Humbled by the homeless

[carver]

talked to a old homeless guy today.
he was sitting on a seat outside new world
strolled up and asked "whats in those bags"

"all my worldly possessions from the last 58 years he says"

are you NFA? i relpy.

we got talking, he was well dressed, well spoken and polite.
turns out 2 divorces and a breakdown leveled him.

he showed me the scars on his body from burns from cigarettes being burnt on his skin, and scars from where some people had set a dog onto him and put him in hospital for 2 weeks.

seeing this kinda stuff aint nothing new to me, but it was interesting how you can have a sweet job, a house, a partner, and in a few months have nothing.
people think they are so secure, talking to this guy was very humbling.

he would not even accept anything from me to help him

all your possessions, from your whole working life, in one gym bag, think about it

[discotex]

seeing this kinda stuff aint nothing new to me, but it was interesting how you can have a sweet job, a house, a partner, and in a few months have nothing.

It's sobering huh.

Most people just don't realise how easy it could happen to them.

[AllanB]

Jesus Carver - Christmas making you a bit thoughtful mate?

Now go out and do a few burnouts to make up for a sensible, well written and thought provoking post.

You have a reputation to uphold.

[carver]

Jesus Carver - Christmas making you a bit thoughtful mate?

Now go out and do a few burnouts to make up for a sensible, well written and thought provoking post.

You have a reputation to uphold.

i know, i try not to be sensible on here or on bikes, but sometimes it just comes out!

i have almost been homeless a few times and i will be in jan by choice

[kevfromcoro]

Good post Carver. i can see how it can happen..
i have just come down from a half a million dolar house
sports cars..boats..4WDS...bikes...scooters.
and now iam walking out the door with my leathers and a v-Strom
at least i have freedom....
strange how life goes sometimes
and some people wonder why we drink so much

[Warr]

Good post Carver.

When are you coming around for a coffee ?

[carver]

Good post Carver. i can see how it can happen..
i have just come down from a half a million dolar house
sports cars..boats..4WDS...bikes...scooters.
and now iam walking out the door with my leathers and a v-Strom
at least i have freedom....
strange how life goes sometimes
and some people wonder why we drink so much

it is, how come some people win and so many loose?
i live a pretty good life, i have plenty of money, and a bit of spare time, but in ten years i could have nothing

[carver]

Good post Carver.

When are you coming around for a coffee ?

PM me ya address again, il walk around, might sleep in your garage!

[kevfromcoro]

Good post Carver.

When are you coming around for a coffee ?

oi....dont forget me
got a stromster in the garage..
sniffing the wind
Regards KEV

[Quasievil]

Fuck Im going to cry

[BiK3RChiK]

there's this homeless lady in Opotiki I see most weeks who has family who live in town but she walks the streets and hangs out at the garage and has all her worldly goods in a couple of bags. Quite sad really... Makes me appreciate the place I'm in.

[kevfromcoro]

it is, how come some people win and so many loose?
i live a pretty good life, i have plenty of money, and a bit of spare time, but in ten years i could have nothing

Well not really
the only thing thats f....ks ya is seperation
there are no winers
you sound like a young person
so keep a bit aside for yourself
allways in life.
iam sure someone will be along soon with a bit of finaical advice
KEV

[007XX]

it is, how come some people win and so many loose?
i live a pretty good life, i have plenty of money, and a bit of spare time, but in ten years i could have nothing

Nothing's ever for sure eh!

Bloody good post mate. I walked out of my first marriage 7 years ago with nothing more than what I could fit on my Nissan (3 door) Pulsar. Best f**cking thing I ever did too...

I remind myself very often not to take anything for granted, and make a habit of taking mental pictures of very happy moments. That way, when I'm grey and old, I can look back on my Lifebook, instead of wondering where the heck it all went.

It's a theory anyway, hope it works...

[carver]

Well not really
the only thing thats f....ks ya is seperation
there are no winers
you sound like a young person
so keep a bit aside for yourself
allways in life.
iam sure someone will be along soon with a bit of finaical advice
KEV

of course, you always got to have backup.
it made me think about how hard it must be for a high flyer to get back to basics

[carver]

Nothing's ever for sure eh!

Bloody good post mate. I walked out of my first marriage 7 years ago with nothing more than what I could fit on my Nissan (3 door) Pulsar. Best f**cking thing I ever did too...

I remind myself very often not to take anything for granted, and make a habit of taking mental pictures of very happy moments. That way, when I'm grey and old, I can look back on my Lifebook, instead of wondering where the heck it all went.

It's a theory anyway, hope it works...

i aint ever been married, no kids, life ahead of me, i have a few friends on their 40's
one has had the farm, the family, brand new XR8's, doing the deals in drugs.
after separation he lives in a rented place, bangs a hooker, and smokes up on the crack, drinks a bottle of wine a night.
still a great guy though, but its amazing how fast one can fall

[scumdog]

talked to a old homeless guy today.
he was sitting on a seat outside new world
strolled up and asked "whats in those bags"

"all my worldly possessions from the last 58 years he says"

are you NFA? i relpy.

we got talking, he was well dressed, well spoken and polite.
turns out 2 divorces and a breakdown leveled him.

he showed me the scars on his body from burns from cigarettes being burnt on his skin, and scars from where some people had set a dog onto him and put him in hospital for 2 weeks.

seeing this kinda stuff aint nothing new to me, but it was interesting how you can have a sweet job, a house, a partner, and in a few months have nothing.
people think they are so secure, talking to this guy was very humbling.

he would not even accept anything from me to help him

all your possessions, from your whole working life, in one gym bag, think about it

Sounds like your potential future..

[scumdog]

one has had the farm, the family, brand new XR8's, doing the deals in drugs.
after separation he lives in a rented place, bangs a hooker, and smokes up on the crack, drinks a bottle of wine a night.
still a great guy though, but its amazing how fast one can fall

Imagine how great a guy he would be without the loser lifestyle??

Still, it's HIS (crappy) life I guess??

[carver]

Sounds like your potential future..

could be yours for all you know...
but yeah, if it is, il grasp it with both hands, and do my best

[Subike]

could be yours for all you know...
but yeah, if it is, il grasp it with both hands, and do my best

You just said the best thing mate,
What ever your destiny brings you, do grasp it with both hands and do your best. Thats all that is ever expected of you in this life I believe, to do your best.
The money comes and goes, you sited your friend as an example of that.
The day it happens can come as swift as the night, one day all is grand, the future looks good, work is there for you to earn from, your home is your castle.
Then bang. Gone. Your hopes your dreams, the plans you had made for the next year-month-week-- shattered.
As the guy sitting outside the shop with all his possessions in just a couple of bags now lives, with possibly only his memories to keep him going each day.
The dispair you will feel is a real pain, physical, emotional even traumatic.
All hope will seem to dissapear.
But grab it with both hands, look at your self in a mirror, stand straight and tall, because no matter what destiny brings you, you are still you.
We all get really comfortable in our lifestyles, complacent even that "it will not happen to me"
To go from $80k a year to play with to $186.00 a week to survive on, could you handle that? Yes you can.
There are a lot of homeless poor people in NZ, we just choose not to see them. The biggest group being white middle aged men, divorce, redundancey, illness, a business deal gone wrong. Happens so often.
Believe me when I say it is a battle every day to keep away from the dogs of poverty that snap at your heals, you work harder than you did in your youth, because you have to survive. And the minimum wage may be all you can get.
But you can end up working for the bread line, where if you miss a days pay, could see you not being able to buy food for a week.
Of all the things you will let go of to survive, always, always keep a passion to occupy your mind, always strive to enjoy yourself at least once a month with that passion. Go without, if you need to, to have it.
Above all of this hold on to your self esteam and know that you are doing your best, and that your best only has to be good enough for you.

[Brett]

In a country like NZ there is no excuse to be homeless. Those who are on the street, choose to do so. There is a reason that we have a benefit, welfare housing etc. etc.
In my wifes studies, they had to spend some time with the homeless, and she has relayed a few conversations to me regarding homeless people and their housing. Many times, when they are offered a hosue, they refuse it because they prefer what they know. A few left housing and went back onto the street because it was 'home'.

Go to Asia, India, Africa...even parts of Europe and you will see what genuine homelessness is.

[Skyryder]

There but for fortune go I. One of the more truer trueisms.


Skyryder

[carver]

There but for fortune go I. One of the more truer trueisms.


Skyryder

hmmm, sounds familiar

[Maha]

all your possessions, from your whole working life, in one gym bag, think about it


Wasn't that long ago I had everything I owned in the back of my minimum priced unwarranted Falcon Staion Wagon.

[007XX]

i aint ever been married, no kids, life ahead of me, i have a few friends on their 40's
one has had the farm, the family, brand new XR8's, doing the deals in drugs.
after separation he lives in a rented place, bangs a hooker, and smokes up on the crack, drinks a bottle of wine a night.
still a great guy though, but its amazing how fast one can fall

I hate to sound like a philosophical bore, but it is very much about the choices one makes when life throws crap at you.

You can choose to drown your sorrows and yourself in the process or you can choose to face it head on and climb back out of the grime.

A very good friend of mine commited suicide at age 24 because life had dealt him a really crap hand for years. I always remembered that and chose never to give up no matter how bad it gets.

[Big Dave]

I know a guy that lived out of a gym bag. It contained about $300,000 in cash.

[mstriumph]

.................all your possessions, from your whole working life, in one gym bag, think about it

what to take and what to leave behind ---- so many of us are incapable of making that choice and, by default, cart ALL our baggage around with us all our lives ....

[carver]

I know a guy that lived out of a gym bag. It contained about $300,000 in cash.

drug dealer eh?

[doc]

talked to a old homeless guy today.
he was sitting on a seat outside new world
strolled up and asked "whats in those bags"


I'm surprised he spoke to you, or is this a figment of your imagination . You run out of things to get people replying to your threads. :Police:

[Big Dave]

drug dealer eh?

'Security specialist'.

[tri boy]

If the dirty smelly fuckers don't need money/trinkets etc, then why do the shitbags keep hassling me for change.
Cattle prod them into the back streets where their aroma and fleas have less chance to spoil my day.
Better still, sell them to the Chinese for their few functioning internal organs. :-)

[jrandom]

If the dirty smelly fuckers don't need money/trinkets etc, then why do the shitbags keep hassling me for change.

Don't worry, the Gubmint gives far more of your change to the smelly fuckers living in comfy subsidised lodging.

At least the street sleepers have the balls to look their benefactors in the eye and say thank you.

[carver]

I'm surprised he spoke to you, or is this a figment of your imagination . You run out of things to get people replying to your threads. :Police:

i was not drunk or on drugs, just 2 stroke fumes.

im a pretty down to earth chap


Don't worry, the Gubmint gives far more of your change to the smelly fuckers living in comfy subsidised lodging.

At least the street sleepers have the balls to look their benefactors in the eye and say thank you.

he wouldnt take anything from me, he lives on 300 a week

[SARGE]

i had a homeless guy hit me up in Panmure today..

"'scuse me.. do you have a dollar?"


mate.. i have THOUSANDS of them!!!


its good to be king..

[JATZ]

If the dirty smelly fuckers don't need money/trinkets etc, then why do the shitbags keep hassling me for change.
Cattle prod them into the back streets where their aroma and fleas have less chance to spoil my day.
Better still, sell them to the Chinese for their few functioning internal organs. :-)

Or..........

Feed them to the hungry.

2 birds, 1 stone.

[fire eyes]

certainly makes you think ....... just how secure is secure .....

[SARGE]

seriously.. the only time i will consider helping a homeless person is if he answers the question "Did You Serve in the Military?" with the word YES

[fire eyes]

seriously.. the only time i will consider helping a homeless person is if he answers the question "Did You Serve in the Military?" with the word YES

:eek5:

+10 characters

[SARGE]

:eek5:

+10 characters

you seem shocked..

they gave thier past for our future.. what has some P-Riddled asshat ever given anyone... fuck them..social and financial darwinism

[fire eyes]

you seem shocked..

they gave thier past for our future.. what has some P-Riddled asshat ever given anyone... fuck them..social and financial darwinism


not shocked, more amused with the response.

[SARGE]

not shocked, more amused with the response.

yea..im a fun guy

ask around..

[fire eyes]

yea..im a fun guy

ask around..

I can tell .. even without asking

[CookMySock]

Carver, you have all the coolest friends!

DB