The Invisibles
Gazes
This guy’s eyes haunted me for a long time.
I was out to take pictures at the Rideau Center. When I exited The Bay, he was standing here, playing the harmonica. I stood here for a minute, looking at him. I grabbed the camera which was slung over my shoulders and our eyes met briefly. He nodded, still playing. He first slowly turned on his side to show me the cat perched on his shoulder, safe from my camera’s peering eye. I smiled and waited. Eventually, he looked straight into my eyes. I snapped two pictures quickly, gave him a couple of bucks and walked away. Later, when I looked at the picture, I noticed he looked like a deer caught in headlights. His wary eyes seemed to be challenging me, saying: “are you seeing me now?”
Looking back, I realized what bothered me so much: to most people, these guys in the streets are invisible. They stand nearby bus stops, sit at busy intersections and sleep under bridges. They sit there and they watch people go by, attending to their business. Everybody mind his own business here. Occasionally, they ask for a buck or two and will wish you a good day even if you don’t have change. And people keep on walking by, as if ignoring them will make poverty, homelessness and distress go away. How silly from us.
A French song goes “It seems to me that misery will be less painful under the sun”. It sounds so true to me. I saw the ugliest side of poverty in Bolivia: it was cold, the streets were dirty and looking at the kids in rag playing in piles of garbage made me cringe. Some places we’ve been to were equally as poor, but it just didn’t feel the same. In Brazil, kids from the favelas used the showers at Copacabana and played football on the beach. Poverty was still there but it didn’t seem as bad.
To me, poverty and homelessness in Canada look as bad as it did in Bolivia. Sure, our streets are cleaner and we have drinking water. But these guys are outside in the cold from dawn to dusk. I chatted with one of the guys pictured below and he explained me that he can usually find a bed in one of the emergency shelters around the city, such as The Mission or the Salvation Army. But homeless are kicked out during the day and left roaming in the city.
I don’t have a miracle solution. Like most people, I occasionally spare some change but most of the time don’t. I rushed by homeless people every day and I seldom take the time to slow down and be friendly.
I chatted with “Danny” for a little while (he is the one who told me about these emergency shelters). He told me one of the things that bothered him the most was that people ignored him. He felt invisible and asked me why people acted this way around him. The only reply I had was that people were probably scared. Not of him, but of being like him. He seemed to like that. It made sense to him.
 The Shoppers |
 A Buck or Two |
 Waiting |
 Danny |
Two Worlds
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i have mixed feelings about homeless street people. in san francisco, many of them frighten me. most aren’t just temporarily “down on their luck.” too many of them have mental problems and/or they have drug habits. the ones that are most desperate are the ones that scare me. some get right up in your face. i hate the aggressive ones. i’ve seen instances of violence, so i give these people a wide berth.
i won’t give money to one i don’t know. i’d rather give money to groups that feed, house and counsel the homeless.
on cold days, if i see a homeless guy outside, i’ll buy an extra cup of coffee and take it out to him.
whether i give them money or not, i always treat homeless people with respect. *most of the time* i’d rather tell them no thanks than ignore them.
they have a hard, tough life. you’re right, i don’t want ot be like them.
.-= Seraphine´s last blog ..Raise the Stakes =-.
I don’t usually give money to homeless and people who beg in the streets because in some cases, they waste the money in drugs or booze so when I feel I need to help them, in Spain, I usually bring food to the dinners for homeless (in Madrid, there are some of them) or buy toys for kids in Hospitals or things like that.
I don’t trust giving money. If a homeless asks me to buy a sandwich for him/her, I usually do it.
.-= Cornflakegirl´s last blog ..Have a happy St. Patrick´s day =-.
Beautiful, and tragic. Love love love that 1st photo. You should make a series of this. And hey, if you really wanted even publish a book with proceeds going to the homeless.
.-= Seb´s last blog ..Brought you some honey, buddy. =-.
Heartbreaking..,
the worst is when you see kids. Adults down and out is one thing– but kids. I can only think of what it would be like to live in a box with my three kids in –20 deg weather. In this climate it’s beyond comprehension.
In the states a lot of the working poor/working class people are only a paycheck away from being out on their keisters in the street or living in their cars. I think it’s sad that some people think that these folks “don’t make an effort” to get out of their circumstance. We have lots of people here in the states with such attitudes. Try getting a job while listing your address as
“the chevy malibu parked in the Mickey D’s parking lot.” The bootstraps arguments are largely bogus here.
I agree that not all of them are winos or have drug problems etc. though some of them do have these issues. A lot of lay people don’t realize while they CAN go to shelters many don’t because if you’re drunk or High they’re not going to let you stay– so if it’s a choice between escape (being high) and a warm place to sleep, escape often wins.
Anyone who lives in an urban area can tell that they had an unpleasant experience with a vagrant at some point. In my experience in critical/emergency care they are more typically victims of crimes than perpetrators. They are preyed on by other vagrants, gang members, teens and other urban hoodlums. I can’t tell you the number of times we get homeless people who were killed or brutally assaulted because they are easy targets.
One of the ironies here in Syracuse is that the city has always had such low occupancy in the low income public housing that they actually tore down a whole complex of projects this year! It’s definitely a complex issue.
Your blog post reminded me of an experience I had in Portland, OR. Most of the time, I stay away from people that are homeless and begging for money, because I always felt like they think it is their right to be given money, and indeed, one time I declined one beggar here in Buffalo, and I got a F*ck you! in return.
However, when I was in Portland last summer, a girl was sitting down the public park, and asked for some change. I declined, of course, but even though I declined, she bid me a Have a great day! That made me think. About an hour later, coming back from where I was originally headed to, I passed by her again, and gave her some change. Somehow, I felt compelled to even chat with her and ask how she ended up homeless. She turned out to be a very nice person oddly enough.
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