I have lived here for several years and I’ve always been disturbed that so many people are homeless in the Bay Area. I want to know their stories, how they ended up on the street and what they need? What could really empower them and make their lives better?
For a while, I just thought about it. Then one day, I paused at an intersection in the mission and got caught in a conversation with a man asking for money. After I missed the walking sign, he thanked me for acknowledging him as he told me most people just ignored him. I then understood that I could offer a kind ear for a minute or say hello if I didn’t want to give money to him or the other folks in my neighborhood. And when I knew their faces and some of their names, I wasn’t as troubled, but still, deep down I knew they didn’t have to be in that situation.
Now, it still troubles me walking around seeing so many people asking for money or food. I am not sure how to best help people- I just acknowledge everyone I can and give when I feel I am able.
Still, I know there is more we can do. What does it say about us to let people live in our community while we pass by and are too busy? I am not saying we need to invite them into our living rooms to talk, but would that be so bad? What if each house on a block, took a turn feeding the people in their hood every month or two, would that be so risky? We live the Bay Area where you see wealth juxtaposed with poverty regularly.
The idea that we can just give money to help people, keeps the poor separate from the wealthy. And I don’t have a the solution, but I know that we as a community, as individuals, can do better. It speaks volumes about us in how we respond to the people around us.
“If the misery of our poor is caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.” -Darwin
What a great topic! I'll be making a trip back to NYC very soon, and I imagine I will once again be in a similar situation - an urban environment where the haves and have-nots are very clearly juxtaposed. In larger populations like in the cities of India, the contrast is even clearer.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, I feel homelessness/poverty is viewed as the collateral damage of human evolution...the natural byproduct of progress; if 50 men set off to reach the peak of Mt. Everest, some may die on the way, and probably only a couple will actually reach the summit...an exercise in survival of the fittest. On the other hand, the fact of homelessness is viewed as a departure from our desired state of being (call that contentment, bliss, universal mind, godliness, etc.); i.e., how can 1 man be happy on the peak of Everest knowing 49 of his friends died along the way?
But, I think there is a balance to be struck. Should we congratulate the strongest climber or should we feel bad he is all alone up there? Should we pity those 49 who didn't make it, or do we applaud them for trying?
I think the real question here, as you put it so well, is how do we react to the situation? Continuing with the climbing example, we could curse the sole surviving climber for leaving his friends behind, thereby lowering his incentive to do great things for mankind; we could say the 49 dead were weak or stupid, and we can just ignore their carcasses as we pass them by.
Or, we could take a middle path: acknowledge the human value in holding high goals, goals so high that they may never even be reached; at the same time, we acknowledge the valiant efforts of those striving to reach those goals. It's a tough balance, since the reality of homelessness and poverty weighs heavily on so many of our hearts, but I think the real tragedy is when one of these pieces, either a goal or effort, is missing…I think that's when true poverty is born, and maybe a helping hand is needed. If both are missing, I think life itself has ended, and all one could hope for is dignified treatment of his body. But, when both are present, there resides a dynamic, rich life – worthy of sustained attention.