Homeless

A title that needs no elaboration.

Homeless - painfully self-explanatory.

Shelter - one of the five basic needs in life that Business Studies taugh me.

Food. Water. Shelter. Clothing. Warmth: Man's requirement of basic living.

So how is it possible there are people in London, everywhere, who struggle to make one of the those basic needs, let alone all five.

I have to admit that I have, subconsciously, numbed to the visibility of the homelessness. The sound of a beggar drummed out by the ignorance and the approach of the lonely and cold guarded by intimidation and fear. The truth is I don't know what I can do. Ignorance has grown from no starting point and no education. Instead I am blind to the blind, homeless to the homeless and weak to the weak.

LAST NIGHT something stirred in me...

Myself and boyfriend took ourselves to the chip shop - a luxury that I could do without at the moment (see http://tr.im/cokeaddiction). We were walking passed the local supermarket towards the chip shop and all of sudden my man quite familiarly spoke out "Are you ok fella?". Thinking he was engaging random conversation with me I confusedly asked what but by then his real response had already been had. He was talking to one of three homeless men outside of the supermarket. He was hungry and my boyfriend asked what he would like from the chipshop. "Battered sausage and a buttered roll", he asked. "Cheeky", my boyfriend joked back, and off we continued to the chipshop. I was dumbstruck and super-sweetened by this act of kindness that I am normally to cautious to do. I insisted that I take it over to him as though I was suddenly Jesus parting the waves. My halo seen from space!

I was overcome by generosity without a price. Overjoyed that I was communication finally with a homeless person (all of this sounds superficial) and that I was able to help.

The truth is I always want to help out a homeless person, but I fade into the crowd when approached and I am faced with skepticism that theyre going to ruin their lives with money I palm off onto them on Alcohol and Drugs. It's not enough for me to just give them some money to relieve my conscious because it does the opposite. I become responsible for them in my mind. Maybe it's this fear of attachment and self-deprivation (spending at the expense of my own current situation) that I withdraw from helping before now. I know for a fact that if I had the money I would do something like Colin Farrell (http://tr.im/gBYa) and really try and change them. I would like to take one and work on their CV, polish their communication skills and share their experiences and help them apply it to a new job. Then introduce them to like-minded people, people who they can share their experiences with. Have the medically checked over, both mental and physically. Get them a new wardrobe to start them off and show them how to plan their finances.

It sounds daft I know. Pretentious maybe. But that one act of kindness has shown be that ignorance isn't bliss. I will make my difference as I can. Maybe find the time to volunteer somehow. I want to make a difference in the world and even if it's by doing something small that helps one individual enjoy life a little better then so be it. It's not fame I'm pursuing, it's life. I enjoy mine so why shouldn't I give a little of my energy to someone else?