There's a Different Between Being Homeless and Being a Bum

It's not that big of an issue, but lately I've just been hearing a lot of people say things like, "Homeless people are so annoying", or, "Homeless people should be wiped off the face of the planet", or how they're a "waste of space" or "might as well just kill themselves".

Um... are these people talking about homeless people in general, or just bums?

I hate those people who are in perfectly good shape, but yet instead of trying to find a job or place to stay at night, they prefer to go back and forth through subway cars begging for money or sleeping on the sidewalk with cups next to them all day and night. I hate the people who spend all the money they get from mooching off of other people, on crack, heroin, weed or liquor. I hate the people who go MONTHS without washing and lie on the train sleeping all night, taking up about ten seats because they're all laid out, and smelling up the train car.

Okay. I don't HATE them. But they annoy me greatly. And I don't understand people like that who are so lazy that they can't even put effort into making their own lives better and taking care of themselves.

Anyway, that's what I call a "bum". They make no effort to take care of themselves, and expect other people, total strangers, to give them basic things like food and water, instead of trying to get it themselves before they beg the rest of us. I understand that they're going to need help sometimes, but they don't even try in the first place.

But homeless people in general? I'M homeless. I live in a shelter. A 30 day one. Sometime within the next two weeks, I'm going to be back to sleeping in whatever 24-hour fast food resturant will let me sit there and rest my head on the table all night, until I can get back into another shelter. But I still take care of myself. I go to a drop-in center on a almost daily basis where I see a counselor, get medical attention if I need it, clothes, food and a place to shower and change. They even give us make-up every now and then. Anybody who's homeless between the ages of 16 and 24 has no excuse to NOT go there if they need something. And the people who own that drop-in center, has another one in another part of the city. They can help you get a job, get a GED, find a place to live, or stay for a little while. When I got my spot in the shelter I'm staying in now, one of the counselors PHYSICALLY escorted me there to make sure I got there on time and met all the staff.

And there are DOZENS of places like this in New York City. So let's say, the building just blows up one day. I have other places to go.

The fuck. There is no reason why people should be lying in the middle of the sidewalk with lice and shit, begging people for change all day, then drinking themselves to death when they get enough money to.

And I'm far from being anything like that. But I have no place of my own to stay. I don't even have a job actually. And I'm a druggie. I'm not even doing as well as I should. I'm not putting any effort into trying to finish school or anything. I get money by randomly selling something or if someone I know just gives it to me out of kindness. I have no job. I don't even sell my body. The only time I actually earn money is on the rare occasions I get desperate enough to shoplift something and sell it.

And I STILL manage to stay out of people's way and not inconvenience them. Most people don't even know I'm homeless. Most of my close friends just recently found out. And I have an entire group of friends that are in my same situation, and do the same thing. You'd think we were a group of spoiled, semi-rich kids sometimes. But nope. We're all basically living on the streets.

So... don't say that homeless people are all in general, annoying moochers who might as well just off themselves because they have nothing to live for. Because me, my friends, and a whole lot of other homeless youth and adults, or managing to enjoy life, not at the expense of others. Not all of us are low-lives.

I've actually never been happier, more independent, or appreciative of life than I am now.