Day - 10 Waiting

One of the worst parts about being homeless is the wait! Everything (even the simple things) take time. Right now I'm waiting on supplies for my project that I ordered on the web. After that maybe I can get my phone turned back on. My goals are not going to change as long as I have to wait. House, car, and my kids! Will I make it? Who knows? I can't become comfortable with being homeless, don't think I ever could. But this is the hand I was dwelt and I have to believe God will lift me up and get me through this mess. He has provided for me the last 10 days. He has provided for me every single time I've been down.  He has provided my whole life. I have faith and I do believe I will be cared for in this time, too!

Let's talk about my relationship with you (the reader) for a second. I have no idea why I'm writing my day by day life as a homeless person into a blog for you to read. I don't even know if it will ever get read. I don't know if I can help anyone that might wind up like me. As far as I'm concerned I'm yelling into the wind. I hope someday this stuff helps someone. I just feel like right now I need to do this. If any of my tips helps you then I did something good.

Homeless tip :
"The homeless credit card" - What? LOL, let me tell you. One night a few years ago I was scoping out a "spot to squat" (that also is another tip). It was kinda dark out and I was very tired. I kept noticing this woman watching the same spot. After some time she came over. She knew I was homeless because she was too. And she knew we were both doing the same thing. We started talking a little and decided to share the same spot for the night. Usually I wouldn't do this but I gave in this time because we were both in need and she seemed nice. We did not have sex or do anything like that. We just both needed the same place for the night. Inside the spot she told me her story. She was a bum. She had been on the street for about 20 years or so and had no drive or ambition to leave. She was kind of a hippie, but I was clear to NOT connect being a hippie with being homeless.

Well, being a bum and surviving 20 years on the streets, you can imagine what a wealth of knowledge she was. After she told me a story about once when she ran into Will Smith and his son, she told me about "The homeless credit card". "The homeless credit card" consists of two things: a black sharpy, and a piece of cardboard. I know what you're thinking - "I've seen this several times". I'm sure you have. But I doubt you have seen as many as the kind she had. She had an approach. What she would do was write on the cardboard EXACTLY what she needed. And she NEVER asked for money. Why? Because she didn't need it. What she did need was toothpaste, a sleeping bag, a hair brush, shampoo, even a cheeseburger. And she always got what she asked for. Everytime!

People are fed up with homeless people asking for money all the time. With this recession things are even worse and people are even tighter with their money. But people are kind-hearted (I believe that very much) and are willing to help someone in need. They just don't want to toss away their money. As a homeless person you just have to understand that, understand that quickly, and move on. No one is going to hand you a wad of cash, but they will hand you something specific that you need in that moment. My friend for the night understood that. And on every card she made she was very specific about what she needed. Specificity. This is an excellent tip.

I never saw her again. Throughout the night I seemed to grow on her and I think she was starting to like me a little. The next morning she asked me to wait for her while she went across the street to a hotel and got us some free coffee. Me, following one of my major rules....... left!

If you like my blog please visit and like my new Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/HelpfulMarketer?ref=hl
and see the cool things I'm doing now!