Through my conversation with Suzanne and other homeless individuals, I learned so much about homelessness. I realized that my previous perception of it was slightly off. Suzanne opened my eyes to the fact that there are so many homeless people who lose their companionship and support systems, having to make it by on their own. I learned just how sad and life-altering the experience of homelessness really is. This taught me how difficult it is to pick back up your regular life again. The hard truth about the loss of a support system has allowed me to be so much more appreciative of the family, friends, and mentors that I have that allow me to have easy access to any help that I need. It also taught me how there are many homeless people who have no idea how to even begin to attempt to get back on their feet. All they can do is go day by day trying to loiter around as Suzanne did by sleeping or finding other means to pass the time.
Solidarity has definitely been a concept that is directly applied to my experience with meeting Suzanne. I quickly realized with Suzanne that she was missing support and companionship. The most important thing that we could do for her was to just talk to her and make her feel a sense of importance because she matters just as much as the next person. It is not easy for a person to live completely on their own with no one to turn to. I remembered how common it is for people to just turn away and avoid interactions with the homeless, which I, myself, am also guilty of. To be completely ignored by your community is a terrible thing, so for us to be able to talk to Suzanne and just listen to what she had to say, letting her know that we do care was really special. It was amazing to see us all just talking in a group and forming a sense of unity with Suzanne and being a platform for support. Solidarity doesn’t just mean giving out what you can offer to help someone, it means joining together to create a bond of support for one another and reaching out and making it known that you care about one another. We are all made in the image and likeness of God, which means that we are all equally as important in society. This means that we must all lift each other up and never lower anyone to an inferior status.
I wasn’t expecting anyone to be so open to sharing their story with people who they barely knew. It caught me off guard how raw the conversations were and how emotional and tragic their life experiences were. I definitely was expecting to find people in unfavorable conditions with either mental issues, lack of clean clothes, or in a state of hostility. All of those expectations were met with a wide range of different people with different backgrounds. However, it was an eye-opening experience to realize how different each of the different people were and where they came from and how they were coping. I can now understand that each homeless person is another human being who isn’t “just another homeless man or woman”. They are all so different and you never know what they are like until you make an effort to acknowledge and share a conversation with them. My involvement in the street retreat has taught me that the least you can do when coming across someone who is homeless is acknowledging that they are there and showing that you care enough to give them a smile and wave. I will carry the lessons that I have learned from participating in this enriching experience with me for the rest of my life and spread the word to the rest of my community that it’s alright to feel a little bit uncomfortable and not know what to do with yourself when encountering the homeless, but it isn’t alright to view yourself as superior to them and that therefore they don’t deserve your time.
–Jessica Mikell, 9/24/18
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