Lessons I Learned

As part of the summer experiences that we host here at SHO we include an educational project called “Homeless for a day.” Earlier this month we hosted a team from the suburbs of Atlanta. They brought a different group of about 40 students to SHO each day to do this homeless experience with us. So for four days in a row I lead a team of about 20 students on an 6-8 mile trek visiting shelters, meal locations, churches, abandon buildings and more.

After day one, I thought it might be interesting to broaden my own understanding of homelessness so I decided I would sleep on the street over night. After clearing it with my family I set out to extend my homelessness for 48 hours straight.

I remember that morning thinking what is this going to be like? Where will I sleep? How will I sleep? What are the streets like at night? Will I be safe? These questions and more began to fill my mind.

Once we got back to SHO from visiting all of the locations the team I was leading went home. There I sat with the option of going home or staying to see what the night would unfold. I chose to stay.

I hung out with the folks at SHO until well after the impact service was over. Things began to finally wind down and people were heading to their cat holes to bed down for the night. It was then that I was talking with one gentleman from the street who told me that he found it patronizing for me to sleep outside with everyone when I clearly had the keys to the building we were sleeping outside of.

I didn’t like hearing that I was patronizing the people I was so desperately seeking to learn from. As a result, about midnight I decided to go on in SHO and sleep there for the night. I slept on the floor of my office… not quite the concrete of the street.

So, I still have no idea what it feels like to sleep on concrete, but I have a much deeper understanding of homelessness. I hope to do it again sometime soon only stay outside alone.

Although I did not say on the street I was still dealing with so many other emotions and thoughts. It has taken me quite some time to process all of those thoughts. Here are some of the lessons I was able to glean from spending those four days submerged in the homeless environment. Perhaps I will come back and expound on these in the short future.

1. Humanity is all the same. All though we are all different… we are all the same.

2. Being homeless is hard work. Trying to memorize feeding schedules, making and tearing down a sleeping place daily, walking 8 miles a day and trying to find a place where can you go to the bathroom are just some of the obstacles the homeless have to work around.

3. Homelessness is exhausting… emotionally, physically, spiritually. I don’t know how people do it day to day. I was spent after just four.

4. Happiness and Homelessness are not attached. It is not an issue of “things.” Some of the happiest people ever live right here on the streets of Atlanta.You can be homeless and still serve others. Some of the most amazing people I know that are living love are the people on that have no place they call home.

These are just a few thoughts I picked up that week of being homeless. I look forward to sharing more in the future.