On Being Homeless for a Night
From March 13th to the 14th I had an opportunity with school to sleep outside in a cardboard box and experience what it is like to be without a home for the night. Right when I heard about the event i knew I wanted to take part. I had no idea what it might be like (ive never even been camping before...), but I knew if i did it, I would be able to be in solidarity with those who so often go without a place to return to each night.
I arrived to school at 6pm on Saturday night. After introductions we started off by sitting in a circle and thinking about what a home was to us. We thought about some of the items we might take for granted, such as soap and clean water to drink when we wish. Most of us don't go from day to day thinking of where we're going to be able to wash our face, or even something so simple as where we are going to have our drink of water for the day. From this we moved onto our dinner. It simulated a soup kitchen and our food consisted of soup, bread, an apple, and water. There was even something to be taken out of this: the amount of food that people waste each day is astronomical. With so many people hungry not just in America, but in the world, it makes you think twice about what you are throwing away. Once you don't have as much food as you normally would, you eat something even if it's not what you would prefer, and to the more drastic; you eat something if it is spoiled or dirty. Food is food. If you aren't going to eat something, the least you can do is ask others around you if they would like it because someone somewhere is literally dying to eat it.
Once we were done with dinner we had a speaker from Mary's Place and Sharing and Caring Hands who works with the children. She shared some statistics about the homeless and her experiences. For someone to be able to get affordable housing ($900 a month) they would have to make at minim $17 an hour, or work 80 hours a week. For most this is impossible and there is simply not enough subsidized housing so this is when people are forced to live on the streets. There was another speaker, Robert. He shared with us his own experience about going from living comfortably in Minnetonka, to being without a home with his family. It made me think twice about thinking something could never happen to you. Anyone is one medical situation from exceptional debt.
Once this all sank in, we took our first venture outside to make our 'house' for the night. I was in a group with three other people, but we didn't construct anything together. We basically just shared a tarp underneath us and slept in separate boxes. Each of the other groups worked with each other to make one 'house' that they all were in/on together. With that I believe that ours was the most realistic. I dont think if we were really homeless we would have as much cardboard as we all had there, and i dont think the space would be available for some of the groups' house and the subtlety of it, but hey that's just my opinion.
By this time we did an activity to somewhat 'distract' us from our situation. We went onto the football field and played capture the flag/flashlight with seniors vs. everyone else. We lost, but after it was going on so long i personally sorta gave up because i knew if i kept going it would just make me more hungry in the night. Once this was over, we all went back inside to watch The Pursuit of Happiness. Now i'm not one to watch or even like many movies, but i actually enjoyed this one. (if you havent seen it and want to, skip the rest of this paragraph) It is about this man Chris who has a wife who works double shifts and a kid who's five. Chris sells bone density scanners but is quite unsuccessful about it. Once the mother has had enough of not being happy, she leaves to New York, leaving Chris and his son. One day Chris is walking and sees the stockbrokers that come out the building always happy and smiling. Chris decides that he wants to be one of them. He hears about an internship and after doing everything to get it, he finds out it doesn't pay. He goes through with the program, but has to keep trying to sell his scanners to make rent in hopes of being the intern chosen to actually work for the firm. After getting kicked out of his apartment and then the hotel, Chris is forced to go to shelters for his son until he can sell the last scanner. Once he does so he makes enough to just get by the time it takes him to pass the internship and actually get the job he once thought impossible. So the movie ends happy, but its not about that, its about going for what makes you happy and with all of the setbacks, you're still able to get through everything and have it be worth it.
This is where things started to get real for us. After the movie at 1230am we left the warmth we were ever so familiar with, for the cold night. Now at first it wasnt exactly cold. I was actually comfortable, even with only being in one box. But as the night went on, it got colder and unsettling. In the beginning it wasnt too bad. I couldnt sleep simply because i wasnt tired and everyone was talking and making a bunch of noise. but then came a train that was there foreverrrr, it was still really bright with downtown just blocks away, and then came the cold. Apparently i did have it better off than most others, though. They said that they heard sirens forever, people shouting 'wake up' super loud, and a hungry raccoon that came around that CJ had to scare off. I dont remember any of that. So i guess i did sleep some. That is until about 5am maybe. I woke up, freezing. by box was somewhat damp from all of the fog around so it didnt stay up anymore, it was right on me. but that probably kept me warmer anyway. Even with daylight savings, it seemed like we were out there way too long. With the thought of being able to go home to a real bed and be warm, was the only thing keeping me sane. If i didnt have that thought, i dont know what i would have done. Now I know why those without homes are crabby. I would be too if i couldnt sleep every night because of the noise and cold. In the morning my only thought was, 'i hope its time to get up soon' i have never been to happy to wake up at 6am in my life (really even 5am seeming with DST) Once CJ got us all up and inside we had a reflection of our night and shared our experiences. With most of us feeling the same, we came to the conclusion that being without a home is in no way easy. When i got back to my house by 8am i was sleeping and woke up at noon to eat, then went back to bed until 3. I dont think i would be able to function if i was homeless. I would be a zombie and that would make it even harder to find work, and if i did have work, actually work and interact with others would be very challenging.
I learned so much more from doing this than i ever thought i would. I will think more about those would have less than i do when i complain about something little. I will remember what i felt during this and use it to keep others in solidarity. When I see a homeless person, i will think twice and realize it may not be solely their fault they are in that situation. I will be more active and do what i can to help this growing problem and not have it be something to ignore thinking it will one day simply disappear.
I arrived to school at 6pm on Saturday night. After introductions we started off by sitting in a circle and thinking about what a home was to us. We thought about some of the items we might take for granted, such as soap and clean water to drink when we wish. Most of us don't go from day to day thinking of where we're going to be able to wash our face, or even something so simple as where we are going to have our drink of water for the day. From this we moved onto our dinner. It simulated a soup kitchen and our food consisted of soup, bread, an apple, and water. There was even something to be taken out of this: the amount of food that people waste each day is astronomical. With so many people hungry not just in America, but in the world, it makes you think twice about what you are throwing away. Once you don't have as much food as you normally would, you eat something even if it's not what you would prefer, and to the more drastic; you eat something if it is spoiled or dirty. Food is food. If you aren't going to eat something, the least you can do is ask others around you if they would like it because someone somewhere is literally dying to eat it.
Once we were done with dinner we had a speaker from Mary's Place and Sharing and Caring Hands who works with the children. She shared some statistics about the homeless and her experiences. For someone to be able to get affordable housing ($900 a month) they would have to make at minim $17 an hour, or work 80 hours a week. For most this is impossible and there is simply not enough subsidized housing so this is when people are forced to live on the streets. There was another speaker, Robert. He shared with us his own experience about going from living comfortably in Minnetonka, to being without a home with his family. It made me think twice about thinking something could never happen to you. Anyone is one medical situation from exceptional debt.
Once this all sank in, we took our first venture outside to make our 'house' for the night. I was in a group with three other people, but we didn't construct anything together. We basically just shared a tarp underneath us and slept in separate boxes. Each of the other groups worked with each other to make one 'house' that they all were in/on together. With that I believe that ours was the most realistic. I dont think if we were really homeless we would have as much cardboard as we all had there, and i dont think the space would be available for some of the groups' house and the subtlety of it, but hey that's just my opinion.
By this time we did an activity to somewhat 'distract' us from our situation. We went onto the football field and played capture the flag/flashlight with seniors vs. everyone else. We lost, but after it was going on so long i personally sorta gave up because i knew if i kept going it would just make me more hungry in the night. Once this was over, we all went back inside to watch The Pursuit of Happiness. Now i'm not one to watch or even like many movies, but i actually enjoyed this one. (if you havent seen it and want to, skip the rest of this paragraph) It is about this man Chris who has a wife who works double shifts and a kid who's five. Chris sells bone density scanners but is quite unsuccessful about it. Once the mother has had enough of not being happy, she leaves to New York, leaving Chris and his son. One day Chris is walking and sees the stockbrokers that come out the building always happy and smiling. Chris decides that he wants to be one of them. He hears about an internship and after doing everything to get it, he finds out it doesn't pay. He goes through with the program, but has to keep trying to sell his scanners to make rent in hopes of being the intern chosen to actually work for the firm. After getting kicked out of his apartment and then the hotel, Chris is forced to go to shelters for his son until he can sell the last scanner. Once he does so he makes enough to just get by the time it takes him to pass the internship and actually get the job he once thought impossible. So the movie ends happy, but its not about that, its about going for what makes you happy and with all of the setbacks, you're still able to get through everything and have it be worth it.
This is where things started to get real for us. After the movie at 1230am we left the warmth we were ever so familiar with, for the cold night. Now at first it wasnt exactly cold. I was actually comfortable, even with only being in one box. But as the night went on, it got colder and unsettling. In the beginning it wasnt too bad. I couldnt sleep simply because i wasnt tired and everyone was talking and making a bunch of noise. but then came a train that was there foreverrrr, it was still really bright with downtown just blocks away, and then came the cold. Apparently i did have it better off than most others, though. They said that they heard sirens forever, people shouting 'wake up' super loud, and a hungry raccoon that came around that CJ had to scare off. I dont remember any of that. So i guess i did sleep some. That is until about 5am maybe. I woke up, freezing. by box was somewhat damp from all of the fog around so it didnt stay up anymore, it was right on me. but that probably kept me warmer anyway. Even with daylight savings, it seemed like we were out there way too long. With the thought of being able to go home to a real bed and be warm, was the only thing keeping me sane. If i didnt have that thought, i dont know what i would have done. Now I know why those without homes are crabby. I would be too if i couldnt sleep every night because of the noise and cold. In the morning my only thought was, 'i hope its time to get up soon' i have never been to happy to wake up at 6am in my life (really even 5am seeming with DST) Once CJ got us all up and inside we had a reflection of our night and shared our experiences. With most of us feeling the same, we came to the conclusion that being without a home is in no way easy. When i got back to my house by 8am i was sleeping and woke up at noon to eat, then went back to bed until 3. I dont think i would be able to function if i was homeless. I would be a zombie and that would make it even harder to find work, and if i did have work, actually work and interact with others would be very challenging.
I learned so much more from doing this than i ever thought i would. I will think more about those would have less than i do when i complain about something little. I will remember what i felt during this and use it to keep others in solidarity. When I see a homeless person, i will think twice and realize it may not be solely their fault they are in that situation. I will be more active and do what i can to help this growing problem and not have it be something to ignore thinking it will one day simply disappear.