JASON

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

JASON’S STORY

So, what is homelessness like? A long time ago there was a time when people had to survive - they had to focus on finding food, finding shelter and just getting by with life. When you are on the streets, that part of you comes out again. That instinct to survive. That will to survive. You will do anything, whatever it takes, to survive. And then people will treat you like you are dirt for it.

Why is it that it is hard for me to get the help I need sometimes. And a lot of it is your own personal problems too. I am not gonna lie, I've got my own issues to deal with. I've got Asperger's Syndrome for one. On the streets, I've lost my ID, and that can be one of the hardest forms of homelessness a man could ever imagine - You can't get any services, can't get food stamps, can't get a job, you can't even get a shelter and God forbid you might have STD's or might be old or might have PTSD or something like that. The next thing you know is that you find yourself self-medicating because there is nothing else that can medicate you, because America asks you to cough up money so you can just get treated. Why is it that I am on the streets, because I can't get treated or other people can't get treated. And I don't necessarily care about myself - I get by on the streets just fine with getting to eat 3 meals a day without even having welfare. But what about the old lady? What about the old man? What about someone that has a mental issue? It's a lot harder for them.

You know why it is that a lot of these homeless people are drinking, smoking and doing drugs? It is out of self-medication.That is the damn truth and unfortunately it is sad to see how some of these people go on their downward spiral. I really love these people. I do and my heart goes out to them each and every single day. And yet they are trapped in their own heads. I don't know what I can do to help them, you know. I believe the problem is not laws and regulations - it is people! It is a cultural problem. It really is. Why is it that we look away and we say, "oh my God, look how disgusting that is. Some bum was in the dumpster digging in the garbage." Maybe that bum needed something to eat that night? But no, all you could do is look at him and say, "dirty bum...it's disgusting, I don't want that in my backyard".

It doesn't matter if you don't want that in your backyard or not, honey, we're still here. We still live, we still have souls and they need to be fed. They need to pee, they need to sleep and they need a safe place to be where things are not gonna get stolen or where there camps are not gonna get burned down by cops or something like that.

Low and behold though, you know, it seems like there is no legal place to sleep. It doesn't matter what I do, everytime I go to sleep it is against the law. I could be in the middle of a rainforest and somehow I am still trespassing. I'm constantly on the run. I kinda understand where these PTSD homeless guys, these homeless vets come from. They know the enemy is watching them and they are - it's people. People is the problem. It's us. It starts with one.

Hopefully, my voice will matter. I don't know if it will and honestly I could care less if it does. I'm just speaking my mind. Well, I guess that is all I have to say for now.