Oof, that was tasteless.
I know this is something pertaining to cities as a whole, but seeing the vast amounts of homeless people in Los Angeles is...
The word isn't "depressing." The word is "disturbing." Deeply so.
Take a walk down Hollywood Boulevard. Walk three blocks and it's almost a surety you'll have gone by half a dozen homeless people.
These are just words on a blog. So in all actuality, it's not making a difference in the slightest; at the best I'm "bringing awareness," but at the worst (and if I'm being really honest with myself), this is self-indulgent guilt and righteousness emblazoned in bits for the whole internet to read if they want too. I'm not actually doing anything to help what I see as an immense problem in Los Angeles; just throwing thoughts up on a blog. Almost as bad as doing nothing, but at least this way I can jerk myself off and feel a little bit better.
The sheer number of tent cities springing up around freeway underpasses is astounding. Homeless people wander around my day job; I rarely actually interact with them, it's like they're part of the scenery.
I don't know what it's like to be homeless and I don't know at all what events often lead to someone becoming homeless, but I do know that, god, it must feel awfully dehumanizing to be treated as though you aren't there. And you try and talk to people and they ignore you.
And sometimes, you go crazy. You're sun-mad and you're talking and shouting.
Christ almighty. I'm guilty of simply brushing past this horrible degradation of humanity too, but that's what you have to do if you want to stay sane. You've got to ignore it.
And also, as much as my heart goes out for these people, a lot of them can just be real assholes. Unpredictable assholes too. Had one call me the Devil. And other rude names. So. It's a mixed feeling I'm having.
Signing off for now - Drew, the wokest woker to ever woke up on the woke.