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You need to imagine the personal torment that occurs when a person becomes homeless. It is not a quick process. It takes time, perhaps years of struggle just on the brink before a series of setbacks collapses the person's shallow safety net. During this time, a person will be a shamed, emotional wreak, whose every waking moment is a panic. Now, imagine being in this situation. Not just casually. Really imagine the loss of support from everyone you know, including your family. Now, that prior non-homeless life is a memory of struggle and failure. You can get by here on the streets. You're alive, on the streets, and that is an incredible success in itself. Would you want to return to that non-homeless life that you failed?


> Would you want to return to that non-homeless life that you failed?

You're eating burgers from restaurants from "that life", you're sleeping on a park bench from "that life", you're wearing used tshirts from "that life", you're watching tv at the shelter and the news are about the politics from "that life", you're getting napkins from a shopping mall from "that life" ...

This is why I don't get the bank account thing. It's definitely one foot in "that life", but so are a ton of other things in a homeless person's life (as I picture it).




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