Tag Archives: homelessness

It was often assumed that people who lived inside had a lot to teach those of us who were outside. It was rarely supposed that we who lived outside had a lot to teach people who never had done so.

When I heard Ms. Woodward's campaign slogan, "a hand up, not a hand out," I felt compelled to comment. A handout to the homeless, she claimed, has a way of "enabling them."

A young person said to me once: "I would have no idea what to say to a homeless person." "That's easy," I replied.  "Talk to them about anything except homelessness."

But I am someone who has lived outdoors — not just for a while, but for years on end. During those years, I associated largely with others who were in the same boat. I learned how such people generally speak of themselves. As a result, I use the words "outside" and "outdoors" more than either of the other two--and I feel compelled to explain why.

I consider myself to be in the ideal position to express what homelessness is actually like. That is, from the perspective of those of us who have lived it.

Standing before the overwhelming problem of homelessness, I often feel helpless.