The Invisible

The fortunate pass by in their fancy cars or while walking in and out or to and fro overpriced meals and retail establishments - only to waste money on material things they don't really need. Every effort is taken to avoid acknowledgement of their existence or even walking within an arm's length in case a request is made to spare a few cents. They are seen as dirty, disgusting, disgraceful, or even something less than human by mainstream society - a common paradox made by the very entity typically responsible for their demise and current state of existence.

If some time is taken out of the day, even a minute or two, to engage in a basic conversation, one can quickly realize that the growing percentage of today's society who are now deemed as homeless are still human beings. In fact, some may have even held highly respectable jobs or careers, had a nice home, had a family, and even contributed to society just as much as you or the person sitting next to you on the subway, in a cab, or in the next car over while sitting in traffic.

With that said, it is now time to meet John. After taking a few minutes out of the day to join him on a bench on a bright sunny afternoon, it was discovered that he travels back and forth between New York and Florida - spending a few months at a time in each state. He became homeless after coming to terms with the passing of both his wife and younger daughter. He worked in construction as well as some other various general jobs throughout his days. Now that he is homeless, he not only has to worry about where his next meal comes from or where he will be resting his head for the night, but he's got to also worry about the harassment of local police officers as they impose marshal acts on him. The harassment comes even if he's not causing any harm or bothering anyone. In fact, he's often found on the same bench catching up on some sleep or sitting there while in deep thought. He's forced from public property simply because his presence acts as a reminder of reality and what could be the life of any given person or simply because he makes the area "look bad" in the eyes of mainstream.

Sure, there are some individuals who simply refuse to contribute and put forth any effort; however, there are many more who were and are nothing more than your average Joe simply trying to make his or her own in this difficult world but had the misfortune of having the rug pulled out from underneath them. Regardless of their intentions or integrity, they are nothing less than a human being and deserve the respect that you or any other person deserves.

Please, take some time and listen to their stories because you never know what you might learn or what kind of new respect and appreciation can result simply by conversing with them; the invisible...