This was an interesting day in our house a week or so ago. I wasn't even sure if I was going to make a post about it, but then I figured it might actually be one of the more important "from the mouth of babes" moments.
So I say let him explain...
Ask him and he'll tell you about the homeless. He'll tell you where you can find them and he'll tell you just what you can do to help them. Now, in case you're wondering do we play "homeless child" at home, we don't. One afternoon he brought me this piece of cardboard from a box we had received and asked me to write a message on it. I asked him what he wanted me to write and he said he wanted me to write something about him. I wrote ADORABLE. At this point I didn't understand what he was doing, in fact I was completely clueless because I was attempting to read a book and let him have some quiet time playing playmobil. He then asked me to write that he wanted money on it....and then I got it. He said he wanted to play homeless person. After I let my eyes un-widen (is that a term), I played along a little bit thinking maybe he was just being silly and his ADD would kick in soon and he'd run off and play something else. Uh no, so I wrote on it and he toddled off. I then realized after a few minutes that he was outside and I found him sitting on the side of the road with a frown on his face and holding this sign. Now before you judge and think, "oh this extremely fortunate white child is making fun of the homeless", think again. I told him to come up on the steps and talk to me about it and I have to admit that I was a tiny bit shocked at him myself and I told him that it wasn't appropriate to do that. He of course asked why.
I then was educated by my 4 year old on how homelessness and begging appears to a small innocent child. I turned my micro recorder on my phone on and recorded his response. He says "I see the sign first, sometimes they are dirty and sometimes they are not, I like that they have cool doggies with them, the old ones look scary to me, but I know they are just sad, so that means they aren't really scary to me, they get lots of money...right mama? There are a lot of them in our neighborhood I think. Maybe I should be a friend to them, I also think we should go to the bank mama and get them some money and give it to them. Remember when we had dinner with that man, I wonder where he lives, can we go to his house and see him?" I then asked him why he wanted to sit on the street with a sign and doesn't he know that he has a home and a family and lots of really nice things, and doesn't he know that he isn't homeless and he's lucky to not have to be hungry and beg for money? He nodded and said yes, that he understood, but he followed it up with a quick "I can make money and then give it to the real ones". Hmmm.
I'm not naive. I know that many of the individuals in the Sugarhouse area are chronic and it's a great begging area because people give a lot of money on corners. I admit I am sometimes one of those people who give a handful of dollars to someone who appears old or overly obvious that they are homeless or in need. I also have taken them in to restaurants to get a meal and every single time we drive up near someone on the corner Sam requires me to read the sign to him. Should I be doing that? I don't know, should I have ignored it the whole time and not talked to him about it? I don't know. Should I tell him that they are probably drunks that beg for money for booze? Should I tell them that they are average citizens that are lazy and unmotivated and would rather stand on the corner and beg? Should I explain what homeless veteran means? The answer to all of these is unclear. It's very hard not to see these individuals and why would you anyway? They are apart of our society, they are not going to go away and some of them genuinely need help. Should I not give them money? Probably, but I am not going to stop. I wont stop because when I see anyone homeless, unmotivated, dirty, or otherwise, I think not so much of their plight, but that they are someones child and that what they do with my bit of cash is their responsibility, not mine after it become theirs. Am I perpetuating the problem? Maybe.
When registering my child for school there were papers to sign that stated that my child wasn't homeless, didn't need extra care or meals etc. I found this paper so disheartening and disturbing and it really brought me to a place of concern. I've known several homeless people and I am glad that I see them and read their signs and I'm grateful that my child is aware and sympathetic and understanding that many struggle and need help and we are searching for helpful ways to help. These individuals come in all shapes and sizes, all sorts of demographics and styles of circumstances and it's all so very complex.
According to Comprehensive Report on Homelessness State of Utah and Utah Division of Housing and Community Development State Community Services Office, on any given night there are estimated 9,038 homeless, attempting to find shelter for the evening 4,653 who are children, just in Salt Lake County alone. Shocking!
1 comment:
jk;
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