Part of My Daily Existence: Homeless People in Seattle

I live in downtown Seattle, I spend many of my days either there or in Seattle’s Capital Hill neighborhood. Seattle’s inner neighborhoods are part of my daily existence.

I know where many of the homeless shelters, feeding programs, and other support that we Seattlites provide for homeless people are: They’re all within a few blocks of my home. Seeing homeless people is part of my daily existence.

I’ll admit that I’m a bit desensitized to seeing homeless people as I come and go, but I also refuse to treat homeless people as if they don’t exist, if they ask me something I do my best to respond, even if I usually have to say no. Brief conversations with homeless people is part of my daily existence.

I see homeless people with their standard issue blankets around Seattle. I wonder where the blankets come from, as they don’t look really comfortable, but I surmise they’ve been chosen based on their ability to retain heat while resisting water and being cheap to procure, so that our social service organizations can make their budgets go that much further. Seeing those blankets is part of my daily existence.

I see the homeless people with their signs written on cardboard. Most of the time I glance at them. The signs run together in my head more than I’d like to admit. There must be an example sign that homeless people receive which guides them on how to put together their signs. Occasionally the signs are funny, sometimes they’re moving, frequently they’ll sometimes mention how someone has served their country usually in the military in general, or the sign will refer to a specific war. Sometimes people will mention their ailments, such as cancer, mental illnesses, or another affliction. There are also creative geniuses amongst homeless people, with some people choosing to play on humor to solicit donations. Often times this involves referencing beer or weed. Reading the signs that homeless people write and hold is part of my daily existence.

There is only so much I can do to ameliorate the suffering of homeless people. I myself am not rich. I live comfortably through managing a reasonable amount of debt prudently. However, I also recognize that I too should help out in mitigating the social inequities that are part of our country’s existence. I pay my taxes, which in Seattle is mostly sales and property taxes. I’ll admit to purchasing items from out of state merchants to bypass the sales tax, but that is our current national past time. I donate more than is comfortable to my church, understanding that a reasonable amount, but not enough goes toward social justice issues. Doing what little I can to relieve suffering is part of my daily existence.

I was walking out of the drugstore next to my gym earlier today, and there was a gentleman probably in his mid-50s, with a muddled sign that read said “Homeless” and “Mentally Ill”. His face was crystal clear in communicating, the pain, anguish, embarrassment, and frustration within his soul. I didn’t gaze for long, I simply could not stand the compressed emotional intimacy in fleeting blunt gaze that we shared. I crossed the street to my destination as quickly as possible. Running away from a stranger because I couldn’t stand being in the mist of their pain and suffering is not part of my daily existence.

I had just read earlier today about Representative John Fleming who stated that he’s spending $200,000 just to “feed my family” and then he complained about the $400,000 in take home pay that he is left with. The cognitive dissonance of the vulnerable in our society just trying to get by and the well in our society thinking they’re just barely getting by fills me with disgust and anger.

I challenge anyone to look into a the eyes of a homeless person as I did today, then in the same moment say that we should cut funding for the social safety net that attempts to provide some modicum of decency and humanity to that person. I doubt that you can. However, if you can I’ll still respect your inherent humanity, even if I don’t respect you.

There are days I’m ashamed to be an American. Today is one of them.

However, I know America is and can be greater than this. I will do my part to manifest this vision to bring us to greatness. I owe myself and my fellow countrymen and countrywomen nothing less.