access to things we take for granted - like the Internet - they're really hindered in their ability to search. Most of them just live day by day, doing what they can. Hope that answers your question.
Yes, that definitely does answer my question. Thank you.
ReplyDelete-Boaz W.