candycrimson

There are so many times that I begin to wonder about homeless people. Like today, I was driving through a nice historic neighborhood. All the trees and flowers are in bloom. The architecture is amazing and everything is gorgeous. There are parks, and everything is beautiful right now. I drive through that neighborhood pretty often, and I notice the same few homeless people, and it made me wonder. If someone had to live on the streets, why would they choose to live in a grimy part of the city, when the could reside unbothered in the lushness of a park in an amazing neighborhood? I'm sure there isn't anything good about being homeless, but if you pick the right place, imagine all that there is to take in and still enjoy from the natural world.
Of course this doesn't address the issue of how terrible it is that there are still so many people living on the streets. When I first moved to the city and saw the homeless on a regular basis, and was almost in tears, at the sight of people shivering in doorways, I immediately though of these Ani Difranco Lyrics:
i remember the first time i saw someone lying on
the cold street, i thought, "i can't just walk
past you, this can't just be true." but i learned
by example to just keep moving my feet. it's
amazing the things that we all learn to do. so
we're led by denial like lambs to the slaughter,
serving empires of style and carbonated sugar
water and the old farmroad's a four-lane that
leads to the mall and my dreams are all
guillotines waiting to fall, and i wonder then
what it will take for my country to rise.

I would really like to learn more about the situation. Doesn't the welfare system at least enable people decent shelter, and minimal food and clothing? I am thinking about trying to find a place to volunteer. Do any of you do this sort of thing?