Risking it
When a weary homeless man asked me for a cup of coffee in the Starbucks on Clark and Belmont in Chicago, I really didn’t know what to do. 15 minutes earlier, I had witnessed Marine One flying above the city (President Obama was keynoting the annual APA conference here in the city) and was still in a cozy, feel-good stupor — my hope had been revitalized!
There I was, sipping my Americano and reading the paper in front of a desperate man. I felt horrible. I was back in reality. When I told him I didn’t have any money (I really didn’t) he thanked me for my time and proceeded to ask about 10 other people in the rather bustling coffee house. After receiving 10 consecutive “no’s” — he left, sulking — probably wondering when he’ll eat his next meal.
Two weeks prior, as I was exiting a Walgreens after getting my film developed, a haggard man of about 50 approached me and asked for some spare change. At first he wanted 76 cents (don’t ask me why) but he quickly divulged that he needed about two dollars. I gave him a five and he thanked me profusely. He said something that has stuck with me ever since: “take risks, kid. Don’t hold back, and you’ll go far in life,“ his wide eyes staring right through my sunglasses — through my soul. As he made his way towards the nearby County Market, I stood there in the parking lot for about five minutes — taking in what he just said. I thought about his life and what happened to him that brought him to the current state he was in. Why did he say that to me? At first, my middle-class dog-eat-dog world mentality kicked in: he probably said that to all young people who gave him money. Or was there another reason? Was he requesting, begging, those much younger than him to do all they can to not be in his situation. It was in that parking lot that I realized I had been severely shielded from the no-so-pleasant corners of society. Before then, I had surely seen homeless people on the streets, but had never felt an emotional connection the way I had experienced in the Walgreens parking lot on that early Saturday morning. I was the bewildered poster child of a middle class lifestyle.
The problem of homelessness in America is anything but benign — rather it’s malignant: when it affects one corner of society, it inadvertently spreads to all corners — to those who live the comfortable, even selfish, lifestyle many of us enjoy.
My two recent encounters shouldn’t have left me shocked, but it did. Indeed, many people are so oblivious to the problem, that when confronted with it, they simply do not know how to solve it, let alone handle it.
We would like to think that extreme poverty is a result of drug and alcohol abuse with a little bit of of a poor upbringing thrown in. And while that may be true in some cases, assuming just that is a disservice to the cause of eliminating homelessness.
At school, I notice pervasive socio-economic segregation. My school should be doing more to bring the classes together. Call me a communist, I would like to see all classes — especially at a young age, come together with the help of teachers, parents, and community workers — because once we all grasp the affects of homelessness, we will better understand how to tackle the problem.
Photos by Cody Bralts
2 comments
Nicely written, but - wow, that bottom photo!
Great article, Cody! Many people simply choose to write these people off as “lazy bums,“ but that’s not always the case. With the economy in its current state and many families left without steady incomes due to job loss, being homeless is a possible reality for many citizens. Thanks for shining the light on an issue many folks would rather turn their eyes from- these people may not have homes, but there as American as you and I are.
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Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.
eugh….I remember that sex ed class and i’m pretty sure I know the teacher you’re referring to. that place was hell.
Love the story about sex ed at the middle school. That’s what I do every day for my job—it’s so exciting to see students engaged in material many adults and parents assume is above their understanding or maturity level. Thanks for sharing! Oh, and if you…
“Rag Doll” by Aerosmith is a great accompanying song when you are throwing a tennis ball onto the floor to bother the people below you.
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/agriculture/2010-09-01/south-farms-taking-aim-birds-noise.html If U of I did any research into repelling birds, they would use a very silent but effective high output LASER instead of adding noise pollution to the already olfactory polluted area http://www.allpestco.com/2009/06/laser-bird-deterrent-or-laser-gun-vs-birds/
“I have some reading to catch up on, poolside.“ Classic.
What sticks in my neck is that most noise (unwanted sound) is a violation of the law. So why is it often so difficult to get the authorities to address the issue? Why are the anti-social elements so protected? These lowlife induviduals now seem to have the…
Spirit echoes - http://www.iainandjane.com/work/silentsound/index.shtml
People are entitled to peace and quiet. That gift has been lost and once lost is hard to regain. Anti-noise activitists fight for everyone’s right to have peace and quiet. Thanks to those that fight for our right to peace and quiet.
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Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.
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I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get. I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library. None of those activities…
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I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“
I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?
Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.
I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…
And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.
The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.
Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.
What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…
Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.
Thanks for the article, Ben. I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar. A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…
Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…
@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.
Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.
good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…
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Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…