I think we would all be amazed if we knew how many homeless people are out there who are there by circumstance and not by their own inattention to life's responsibilities.
Driving back from the People's Republik of California a week or so back, I listened to a talk show in San Diego... The topic was the Salvation Army, and the wonderful things they do for people. One of their many causes is feeding and helping the homeless. They had an interview with this fella that told of his tragic story. He was a trained chef who at one time had a good job, a wife, family etc. Listening to how his life did a slow motion crash over the period of a year or two was a real eye opener. Eventually he ended up on the street living beside a fountain at Balboa Park in San Diego. Just an amazing story of his horror and shame, and complete ignorance about how to survive in a situation like that. Eventually he followed some other homeless folks who made a trip every day to ... somewhere. Turned out it was to one of the Sal Army kitchens. That is when his life slowly began to turn around.
This guy claims that there are more people out there who are homeless by circumstance than there are bums. Once you get into that rut, there's almost no way out without someone's help. You don't sleep well, you're always cold or hot or wet... and ALWAYS filthy. No where to groom... No place to take a quiet dump.. Nothing. You live literally from hand to mouth. Can you imagine living out of garbage cans and dumpsters?
It's just a struggle to survive every day. And yet, the human spirit seems to survive.
I find it all rather miraculous.
