Humbled by the homeless

[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.

[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. :-)