If you stopped working, had no savings, were unable to pay your bills, and did nothing about it, you would quickly wind up at the bottom of the social heap – homeless.

Homelessness strikes fear in the hearts of most individuals who have ever thought of making a change in their lives by handing in their resignation. It is perceived as the ultimate destiny for those who have mismanaged their affairs to the extent that they have used up all their chances and all their safety nets. It is a formidable force that wields its power in the form of fear.

I encounter homeless people everyday. Most people avoid them like the plague – I’m not sure why. I’ve overheard comments like, “It makes you glad to have a job” and “There, but for the grace of god, go I.” It’s obvious that it makes many people uncomfortable – not because they detest homeless people, but because it strikes a cord with many of us.

Fear like this will keep you on the straight and narrow. It is very real, since there is proof of how lives can be shattered, in the alleyways and park benches of most major cities for all to see, any day of the week. This fear keeps many of us chained to our desks with little options, for we have concluded that there is some unseen force trying to constantly drag us down. How good of the company to give me this great job and spare me the pain of this certain fate.

Well, the reality is that many of us would not end up on the street. There are many other factors involved here. I have talked to many street people over the years, and I could not imagine anyone I know winding up on the street. They simply don’t fit the profile.

First of all, many street people have problems with alcohol and drug abuse. I have seen this first hand. Additionally, many have emotional and psychological problems. I’m not saying that all street people can be painted with the same brush, as I am sure there are exceptions; however, there does seem to be a certain profile with most.

Additionally, many street people either don’t know about, or don’t want help from, the many social programs available to them. I’m not being biased or prejudiced here; I’m only speaking from my own experiences.

I honestly don’t think I would end up homeless. I have family and friends that I can count on in an absolute emergency. Even without that, I still believe that I could avoid sleeping on the street. I would make use of every program available to me. I would wash dishes and sweep floors in order to keep a room and have a little food.

I really feel for the homeless. Through no fault of their own, they have slipped through the cracks. Forced to exist on our leftovers, they exist as a silent minority in a world that is simply too busy to acknowledge their existence.

I don’t think I’m tough enough to survive that.

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