EXPERIMENT+UPDATE: i'm homeless

the homeless population is growing because of the economic crisis. it's a terrible problem in our society not to mention heart-breaking for people who were in a home one day and on the streets the next.

i did a piece in may 2007 that was based off of some things we were learning and being convinced of at cross. it really caused me to think about how i can be so quick to dehumanize someone just because they're standing on a corner with a sign asking for help. the piece reads, "i'm a person just like you."


yes, there are some out there wanting their next fix or their next bottle for sure and they're willing to say, claim, and do nearly anything to get the money they need to get it. BUT there are genuinely hurting people also.

two months ago a group at cross gathered supplies for the oc rescue mission and spent a saturday helping out the staff and residents at the village of hope location. it was A LOT of fun, honestly. the village of hope location is in tustin and the grounds are so beautiful. at first look you wouldn't think it would temporarily house homeless families because hell i'd want to live there myself!

i heard on npr that a lot of non-profits show a sharp decline in donations once they get to be a certain size because people assume that once they've gained some notoriety or size that they're set. not the case. so let those with give to those without.

this saturday i'm thinking of doing an experiment. i will stand on a street corner somewhere in orange county with a sign and see what it feels like to be in the shoes of a homeless person. i expect to feel WAY self-conscious and awkward and i better prep the sunscreen and hat! my sign will not ask for money but will advertise the oc rescue mission. we'll see what happens. maybe i'll see you on the street this saturday. stay tuned kiddies for an update!

***UPDATE 08.08.09***
"oh man, i really don't want to do this. maybe i should post a fake update. no one would know...no one even reads my stupid blog, who cares..."

that was going through my mind today. hahaha, i'll be honest. but i mustered up the courage and went through with it...for reals!

first problem: where do i stand?
there are a lot of homeless people who stand on the euclid exit off 405-N but getting there seemed to be an issue. in order to reach that median i would have to either cross a 405-N on ramp or the 405-N exit. dangerous stuff. homeless people are brave.

i decided to go with the 405-S on ramp by Guitar Center, FV.

second problem: how long do i do this?
so i forgot my watch. and i didn't want to keep checking my phone...that would be lame. so once i stood on my spot i decided to count cars. i counted over 400 vehicles and when i came back to my car only 23 min had passed! hahaha oh man...

so, things i noticed:

• some people have no idea what's going outside their car. i feel this might be one of the reasons why some people always seem to get into accidents.

• people in general have a real problem making eye contact with a stranger, even if that stranger obviously doesn't look homeless and is outside their moving vehicle.
  

• people hate smiling. i was smiling the whole time...no one smiled back, very depressing.

there are some other things that i thought while doing this experiment but if you want to know what those are, you'll have to ask me yourself.