Do you hang out with....

I was just wondering if any of you hang out with who many people consider to be the "homeless". I personally don't view someone living that lifestyle as "homeless" or any of the other terms used to identify em (I've been "homeless" myself at times I suppose, but we just call it camping out). Over the past year plus I've found myself hangout out with more and more people who live this lifestyle. I just find em to be genuine people, much more honest than most, less concerned with the material bullshit the majority of people care about and they have much better stories, because they've "lived" more in my opinion. I usually hang out with the same four guys every day, and man do they have a lot to say (I meet new people everyday though...I love it). Sometimes we just discuss what's going on with society and share each others experiences (stories) which make up our beliefs, thoughts etc...For the most part I find them to be much more open minded than most people and therefore more fun to be around.

Anyone else?

 

i don't have any friends, just internet folks.


:leaving:

 

Me and Black Moses, the town's local crazy homeless guy talk about jazz whenever we bump into each other in the Waffle House.

 

There's a dude that hangs out with us every now and then, and I suppose a lot of people would call him "crazy". I just think he's been through and seen a lot and that's what made him who he is today. He talks a lot like that guy from King of the Hill....boomhour or whatever his name is. I smoked a hash joint with him today and he said some of the funniest shit I've ever heard.

 

Mmmm... I work downtown. There is this one boy named Brandon who is homeless and I give him money all the time, because he smiles at me and looks about 20 years old. There is the guy who plays the trumpet named Pete who is always playing "Singing in the Rain" when it starts to pour downtown and this guy named Carl who will always play Hotel California on his guitar for me when I walk by.

But uhh, other than the regulars I try my best to make as little conversation with homeless people as possible. If I come off overly friendly, they start following me - and if I tell them to buzz off in a harsh way, they do the same.

It's best to ignore them during the night time hours as much as possible, but that goes for every asshole that comes out at night.

 

Why not try to actually talk with them and get to know them? That's really sweet that they'll play specific music at certain times. One of my friends (one of the four that I hang out with now) plays the harmonica, and I usually bring my guitar with me. Today after I smoked a hash joint with them he started to play some celtic folk on it.....it was beautiful and really touching. After that he told me about the past five years of his life and what he's seen while "on the corner". He seems to have a better grip on reality than most people that go about their days driving in cars, going here and there, doing this and that in order to buy the next object that tickles their fancy. For a while we talked about how cruel some people can be, especially to people in his position....it really made me want to cry....sometimes I just feel so much pain, that's origin isn't even of my own, but of another. The look in his eyes as he talked made my very being, soul, mind or whatever one wishes to call it ache...Each one feel it......

 

Because they'd fuckin' stalk me and hurt me. This one guy was very drunk one night and said to me "Nice skirt by the way" when I was wearing pants and tried to talk to me.

No offense, but you're a little out of touch with reality if you can't think of a good reason why I should be inclined to stop and talk to some crazy on the street who follows me as I'm walking to my car at 11:30pm at night. It happens. I hate when strangers address me when I'm alone at night. I have more brains in my head than to stop and talk to them about the sky.

 

You crazy people and your fearful lies.

Only here, in America (and I guess in Canada?) people don't talk to strangers on the street.

We are all human, after all.

 

I'm not saying you should feel inclined to talk with anyone....it's your life, you make your own inclinations. In fact I'd discourage you to talk with anyone you legitimately feel threatened by, but you can't honestly tell me that all "homeless" people are like that. Trust me, I've meet my fare share of creepy people, but they exist in all walks of life. Talk to a few people in that situation that you don't feel threatened by (if you say there's no one like that I'd just be in disbelief.)

 

No. I think it was pretty obvious from my original post that I talk to homeless streeties during the day and know them by their first names. I have chatted with street people, in fact I know one that is living in a Salvation Army & on the streets right now pretty well and I see him downtown every now and again. Sometimes he's too drunk to remember what I just told him, or to answer how his son is doing, but that is another story.

I'm a very friendly person - so there are times when creeps take that as an invitation and I can't really afford to just strike up conversations with strangers I don't know.

Usually, I see the same street people all the time downtown, so it's not a big problem to talk to these people during the day.

 

I see...I hope you don't take my encouraging you to do something as saying you must, have to, or even should. It just really bothers me when people categorize "homeless" people as a bunch of leeches that are for the most part creeps. I'm not saying you are one of em.....There's much more to all people than what meets the eye, you seem to be the type of person that realizes this and I'm not trying to state otherwise.

 

Oh no, I'm sorry. Most people who do live on the streets or have that kind of lifestyle are actually very approachable and friendly people.

I just, you know, can't afford to get too close to all of them.

 

i get high on weed this one dude saw i had a bob marley shirt on
he was like shit you like bob marley i was like is the pope catholic
so he rolled a spliff and we smoked it i hang with homeless folks sometimes and get high and drunk

 

lol my mom has a couple of "homless" buddies she talks to at the local coffee shop

 

I am not currently hanging out with any homeless people.

However I was living on the streets for about 3 years of my life.

I really don't talk much about it.

Unlike the interesting stories you have heard, what I experienced was horror.

Although I will admit I do have some interesting stories.

 

OP, are you a dude?
Most homeless people are guys. yousee a few women here and there but not many. I, as a girl, dont feel the need to chat up homeless dudes for the exact same reason Aristartle mentioned. Some of these people have issues and I dont want to be in their path when their demons descend. Yeah, I can defend myself, and am a strong girl, but Im sure I could be over powered by a man, and Id rather stay safe than risk it.
My gay boy had a knife pulled on him by a homeless guy at the gas station whom he gave a few bucks to. Crackhead jumped in his car. put a knife to his chest, and made him drive to buy crack, smoked it in his car and expected him to be his getaway driver as he went off to jack someone else. this happened last wednesday.
Ill be steering clear from homeless people in the future.

 

i have gt only one real friend, and he is far away from me... about 500 miles.
i have no fellows in my city.

 

I'm technically homeless myself. and I hang out with anyone I come in contact with, as long as they strike me as good people (ie, pretty much everyone.) I wouldn't be discouraged from kickin it with the homeless, though I would stay away from drunks and junkies for many reasons.

UA, how do you feel about your years on the street, if you don't mind me asking? do you think you'd have had the success you've had without them?

 

i have no problem with people who don't have a home but are still productive in some way. unfortunately, all the homeless i've come across around here at least are just crackheads who expect you to give them free food or money, and then will gladly rob you if you give them the chance...

of course, this city is just a shitty ghetto; i'm sure more reasonable homeless people live elsewhere

 

I would say it forged me into who I am.

It would be very easy to pretend those years never happened.

But that time in my life will never go away.

And the event that led me to the streets is still very real.

When I got myself together I used homelessness to empower me.

If you have nothing to loose it is very easy to be confident.

I also gained some personal spiritual awareness that still seems to be expanding.

All things considered I came out alright.

But I would not wish what I went through on my worst enemy.

Even though it propelled me to a level of wealth I only could dream about.