"No more talking about the homeless"

[Scott7022]

I really don't understand how anyone in North America would or could be blind to the fact it is a class-based society? Ah just fly someplace. First class, Biz Class, Coach. Perhaps not as obvious as British Airways Concord, First, Biz, World Traveller Plus, World Traveller. Although BA sounds nicer; the British are very nice that way, almost Canadian LOL! Russian Aeroflot has the Regular economy, Economy plus and Presidents class. I had the Elite platinum level frequent flyer status with BA for years and this allowed me to use the Concord Lounge at Heathrow. In my tactical pants or jeans and T-shirt. Oh, the suits were miffed. I didn't fit their idea or picture of this class level.

Even dining out. Getting seated at a restaurant outside of LA requires shirt, shoes, and a nice watch helps. When I was back in Vancouver I did a few days of truck shopping for a dealer that could order and store what I want, when I wanted it, and when I could pick it up. A new one-ton truck. A few of the dealers left me alone to wander aimlessly as I didn't fit the picture of a person buying an 80 thousand dollar truck. Despite all the tongue wagging about people being judgement free few really are. I found one Ford and one Ram dealer that I could deal with. So one of those two dealers will get the sale when I can pull the trigger.

I had a personal experience related to homelessness. On my trip down to YARC I was stying in my car and one of the people I ran into nicely exclaimed ah you're homeless. I had a visceral and immediate reaction to these words. I didn't let it show at the time and the next night warm and a little drunk in a nice hotel room I thought about this interaction. He was right I was homeless. What I had in the bank, and the available credit extended to me by my long good relationship with that bank and the Rolex on my wrist didn't matter. I was by definition HOMELESS. I didn't owe anything, hadn't gone bankrupt, wasn't repossessed out of my home, yet I was still homeless. I was actually very surprised by that feeling. Well, surprised at my reaction to that situation and the feelings it created (Well the feelings I let it create but that is another set of fishing poles). I can't imagine, I tried that night, what it would be like to be repossessed out of my long-term home and bankrupt. "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and begin again" is not going to cut it. It would take a great deal of intestinal fortitude to carry on and not just crawl into a bottle of Jack. I have met those that have done it. I have nothing but respect for these people. We aren't talking about a failure to launch scenario. Those people are pathetic. We are talking launched, travelled, succeeded, and then crashed and burned. Got up, put the fire out, and carried on. I don't know what advice or life skills I have to offer these people? None past Wow! Well done.

I am blessed and cursed to have a skillset that is always required. Those that have money will always need people like me. So I am well aware of the class differences from both sides of the ditch and the smell between the two sides is just different. Not Good Bad, just different. We all pay for our life choices. I met a man in the desert that was once very well off. Perhaps, even rich. But in that life, he trusted no one and was always waiting for the hammer to fall. In the desert, he was "homeless" and yet was rich with friends. He only had a little money, yet he gladly shared what he could and gave of himself as much as he could, and wanted for very little. Loved and in the company of friends I knew he was happier now than he was when he was rich. We could be friends, and we became friends because my skillset provided nothing he needed. He exclaimed how happy he was and how loved he felt for the first time in his moderately short life. He wanted only friendship from me and it felt good giving it to him.

The problem with predators and sheep. (Commonly held idea of modern society)

The sheep are always scared and the wolves are always lonely.

While it would be a wonderful world if the world didn't need wolves and the sheep had nothing to fear. But I fear this is only possible when we learn what is enough. How much do I need? How much is enough? How do I make that assessment? By looking at those around me? By looking at the ads on TV that tell me what successful is? By making a pilgrimage to the desert and making a friend? Perhaps by being homeless we get a peek behind the curtain and what we see allows us to reevaluate our preconceived view of the world. It is still pretty ugly but I know islands of opulence, inhabited by wonderful people, surrounded by the most beautiful trees on the planet. Where the idea of living life free and removed from the ugly is possible.