Clothes and Homeless: The Myth: Unknown dateMy usual pilgrimage from work to home can take between 2 and 4 hours, depending on numerous things out of my control. Sometimes I buy things, find things, give things, or take things. Tonight I did all four before walking in the front door.
Buying Things
Easy one. My usual stop to get change for the bus means 'having' to get a Mountain Dew Litre. Seeing as I kept to not eating much today, I splurged and picked up King Size Mounds Bar. Kept it in my lunchbag with the drink to keep it cold, figured I'd eat it later while waiting for a bus downtown.
When I got downtown the terminal was swamped, so I did what I've done lately and chose to get off at a location where the bus I catch next would get before the terminal. Translation: I don't have to stand for 30 minutes until the first bus stop.
Finding and Giving Things
I saw a woman wearing a jacket and old leather handbag at the bus stop when I got there. Stood in the shade where I normally do, and was about to have a smoke when I remembered the candy bar. I could tell from the woman's hands and feet exposed in open sandles that she'd been weathering the elements for months, while she had only two yellowed teeth she smiled with when I handed her half of my candybar pack, while I asked her if it was alright to sit on the bench.
Jay...that's what I'll call her here...has been living outside for five years. Thought it was strange, since I know many of the locals by sight at least and couldn't recall her in particular. Turns out she's from Jax Beach, and said she was heading back there. With the weather looking as it was, I made small talk and opened up about having been homeless to find out if she knew the system of places in town.
While answering probing questions, she interacted fine. Sad thing is she wasn't interested or prepared to head to get in line for dinner at Sulzbacher's, just four blocks away. When I asked her what bus she was catching, she said she was walking to the beach.
During our talk, I related how when I first came to Jacksonville in 1989, I felt safer camping outside than staying in the shelters sometimes...trying to get her to elaborate on her reasons for being unsheltered so long. I continued in talking about floor space as an option at Sulzbacher's sometimes, which she hadn't heard of before. Possible it was feigned, possible she honestly didn't recall.
Jay's like many chronic homeless, reacting to schedules, stimuli, and the most basic instincts of survival. Food for survival, a place to bed down out of sight of others, and in many cases nothing more. While many opponents of homeless people claim abundant locations for clothing, many closets have 90 day waits between visits.
Not having a place that's within their area; or not knowing what's there for their use due to disassociating from contact with other homeless or people in general; they are forced to wear the same clothing constantly for weeks at a time.
That was my third thing for the day, taking what she said to heart.
Feel free to eMail or visit my project Homeless In Jax.
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