Free Ya’ Mind

1/24/24

What is life like for a poor, homeless, writer living in the greatest city in the world??

IT SUCKS! TF?

Honestly, what stories could one really expect from a poor, homeless American WITH a college degree!? What luxuries could I afford?

Not much. Food cost, Alcohol cost, Weed costs (it’s legal now, so shut ya face!), QUALITY AIR is costly. WATER AND VITAMINS, Medicine, Toiletries, METRO CARD,.. did I mention FOOD?!

UGH, and for some reason, HRA keeps cutting my benefits off if I attempt to work more than 10 hours a week. So.. how am I supposed to survive with a dollar sign attached to EVERYTHING I want or NEED?

It’s no wonder why Americans are more depressed and anxious now a days! It’s cuz we can’t even afford therapy! THERAPY! 😫

Mental Health Services are the newest, hottest commodity to hit the airwaves. It’s the THING to do now: buy coffee, take out trash, sign up for therapy..

But, is ANYBODY getting better? I MEAN REALLY! Cuz I’ve been managing my own mental health and I’m STILL struggling! Been managing my housing issues, and I’m STILL homeless!..

I’ve been managing my own employment journey, applying for part time work and maintaining the required amount of hours to continue to receive benefits. But it’s HARD having funds for food everyday! EVERY DAY! and when your public assistance doesn’t assist, then what do you have??

I’m NOT complaining.. Ok, so maybe I’m complaining a little bit. But, shouldn’t I complain? Shouldn’t we all start complaining more about medical fees and taxes that DON’T benefit society..?? THE REAL SOCIETY. Not bridges and paved roads. The REAL people that LIVE in said society.

Why we struggling with everyday LIFE shit, and the rising price of Netflix, AND the housing costs going up, the value of the dollar drops more and more AND the only ones feeling the pain is the SOCIETY!

WE ARE THE ONES DEPRESSED, ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM THE SAME HOMELESSNESS THAT I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING! ONE LOUSY PAYCHECK!

WHY DON’T WE COMPLAIN MORE, BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS GOT TO CHANGE! The Shelter System doesn’t truly assist in finding housing and assistance for needy individuals. The system imposes rules and requirements that don’t add value or empower a person to get back on their feet. The case managers and “housing specialists” are overworked and overwhelmed. They are NOT your friends. You CANNOT cry to them when life is unbearable. You CANNOT complain when the shelter is uncomfortable or unsafe. You MUST eat the food THEY provide or you WON’T eat. You MUST abide by their RULES or you WILL lose your assigned bed and have to start your process over again!

You think those homeless individuals ENJOY sleeping on the street? Or on the TRAIN, or on the church steps? Or in the City Parks? NO! THEY DO IT BECAUSE ITS THE ONLY EMPOWERMENT THEY HAVE TO LIVE BY THEIR OWN RULES AND LOOK OUT FOR THEMSELVES! (AND IT STILL AIN’T ENOUGH!)

Do they have MENTAL ISSUES? YES. Do we care until someone gets pushed onto the train tracks?? NO. We don’t care about the unhoused. We don’t care about the poor individuals who TRULY CANNOT AFFORD FOOD OR MEDICAL SERVICE! We don’t care about the mental health crisis, until someone dies tragically in an accident that could have been prevented. WE WONT CARE ABOUT SOCIETY UNTIL THEIR IS A SUICIDE EPIDEMIC. We’re more afraid of the word SUICIDE, than the process it takes for someone to get to that point. “Pull yourself up by your own boot straps”, until your boots get too heavy or break down. When the boots crumble and break under pressure, what then?

When the relationships we build in society are PURELY transactional, what then? What becomes of society?.. we become a corporation. Not a Community. We became a construct, a policy, a protocol. Become less human. Less connected to one another. More critical of each other, easier to discard when expectations aren’t fulfilled.

Is that what WE want? Is that what WE need? To become cogs in a machine? No love. No emotion. No soul. ONLY PRODUCTION?

Well, it’s not what I need! I need healthy, NON TOXIC food, WATER and MEDICINE. Medical and Mental Health Services. Music! Art! LOVE! QUALITY AIR! HOUSING THAT’S ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! EVERYONE WHO TRULY WANTS IT! EVERYONE WHO TRULY NEEDS IT!

Shall I continue this list?? CUZ, it can get very long. We’ve been held back from so much, even our own abilities to heal and recover naturally. Why shouldn’t I RANT every chance I get? Why shouldn’t I be OPEN and HONEST about my HUMAN experience? Why CAN’T YOU?!

If you aren’t 100% SATISFIED with your HUMAN EXPERIENCE in THIS LIFETIME, WAVE YO’ HANDS IN THE AIR! WAVE ‘EM, LIKE YOU JUST DON’T CARE! WAVE ‘EM, UNTIL WE GET EVERYONE’S ATTENTION AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE AIN’T STANDING FOR THIS SHIT ANYMORE!

(drops mic. steps off soapbox)