I will be living on the streets of Decatur, homeless for the next 30 days, taking an in-depth look at homelessness in this area, and revisiting places nearly a decade after having done this before.
I spend a great deal of my time eavesdropping and observing while being out here. I am working on a major composting initiative and as part of that, I spend about 60 percent of my day, starting at 5 in the morning, on my bike, visiting homes and different neighborhoods in the area. (See: Don't quit your day job here). In between long rides to different destinations, I stop to charge up my phone, my tablet and check in.
I keep up with social media, the things that are being said to and about me. It has been interesting to say the least. It is a vast change between now and the way things were a decade ago. Facebook is what started this whole thing back then, but it was not as big of a deal then. People at least in my circle, were not on it constantly.
The goal of this whole thing has been to gain some understanding. The goal has been to look at homelessness and its causes, but also talk about a much neglected aspect of this issue; those with homes, not just those without. I am figuring out some things about people who live side by side, in a way, with those who are struggling with homelessness.
Starting this project, I have been called privileged because I am not actually homeless. I have heard from people that the homeless should just get jobs because if they can sit out all day and ask for money then they can get up and go to work. I have heard all sorts of things from all sorts of people.
Still, the readership of this blog has doubled with each post, so, people are listening. People are talking about this thing; experiment, waste of time, whatever. So, it is working.the conversations are starting and laugh, judge, berate, whatever...people are talking.
This is day 6 and I am getting the hang of things, learning my way around, getting the lay of the land and adjusting this thing on the fly. There is a desire to know what is going on and I will be called on to defend my methodology and even my actions beyond this 30 days.
So I ask you to keep talking. Give me questions to answer and build on. I am going to address these things, head-on possibly antagonize some people but in order for there to be sustainable solutions to these problems, these are the discussions that must be had.
I spend a great deal of my time eavesdropping and observing while being out here. I am working on a major composting initiative and as part of that, I spend about 60 percent of my day, starting at 5 in the morning, on my bike, visiting homes and different neighborhoods in the area. (See: Don't quit your day job here). In between long rides to different destinations, I stop to charge up my phone, my tablet and check in.
I keep up with social media, the things that are being said to and about me. It has been interesting to say the least. It is a vast change between now and the way things were a decade ago. Facebook is what started this whole thing back then, but it was not as big of a deal then. People at least in my circle, were not on it constantly.
The goal of this whole thing has been to gain some understanding. The goal has been to look at homelessness and its causes, but also talk about a much neglected aspect of this issue; those with homes, not just those without. I am figuring out some things about people who live side by side, in a way, with those who are struggling with homelessness.
Starting this project, I have been called privileged because I am not actually homeless. I have heard from people that the homeless should just get jobs because if they can sit out all day and ask for money then they can get up and go to work. I have heard all sorts of things from all sorts of people.
Still, the readership of this blog has doubled with each post, so, people are listening. People are talking about this thing; experiment, waste of time, whatever. So, it is working.the conversations are starting and laugh, judge, berate, whatever...people are talking.
This is day 6 and I am getting the hang of things, learning my way around, getting the lay of the land and adjusting this thing on the fly. There is a desire to know what is going on and I will be called on to defend my methodology and even my actions beyond this 30 days.
So I ask you to keep talking. Give me questions to answer and build on. I am going to address these things, head-on possibly antagonize some people but in order for there to be sustainable solutions to these problems, these are the discussions that must be had.
Are you able to bathe?
ReplyDeleteGood question and the short answer is no, not full on. Scrubs here and there, if you know what I mean.
Delete