Fuck Yeah Love! // I’ve followed this blog since I joined Tumblr and...

I’ve followed this blog since I joined Tumblr and have always enjoyed it. One thing I’ve never seen, though, is a post regarding homelessness.

From the start, I’ll admit that I’m biased - as someone whose parent was homeless when I was a child, it’s always been personal and very real to me. At this point in my life, I devote a large amount of time and vacations from school to volunteering full-time in homeless shelters across the US. I know not everyone has had these experiences, but I wanted to share a perspective because I know a lot of people follow this Tumblr and I think it’s an important message.

A homeless person is a person. It’s easy to walk by someone on the street because you’re scared or busy or just don’t care. It’s easy to avoid eye contact on the bus because you’re texting or reading and it’s easy to turn away when someone is being teased or taunted for sleeping on a bench or smelling or wearing dirty clothes. I know, it’s easy. What’s not as easy to keep in mind is that every single person without a home is not without human emotions and experiences: they all have families, friends, homes, backgrounds. They’ve been in love and had their hearts broken. They’ve hated school and skipped class. They’ve gotten their learner’s permit and been excited to start driving. They’ve gone to the movies five times in a row because they loved it so much. They’re people. Have someone people whom are homeless committed illegal or dangerous or socially unacceptable acts? Yes. But not all of them. There’s a regular at a shelter I volunteer at who LOVES to tell stories. One day, a coworker of mine joked about love lives and he got really quiet. About a minute later, he said the woman he’d loved he lost and it made him sad. It was awkward for a minute there because we all thought the same things: did he abuse her? drink her away? cheat on her? But then he told us that when his life was diagnosed with leukemia and didn’t have health insurance, they did everything possible to help her. When the bills continued piling up, they went into more and more debt, but it was worth it to keep her alive. When she died, he tried to get a handle on their debts but gave up. If she couldn’t live that life with him, he didn’t want it anymore.

Homeless people are people before anything else, just like the rest of us. Please, just bear it in mind when you’re out. I’m not asking you to give someone money or rides or even talk to them - but a smile and nod of recognition can mean the world to someone.

by marissaisgod

POSTED 2 years ago ♥ 31 notes

♥ 31 notes