Officially Homeless

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I don't recall saying that the youth make up the majority. I said that there are around 1.7 million homeless youth. As for my method possibly needing tweaked, I'm sure it does. But this is my first time doing something like this and this experience is just as much for me as my cause. I want to liberate myself from the daily comforts such ad TV and Internet and all the things that as a whole we now take forgranted. This is just something I feel I need to do. Like I said, I have wanted to do something like this for a while and I feel that now is as good of time as ever. The other real big issue that I want to write about is my generation and younger and our political views, or should I say lack there of. But that's a different story for a different day.

Again, I thank everyone that is supporting me in this
quest. John, thanks for the offer. I will let you know if I need anything. I truly am surprised about the support I have been getting from family and friends.
 
I don't recall saying that the youth make up the majority. I said that there are around 1.7 million homeless youth. As for my method possibly needing tweaked, I'm sure it does. But this is my first time doing something like this and this experience is just as much for me as my cause. I want to liberate myself from the daily comforts such ad TV and Internet and all the things that as a whole we now take forgranted. This is just something I feel I need to do. Like I said, I have wanted to do something like this for a while and I feel that now is as good of time as ever. The other real big issue that I want to write about is my generation and younger and our political views, or should I say lack there of. But that's a different story for a different day.

Again, I thank everyone that is supporting me in this
quest. John, thanks for the offer. I will let you know if I need anything. I truly am surprised about the support I have been getting from family and friends.
 
Sorry I misread. Good luck and watch your back. If the true homeless figure you out they may be hostile. Have a great experience on your walkabout.
 
J-MacsMopars said:
The other real big issue that I want to write about is my generation and younger and our political views, or should I say lack there of. But that's a different story for a different day.
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Lack of common sense is more like it.

their views are set, believe that.

it would take jesus himself to show up make them believe any different.

I have talked to my friends about politics, it's all the republicans fault.
If you war a suit and tie, you are a crook and a liar.
If you don't hate everything traditional, you are an red neck, capitalist,
racist, etc....
I've lost so many friends just trying to ask their ideals & values, they just flip out and walk out flustered.

don't misread what I'm saying, I'm just speaking about what 'I' know.
 
It is for sure interesting what you are doing...I hope you find what you are looking for...Good luck, be safe...
 
magnumdart said:
Been there done that. I have to side with Daredevil on this one. Your brain will never reach the point of insanity that being truly homeless (and hopeless) will do for you. Being homeless is a physical problem, and a mental disaster. You cannot hope to experience this.
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i agree. im 22 i was on the street for 4 months when i was 16, i would beg my mom to let me in and had the door shut in my face. i didnt panhandle but i shoplifted, finally i got a job with an alchoholic contractor 125 cash every 2 weeks, he was a nightmare. i didnt spend a dime, i found or stole all my food, wasnt as hard as some of you experienced, but i wouldnt do it again if i had the choice. its amazing to have absolutely nothing and have people practically spit in your face and tell you to go home. i learned to appreciate my ability to think through and not to rely on people to get you out of a hole, that only YOU can get you out of a hole. stay mentally smart and strong for yourself, you let that go and you go.
 
1wild&crazyguy said:
A lot of friends that I grew up with [punk rock kids] all chose to be homeless and travel around the country, squatting in abandoned houses or locally known 'squats' as they r called. Most went to batton rouge, oregon, phoenix, Long beach etc...and just drank away all the free money given to them while pan handling with their dogs [most keep a dog around] and basically just 'lived off the land'

Their are over a 100's of thousands of these kids all over the world that do this by choice, probably more.
A lot of these kids end up finally settling in some city with a mediocre job and room mating with 3-6 others in a rented house. They are tat'd up head to toe, some r wet brained while others not so much. Some aren't so lucky....and end up in prison/jail over a drunken fight with a fellow squater friend that might have ended up in a stabbing or death, some for statutory rape on a local teenage punker chicks that wanna to hang out with so called 'squater legends' [short of a better term] or dead from heroine over doses like a gal named syd,rip, 1 friend pissed on 'the alamo' like ozzy ozbore-he did 2 yrs for that.

Most all come from broken homes, and never get there heads on straight.

Nothing is ever permanent, wether it car,home,girlfriends, records, money & even friends sometimes.

It's called living like an animal and running from yourself.



another side of this....

Down here in san diego, we have these 'homeless people' at the ends of the off ramps with signs held say please help,veteran, etc.... and all the goody good rich people toss 20's at them, meanwhile they buy about 2 dollars worth of food and 18 on alcohol and smack/meth.

Then there is the guy in fresno.....wow....he was actually RICH! had a big *** house in the sticks, but would throw on tattered clothing and collect 20's at the off ramp all day long......he was found out eventually, what an asshole....

I actually knew a a homeless person here in vista, his name was kenny. His dad was a high ranking officer in the military. Kenny [possibly a problem child] had one time been in the army and was singled out by drill instructors with approval of the father [higher rank] to give him hell and [fix his head]. Kenny went 'A wall' and ended up in some trouble along with eventually being shunned by his father/family and ended up homeless walking the streets collecting cans. In a weird way he still had his **** together but not. He lived in an encampment by the san louis ray bridge/hwy 76 and would pass my house going to and fro collecting cans from our dumpter...Kenny would also hold conversations with that dumpster and and get into fights with it....
I decided to confront him and find out the deal. He spoke in code, called things 'barbra' 'michigan' and would use all sorts of reference to the service saying 'they won't let u man' 'they want you to go 1015' and then mutter giberish and and just laugh....
I saw him smoking weed one day out there, so being a pot head, I kicked him a joint and began to try and analyze him a lil, cause 'hey, he's crazy hanging around the neighbor hood and I wanna know his #/deal so I know what to watch out for'.
he was a very nice guy, and sometimes snapped out of the cyco deal, but as soon as you got to feel he was mentally there, he would go right back to gibberish.


I felt bad for him and so I kicked him down here and there with drink/food/smokes AND talked with him from time to time.
He had walked the streets of vist for over 20ys with a big bag of cans and was known as 'the walker'
well.....one day he got into an argument with another not so harmless homeless man.....
the homeless man followed kenny back to his encampment and stabbed him to death, probably while he slept.

I just forgot my main message here, Im sorry.

rip kenny.
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ohh yea, never forget the punk rock kids, they took me in big time, even after i was kinda on my feet i was involved in the scene, well.. to this day, not drinking 40's on the street corner anymore but the tattoos are yet to fade, the 40s are in the fridge right now and the shows are still going on and im there.
 
Seeing that I am doing it by choice, even if I did give every single thing I have up. I still would never have the mind set that you guys did. The thing is, is I am trying to help people and myself. Nowhere am I claiming that I will experience the same day to day as a real homeless person. I just want to help. I'm not sure if you guys are really trying to bash me or what the motive is. I would think since you guys were homeless you would be glad that someone that really has no reason other than love for mankind would be willing to sacrifice to help. Sure, I am not giving everything I have up. But I am trying to do something. I am glad and thankful that you guys have bettered yourselfs and are now on your feet. That is an achievement that I wish a lot more people could do. I don't plan on this being fun, I plan to learn and want to help. I want to write about it, not to get rich or even make money for myself. This stint is mote for learning before I do what I plan to in 2012.
 
Good for you! Once a month I go down to the soup kitchen near me and help feed the homeless. Its a sad sight there...
 
daredevil said:
If the true homeless figure you out they may be hostile.
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If found out it could get real ugly, real fast. Be very careful.

Also alot of these people are "master manipulators". Don't let your heart rule your head. You will get taken advantage of very easily for having a heart.

Rule of the streets - Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer. Looking after #1 is the law of the land.

Again, be careful. Alot of people choose to be homeless and "free".



Wylde1.
 
J-MacsMopars said:
Seeing that I am doing it by choice, even if I did give every single thing I have up. I still would never have the mind set that you guys did. The thing is, is I am trying to help people and myself. Nowhere am I claiming that I will experience the same day to day as a real homeless person. I just want to help. I'm not sure if you guys are really trying to bash me or what the motive is. I would think since you guys were homeless you would be glad that someone that really has no reason other than love for mankind would be willing to sacrifice to help. Sure, I am not giving everything I have up. But I am trying to do something. I am glad and thankful that you guys have bettered yourselfs and are now on your feet. That is an achievement that I wish a lot more people could do. I don't plan on this being fun, I plan to learn and want to help. I want to write about it, not to get rich or even make money for myself. This stint is mote for learning before I do what I plan to in 2012.
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No bash at all. Just trying to understand how you will be able to help them better living amongst them. I would think you could do much more from a normal lifeset as I stated earlier.
 
I commend you on your quest i personally was homeless when i was 20 i did live in my car with my wife and daughter and i had a job but we did not have enough to get an apartment or any thing, we saved our money and were able to get a roof over our heads since that day i swore i would never be homeless again. I beleve most homeless are that way by choice drugs/booze/mental disorder/ect. Any money most get goes to drugs/booze, i don't give to any of them i'm struggling myself to keep my promise to myself and my family. Good luck to you be careful hope you get the experiance you are looking for. Long ago someone told me the best helping hands you can ask for are at the end of your arms.
 
Your quest is a noble one Jeremy. However I have to agree with the others that you really are not experiencing true homelessness.I know your intentions are more than honourable,but your method is not quite genuine.My suggestion is that you save up some holiday time and then walk the real walk of the homeless,no food,no money,no bed,no shelter,no friends. Just my .02,please be careful.As the others have warned you.it's dangerous out there.
 
I'm glad everyone has this right.

We all know what and how much hard work it takes to stay above water, and that we are all capable of doing it[with the exception of mental cases], if you are sane and homeless, it's either temporary or you choose to be.

I couch surfed, and slept in abandoned houses when I was a troubled teen punk rocker.


It sucked ***, never again.
 
I hope you learn a lot about yourself and the world we live in. Also on a note more related to the board, I don't think you could have picked a better car for the job. Maybe an old dodge van, but those are harder to park and might get noticed more. My family and I have been having hard times lately and I had seriously considered sending them back to live in my Dads basement in Kansas while I kept my job and lived in the wagon to save money to send to them. Luckily my wife just found a good job , for the Red Cross even. But her first check won't come till the 24th and unemployment is running out, and we still owe $1400 on last months rent. I have no idea how we are going to pay this month's. I just relisted the wagon on craigslist and we will get by with just her minivan that we still owe on. But now I am sounding like a whinner. Any way I know we will make it cause I have my wife and 2 girls that love me. It is just scary how this stuff can happen to anybody.

Tim
 
What better way to help than to understand?

I know there is no way that I can understand completely. But some understanding is better than no understanding. Like I have stated. I want to help and this is just the beginning. In 2012 like stated, I have something much bigger planned.



I do know that many of the people on the street are master manipulators, but I feel I will be okay as I am very good at reading people. Anyone want to play poker? :) As for it being dangerous, I know. Lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) for me, there are actually very few homeless in this area. So I doubt I will get hurt or killed. The biggest problem here is the local PD. I will probably get ticketed or arrested because they are so anal and have nothing else to do.
 
I hope you are not the typical journalist telling it from YOUR perspective instead of black & white is what it is and letting the reading make his own mind up.

I like info 1st, then anothers take on it. so I can see whats what followed by where you're coming from.

don't forget to bring steel reserve tall boys and a joint or 10 never hurts...
 
Sounds like a great experience. If anything, you will learn to live without creature comforts. Just be careful of manipulative, desperate people. Not all homeless are just down on their luck.
 
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