Okay. It was so, so incredibly cool and uplifting to meet someone who has not only lived through (and currently endures other) horrible circumstances, but has developed a mature passion for raising awareness and encouraging those in similar situations to his. I met Phillip when he shook my hand warmly after I handed him his cup of coffee. I sat with him at his table to talk, and I was blown away by his accomplishments and his drive to keep accomplishing. Go Phillip! (I was so engrossed in what he was saying that I forgot to ask to record our conversation, hence the story’s lack of quotes. I took notes afterward, though.)
Over the course of this project, I’ve seen a glaring pattern of homelessness caused by broken family structure in childhood. Phillip’s story shows that in some cases, it is possible to overcome the burden of such a past and create a new purpose. For him, and several others I’ve met, the catalyst was God and a commitment to Christian faith. Although good luck helped him as he pursued publishing and new beginnings, his drive was essential to persevering through the worst of times. If our circumstances are part choice and part luck, then it seems the most effective way to stop homelessness is to impart on every homeless person a drive to keep making uplifting choices, no matter their luck. This, in addition to ensuring the ability to choose upward. This is very difficult for an outsider to do. I guess this is why it’s something like conversion to faith that can instigate a rise out of bad circumstances. New faith, the birth of a child, time spent in prison—events like these can change someone’s inner state and give them the impetus to improve themselves.
Sometimes, those kinds of things have to just happen. There’s no way to externally cause fate.
Food for thought on a lovely day!
Chao,
Isabella – 6/27/17