Day 5: Causing a Stir: Too Good to be Homeless

Day 5: Walking in the shoes of the homeless and unemployed

Well, prejudgments are getting out of hand. Yesterday, Friendly Security Guard tells me to stay out of trouble. This morning, the vocational services rep at the shelter told me to stay out of trouble citing, “Some people may be jealous or may think that you think you are better than they are.”

Tonight, I walked one of my new roommates down to the front desk so that she could get a sandwich. She hadn’t had any dinner but has phobias about open places and ordering at counters. As we approached, I heard two of the other security guards saying, “She don’t even speak to me. She just walks around with her nose in the air. I’m not giving her my food.”

I finally figured out that they were talking about me. The guard distributing the sandwiches didn’t want to give me “his food” as he called it. Finally, he throws a sandwich up on the counter. I asked my roommate what kind she wanted. “Ham, if they have it.”

“You have to take what I have,” spat the guard in charge.

So, my roommate slowly approached the counter with her hands folded one into one another, eyes looking downward, and picked it up. We turned to walk away. The guard then said to me, “Oh, you don’t want one? What, you too good for us now?” 

When I just stared at his ignorance, he tried to smooth it over with, “I’m just playing.” I gave him the coolest stare that I could muster and made sure I held his gaze long enough for him to shift his weight from one foot to the next in unexpected discomfort before finally turning and gesturing for T to walk away. I suppose my unusual presence here is causing a bit of a stir.