Today I met a man named Josh standing out in the cold weather, standing on ice and snow, holding a sign that says, “Waiting for Social Security Disability.” I asked him if he wanted to go to lunch and he said yes.
Josh was glad to get out of the cold and very appreciative to receive a warm meal. I asked him to tell me his story. I asked him how he ended up where he is today, standing on a corner asking for help. He talked about the variety of jobs he’s had over the years. It sounds like the job he takes the most pride in was as a luthier, a craftsman who builds and/or repairs stringed instruments like guitars and violins. Regardless of the job or the pay, he was always ready and willing to work for a living.
Until his spine went bad.
Josh has applied for Social Security Disability but he was denied. The process proved to be an almost impossible task without having a home and a mailing address where he can send and receive the necessary documentation.
What is a man supposed to do to survive when suddenly his ability to work has been taken away, due to health reasons beyond his control?
In America, if we don’t have friends and family to help, we stand on a corner and hope for mercy.
Josh gets a little bit of temporary assistance from social services, enough to pay the rent to live in an old camper in another person’s backyard. The camper is old and tired, trying unsuccessfully to keep the cold winter chill out.
The more we talked, the more I felt like I was talking to an alternate version of myself, from a parallel universe. You see, the only difference between Josh and me is that I have friends and family who were of tremendous help when my spine got to the point where I could no longer return to work.
I kept thinking, “This could have been me.”
For almost two years after surgery I couldn’t move. It was all I could do to breathe. Without friends and family there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would be homeless. That’s why I offer to buy a homeless person lunch on the rare occasion I myself am out and about, because every time I see a homeless person I think: That could easily have been me.
I don’t write about every homeless person I talk with, but I do write when I am inspired after a conversation. My reason for writing is to point out how easily a person can go from having a home, to being homeless. My reason for writing is to encourage compassion, as I hope to inspire more people to help others in need.
Because I talk to a man like Josh and I think: That could have been me.
