Before Wednesday’s class, I would like you to reflect on two concepts: home and homelessness. What is a home? What does it mean to you to have a home? What makes having a home possible?
Similarly, reflect on what assumptions you have about homelessness. What do you think causes homelessness? What stereotypes are associated with being a person who is homeless? How do you feel about such stereotypes?
As you respond to these questions, please be as candid as you’re able to, but at the same time, please be as respectful as you can. Words can be powerful, so let’s use them carefully.
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To quote the very common phrase of Pliny the Elder, I believe “Home is where the heart is”. This translates into many things for me. Home might not be a place where you live but yet a place where you find love, comfort, and the people that you love. Home to me is a representation of everyone and everything that you hold dear. Home can be any place where you feel the most comfort and the most at ease. Having a sense of home is a feeling rather than an actual physical and concrete (not concrete in the sense of cement) thing. The mental associations of home mean more than the physical aspects of a home. To have a home means that there is a place where you can find most of the things that are important to you and that you love. It means you have a place where you find the most comfort and can go there to ease your mind and body. It is a place where you can collect yourself and feel as if you belong. In order to have a home, you must hold some kind of sentimental value in the place. You are most likely going to surround yourself with things you love and usually the people you love. Whether you find your home in a box, a mansion, or the nearest park, any place can qualify as a home, as long as it is the place where you feel the most at ease and sense of comfort.
In terms of homelessness I feel as if people assume that people that are homeless are people that are on the streets, or in other words, bums. People that have almost no wealth and don’t have a building to stay in are considered “homeless”. Personally I think that being homeless implies that this person has a lack of a place where they find their ultimate comfort zone; they have a lack of compassion for themselves and others and there for can’t find enough love in one place to consider it their home. They lack things that they might hold dear and don’t have a place where they can be found. I think that being homeless is more in the mental sense rather than a physical sense. For example, lacking an actual building to stay doesn’t necessarily make someone homeless, but lacking in a place where you can find the things or people that you love. I don’t know or understand what exactly causes homelessness but maybe it has something to do with a lack of love or compassion for things in one’s life or even the absence of feeling as if you “belong” somewhere.
Home and Homelessness
A home is a place of familiarity where one calls his/her place of settlement. Often times, it is where a person grew up at, or can identify as a place where they can return to and connect with. When people think of home, a pleasant, comfortable place where family members make it possible to relax and be at peace is what usually comes to mind. However, home is not always associated as a positive place. Many people find home disturbing and problem-filled. Home can spark bad childhood memories and displeasures, and can be a dreadful place to return to. On the other hand, home can be a place of desire and tranquility. I for example, think of home as a warm place where I can be at ease with my family and can rest with no worries. I know that my home is well furnished, and always have food that I can eat whenever I desire. I live in a nice neighborhood, which all makes my home a place that I look forward to returning to. However, there are people who don’t have running water or a decent supply of food, and experience family issues everyday, yet have to call this place their home. Home can be either pleasant or displeasing, but in the end is a familiar place where one defines as their place of settlement.
To have a home evokes a sense of gratefulness. I thank God for a place that I can call home. I thank God for a place that I can return to at any time and feel at ease, and feel love, care and concern for one another. Having a home also evokes a sense of security. Knowing that you have a place that you can go to when times get hard, or if your initial plan does not work out, brings a securing feeling that ensures that there are people behind me 100 percent and that they will always be there for me. Whether a good home or bad home, I think that one will always have a special place in their hearts for the place that they call home. It may or may not be the best place, but I think that most people are thankful for what they have. I am almost sure that people with bad homes will not trade it in for nothing.
Having a home requires a place to stay, family, love, comfort, discipline, and in a sense no boundaries. You have to have a house or a place of reference to have a home. I am from the suburbs of Benton Harbor, MI, which is where I call my home. A family structure is also a need. These are people whom you can share your love and feelings with. These are people that console you in the midnight hours. A family is what makes a home comfortable, depending on the circumstances. There needs to be structure, though. Rules and regulations are a must to have an orderly family and place to call home. Whether its curfew or chores, discipline needs to be administered, which entails respect. On the other hand, a home requires a place where people can let go and be themselves, not having to worry about the cares of the world.
I personally, feel bad for those who are homeless, and as a Christian, I pray for them all of the time. I find it very unfortunate, as many people do, when we see homeless people on the sides of the roads in need of a place to stay or food. I try not to make assumptions because you never know what things someone is going through. It can be mental issues, or merely mistakes and bad decisions that has placed them in their situation. I do know people who have no sympathy for homeless people. They feel as though they made the decision to be homeless, and at any given time they can change their physical state. However, I think that things are much more difficult and sophisticated than that. Many homeless people may need counseling or psychological treatment. I feel as though you should not judge people. Its not your place to judge nor make assumptions that may not even be t
A home to me is somewhere that you have a sense of belonging. That may not necessarily be where your family is, which I think is what home is most commonly associated with. I think it is any place where you feel comfortable enough to be yourself and have a place to your own, whether that is a room of your own or people that are a support system for you. I am blessed to have a home, or actually two homes for that matter, because I feel that I have a place to call my own in two different places, my parent’s house and here in the dorms, however I feel that my stronger support system is in the dorms. While sometimes this may get a little uncomfortable, the fact that I have two roofs over my head essentially is a gift. To make a home possible I think both other people and an environment that you’re comfortable in and can make your own are both important, but sometimes a home can be established without those things. People who live on their own, or people who do have each other but aren’t in the best possible circumstances consider where they live a home. In contrast, not having any place at all and just the clothes on your back make it almost impossible to call anywhere home. I think that homelessness can be caused by a lot of things. A series of horribly unlucky events such as financial troubles, loss of a job, combined with being overwhelmed and the stress of managing all of these horrible events, and then it just happens, that suddenly someone is out of a home. Many of the stereotypes that I’ve heard about homeless people are that they are lazy drunkards who are taking any money they receive and spending it on alcohol. I don’t believe that any of these stereotypes are true at all, and while that may be the case occasionally, most homeless people are homeless as a result of terrible things that have happened in their lives.
A home can be a number of things. It can simply be a roof over one’s head, or a hometown that one has lived in their whole life and it can even be family relationships that make one feel at home. A good home, whichever of these types it may be, is a place or feeling that makes the person comfortable with their surroundings. Having lived in the same house my whole life until moving here, with a close family, I feel that I am fortunate enough to come from what I consider to be a great home. However, it is very easy for a home not to be pleasant at all. Living in a bad place, not having a solid roof over one’s head or even worse, having a bad family or no family at all can all make somebody never feel at home.
The homeless are a group of people I always feel extreme pity for. Growing up going to church I have always prayed for them and give money to them. Sometimes I wonder why I give a dollar to that man on the street corner who will probably just go buy alcohol or drugs. However, after giving away that dollar, no matter what he does with it, I feel like I have done the right thing. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to not have a home or a family around me so giving a bit of money away is the least I can do.
I believe the term home has many different meanings. I first looked up the actual definition of a home and it says that a home can be a social unit formed by a family living together and also a person’s place of residence. After analyzing the definition, I concluded that there is much more to a home than what the actual definition said. I believe a home can also be any place that a person feels comfortable and a sense of belonging to. A home can be anything from the town to where you grew up to the exact house, building, apartment, ect. where you live in. For example, I believe that I have a few different types of homes. I call the town where I grew up my home because I feel comfortable, safe, and know it inside and out. Also I consider my house, where I live with my parents my hometown because it puts a roof over my head and I feel comfortable and safe too. Not only do I consider my house to be a home but also my dorm room. It provides me a shelter and makes me feel as though I belong. On a various occasions I have caught myself calling my dorm room a home, which surprises me because I have come to realize that most people have many different homes located in many different places all over the world. To call a place a home is much more than it actually sounds. People who have homes are extremely fortunate because they are able to feel that sense of belonging to a place. Homelessness is huge around the world making people lack that sense of feeling of being in the right place. I believe the number one cause of homelessness is from being poor. Housing, which most people call a home is costly preventing many people from having a home. The stereotypes of a person who is homeless is no money, dirty, lazy, and overall a bad person. Those stereotypes are false. I believe those stereotypes are wrong and it is not right to stereotype a person who is homeless to possess those types of qualities or attributes. A person who is homeless is a lot of the time a very good person. It is hard to think of all of the people who are homeless in the world because when I think of my home it warms my entire body and I wish those people who are homeless could experience that same feeling.
Home and Homelessness
I define home as a comfort zone. It’s a place to relax and get away from outside expectations and pressure. It’s warm and welcoming and generally a place one wants to be. Besides a safe place, home is also made up by the people there. Places that aren’t a traditional “home” can become one. My best friend lived across the street from me for 17 years. She recently moved to another part of the country and I visited her. Although it wasn’t where we grew up it felt like coming home just being with her. I know she accepts me and cares for me no matter what. That kind of unconditional relationship fosters a feeling like home. I feel attached to my childhood home, but I realize that it’s because of the memories that have taken place there and the safety I associate with it, not the physical building. I imagine if I’d ever experienced homelessness I would probably have very different feelings on what makes a home.
Homelessness is caused for so many different reasons. Unfortunately there are the few, and usually incorrect stereotypes applied to almost all the homeless: drug addicts and alcoholics. I think the majority of the time those stereotypes aren’t the cause of homelessness. I’ve volunteered at homeless shelters in high school and found, for example, that people end up there because of unexpected financial troubles, loss of jobs, divorce or escaping abusive relationships, and mental disorders. I feel compassion for the homeless, no matter what their situation is. I cannot imagine how terrible it would be to lack that feeling of home and safety. I believe people need it in order to feel complete and happy.
Home is a place of comfort, safety and security. Home is somewhere that you can go to be away from the rest of the world.
Homeless people are often times stereotyped as people who are lazy. They are in the situation that they are because they squandered their money on drugs and alcohol. They ask for money because they are too lazy to work for it and therefore, don’t deserve it. I suppose these things could be true. However, I do not know enough about homelessness to make any reasonable claims. I suspect the problem of homelessness is far more complicated than people think.
A home, for me, is where you are from. It is where you can always go back, and where you have grown up. It is a place of familiarity with that brings back childhood memories and events of your past. It is a place of safety and comfort. I believe that everyone has a home, no matter what your circumstances are. Everyone does, even the homeless.
In the case of homelessness, I personally see that as a terrible hardship on a person that can weaken spirits and hope of such things as the “American dream”. However, in today’s society, there are many prosperous people that see homelessness as laziness or lack of ambition on the part of that person. To some extent in today’s world I agree with these thoughts even though these stereotypes are extremely negative and somewhat demeaning to those in need. The reason that I agree is because I know that there are many programs and opportunities being implemented today that focus on getting rid of homelessness and helping those in need. These programs are becoming more common and are more accessible. Therefore, those that are in need of assistance can and should be able to find it.
For me, the concept of home really relates directly with security. A home gives to me a sense of secure comfort that I cannot find anywhere else. It is the familiarity of my surroundings that really contributes this feeling. Knowing where things are and how they will react, those little noises in the floor that we become accustomed to, these are all components of home. Having lived away from home now for the better part of four years in school and working in a different city, home also evokes a feeling of nostalgia for me. The few weeks out of each year that I return cause me to reflect a lot on past experiences there. For me all of the feelings I get from my home are good, so I find it hard to imagine what it would be like to have no place to call home.
Homelessness is something that has always puzzled me. From a young age I found myself very upset when I would see a homeless person. As I have grown older, the same questions seem to pop up when I see someone in such a state. I always wonder how they got to this. What event happened that caused there life to be turned upside down? Who is going to help them? Can I even make a difference? Unfortunately, along with these questions I also make a lot of assumptions that I often later regret. I assume that they abuse substances, or I assume that they are not ambitious enough to get a job, or I assume that they just don’t care. I am sure that in most cases these assumptions are completely wrong. As a result I try very hard to prevent them from occurring. If I have money to give, I usually give it as it temporarily relieves the guilt I feel when I see someone is such despair. I say temporarily because it really never lasts to long. Maybe for the following 5 minutes but soon after, I begin to reflect back. I think about all that I am so fortunate to have, and wonder why I have been so lucky. Living in Boston, I see many homeless people. The subway station I live next to is a notorious hang-out for those wandering the streets late at night. For this reason, as much I try to run away from these thoughts of guilt, and questions about homelessness, I am confronted with them each morning when I walk outside. I still have not found the correct responses to these questions. I know for certain that my spare change is not the answer. Additionally I hope that this class provides a chance to work towards solving these issues.
To me, home is a place where the people you love, and where the people who love you are located. I believe that a home is much more than a place where you grew up or live. Home, in my mind, includes where your parents live, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and eventually where one might settle down with a wife or husband. Home, and house are two extremely different things. Home is a place where there is a warm feeling of acceptance and belonging whereas a house is simply shelter. Having a home is, in my opinion, one of the most basic needs where people can feel accepted and always welcome. Having a home is made possible simply by when people are loved and loving. A house is not a home if people do not love or care about each other. You do not need to have family to have a home, but rather a sense of belonging where you can always go for help.
In my opinion, homelessness comes from one of three things. I believe it comes from lack of oppurtunity, detrimental habits, and often times a lack of effort. I believe that all of these have some sort or relevance with why a person might end up being homeless. I do not think that a lack of oppurtunity is the case for more than one percent of the homeless. I believe that people who claim this as a reason are more victims of learned helplessness. A lack of effort and bad habits such as drugs, alcohol, and certain sexual acts are a huge reason for homelessness. Many stereotypes are present in the homeless. People think that a begger on the side of the highway are simply asking for drug and alcohol money. While this is true much of the time, many of these people would "deal with" a meal or some spare change for some food. Another assumption is that the homeless do not have any other options as far as working or earning some money. I feel this as a false statement because there are many people who would pay these people to do some tasks for them. There are also many organizations that help aid the homeless in a job search. Overall, i feel that learned helplessness is possibly the biggest factor in homelessness and why these people are not able to overcome the situation they have found themselves in.
A home is somewhere you feel comfortable that you are at frequently and that provides some sort of shelter. It doesn’t necessarily have to be where you live all the time, but somewhere you feel at ease and frequent. To me, having a home means having something stable in my life where I can relax and have shelter and be loved. Having a home is possible no matter your situation. If a small box feels like home to you, it is a home. If a friend’s house feels like home to you, it can be a home, as well. It is whatever you make of what you are given.
Homelessness can be caused by anything, really. It could be that a young child ran away from home for whatever reason and, because they have no real means of support, they become homeless. It could be that people lose their savings and have no where else to live but on the street. It could be a product of any misfortune. Homeless people are generally stereotyped as lazy and unwise with the money they have. They are sometimes seen as dangerous and as crooks. I don’t think this is true of every case. I think each person is different and different situations lead some people to different extremes, but some people generally are unlucky and have a hard time getting back onto their feet again. I don’t think that everyone should stereotype all homeless people into one category because they are people, just like you and me, and we are all different and have different stories.
To me a home is somewhere you can go and is always welcome. A place where you always arrive to your family and where everyone gets along. A place where you are comfortable, safe and where you have your privacy, and your own rules. I think what makes having a home possible is family, or even just feeling secure and can have privacy.
My assumptions about homelessness is random people without anywhere to go at the end of the day to rest in peace and feel safe. I think what causes homelessness is lack of a paycheck meaning no jobs no money. I think money is the major issue here.
Stereotypes that are associated with homeless people are maybe ragged clothes and not very clean.
Home is where the heart is. Cliches really get the point right sometimes. A home however, versus home, I think also has to do with a place of residence. For a place of residence to be called home it has to have all of the things which you look forward coming to at the end of the day. That for most people would be other people. Those you love, family and friends close, and the place where you establish a life for whatever period of time. Cat ladies need cats to have a home, readers need books. Your home reflects parts of your personality in a very concrete way and if it doesn't, it isnt a home. A hotel is not a home because you haven't made your mark on it yet.
My assumptions about homelessness have mostly to do with how they view life. I assume most homeless people would have a fundamentally different perspective of every part of life than anyone with a home would. The homeless have endured more than most un-homeless people, and therefore one must be careful when checking your rolex next to a person sleeping on a bench, because they no doubt have less to loose as well. Many stereotypes exist for homeless people. The most obvious is that they are drug-addicted, lazy, and stupid. I think all of these stereotypes are wrong.
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