"You can't choose homelessness"

Today I went to the Boston Regional GSA meeting at Madison Park High.

We were joined by the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, or MAHASA, speaker's bureau.

It was such a powerful experience listening to the stories of three very different speakers: Becca, Karter, and Cheryl. Different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and more.

We heard about their lives, before, during, and after they were homeless. We heard about their struggles, with family, within themselves, with their environments. Their resilience is truly inspiring, it makes me not want to give up. 

Homelessness is a serious problem in society, very much so in the lgbtq+ and mentally ill communities. Youth being kicked out for being themselves and having no where to go. It is often erased and replaced in mainstream society with issues such as Gay Marriage.

Love is beautiful, and I'm all for celebrating it, 

But people are dying out there.

No food, no clothes, no anything.

And giving back, helping people in need, saying hello and acknowledging people exist,

that's love too.

Love for people, and having compassion.

Human connection.

Its not romantic but its just as if not more important.

Hearing their stories, I had so much in common, and we didn't know each other until today.

I appreciated it.

There's a kind of distance, 

People tried to distance themselves from homeless people, like its the common cold.

Like talking to a homeless person will also make them homeless. 

People pretend they could have nothing in common with a homeless person.

I think its important to hear their voices because they are so often erased and ignored.

I don't expect people to completely rewire the way they were raised, how they think, 

it doesn't happen over night at least.

I heard this saying, its like, the first thoughts when we see someone are what we're conditioned to think and our next thoughts determine who we really are.

We just need to sit down, and get to know people, and try not to make assumptions on someone's life.

Or pretend you know people's stories. 

Let them talk and listen.

Take away things

Not all homeless people have the same story, background, or look the same.

Anyone can be homeless. Anyone.

You can have more in common with people than you think. Don't assume, sit down, listen.

You can't choose homelessness.