Yea, the problem is you can't tell the difference unless you really get to know them. Not just talk to them for 15 seconds as you give them a dollar, but really talk to them over an extended period of time. Most of us are too scared or too busy to do that, so we end up just throwing money at them if we feel especially generous. I remember my church group used to regularly go downtown, giving out water and pastries (a local Panera Bread gave us their unsold food one day a week). We made friends with many of the ones who were willing to stay and chat. We made sure not to preach at them or anything, just give them a set of listening ears. A surprising number of them were honest citizens who were just out of a job and had nowhere to go (many found jobs later; even got their own apartment). Others made dumb decisions as kids and have accepted the streets as their home. Sadly, the majority of them were war veterans who are now barely coherent. Everyone we could understand had a fascinating story. I considered starting a Youtube channel where we could interview them and share their stories, but most of them are too embarrassed to do a video interview.
I think the better way to say it is "Not everybody is willing/able to make the choices necessary to get off the streets." They don't want to be on the streets, but they prefer it to the alternative (sobriety). I don't think you can really say people who are addicted want to remain addicted. But I think it's safe to say that their choices are why they are homeless, in many cases. What irks me is the homeless teen problem. Dana Gould sums it up for me quite nicely. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R-mUh4MOuvk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R-mUh4MOuvk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
While the video of Ted Williams seeing his mom again was very touching..... ....did anyone else here get freaked out a little from a man in his 50's calling out, "Mommy! Mommy!" over and over again? ....just seemed weird to me.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...fe_patricia_kirtley_the_real_hero_of_the.html Behind golden-voiced Ted Williams is ex-wife Patricia Kirtley, the story's real hero A viral video vaulted Ted Williams and his golden voice to fame, but the real hero of this story is the woman he left behind. Patricia Kirtley raised four daughters alone after Williams split 23 years ago and dove down the rabbit hole of drugs. Not only that, Kirtley took in the baby boy the radioman had with another woman and raised him as her own. Oh, and by the way, she's partially blind. "We survived," Kirtley said Thursday in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. "My children are survivors. They know if we get a little bit that God provides, we make it into a lot. I'm a soup maker. I make potato soup and throw in a lot of vegetables and a little meat. We always ate." Except that Williams, who seems to be a nice guy, just wasn't strong, wasn't around and wasn't contributing financially. Kirtley had to go on the dole. "I still remember my case number," she says ruefully. She eventually went to school and got licensed as a blind vendor. "My mother and sisters pitched in and drove me because I can't see to drive," said Kirtley, now 58, over a din of some of her 16 grandchildren playing. As if that weren't enough, Kirtley said two of her sisters and a cousin each took in a child Williams and his druggie girlfriend couldn't, or wouldn't, care for. "I didn't want to see those children in no foster home," she said. Exactly. It's an all-too-familiar story to the strong members of poor communities - usually women. They are the ones who must provide the backbone, as well as the hugs, for children whose parents get hooked on drugs. Williams called once in a while, and Kirtley would hear that baritone voice she fell in love with at first sound. They stayed friendly, and he might come for Thanksgiving dinner, but otherwise, he would remain AWOL. Daughter Julia Pullien, 30, said she was 7 when Williams left. "He wasn't involved," she said. "Our mom was our sole provider. She is a more than phenomenal person. My father is a nice guy, but he fell victim to the streets. We prayed for him and we worried about him, but we became accustomed to the fact that he just wasn't there." Kirtley said the kids felt some resentment. "They didn't understand why he was never there for their school functions, or just to help with their homework," she said. "That's when I really could have used help, because I couldn't see their pages. My kids are really good readers, though, because I made them read everything to me out loud." They're grown now, with jobs and kids of their own. Maybe Williams can redeem himself personally as well as professionally. Maybe he can be there for his grandchildren in ways he could not for his kids. Still, all the credit must go to Kirtley, the woman who truly deserves the fame her ex has been getting the past few days.
You may have missed it, but I was homeless for about a year. That guy was my bunk mate. I took the top bunk. He actually told me that he didn't want to join the Salvation Army residency program. He said that that the Salvation Army required you to be in a drug rehab program. He said that he wanted to live life the way he wanted. He said that didn't want to be told to do. It seemed like another way of saying "I don't want to go through rehab. I will keep doing dope." He told me to join the residency program and that I could live at the Salvation Army for 18 months. We talked for a long time. Eventually, I got over to another shelter's residency program for 8 months. There were around a dozen of us. We were there for various reasons. The hard workers got jobs and got out. One guy quit the program after I had known him only for a few weeks. He hooked up with a supplier and started selling drugs. He got picked up by the police and thrown in jail. It's a totally different experience to chat with me with about it than to live through what I lived. It's totally different to live 24 hours a day for over a year moving around or living in a shelter than spending a few hours volunteering with homeless people and returning to a home, a roof, a family. There is total despair and hopelessness. Thoughts of suicide and worthlessness dominate your head. You question yourself and doubt many things. You start to believe things that your parents said like you are completely worthless and that you should starve on the street like the other worthless people.
liljojo, Please excuse my last post. I was reliving my past experience with homelessness and all the anger and despair came rushing to the surface. I couldn't stop myself. When you said "you can't tell the difference", I took it to mean myself. I reread it. I realize you meant "you" as anybody.
His new Kraft commercial. His voiceover starts at the 23 second mark. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eF03K7Orxis?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eF03K7Orxis?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
Holy cow I just read this guy has 9 KIDS!!! I wonder when he turned homeless? 9 kids.. Say bye bye to those checks.. Can't imagine all the back child support payments he must have to payback..
The kids and his ex deserve it. He should have enough to make a fresh start and the rest should go to making restitution.
His kids are full grown adults. He stayed for short stints with his grown children, but eventually had to go back to the streets. His adult kids couldn't afford feeding the grandchildren and him.
I read that Jack Nicholson wants him for a movie part. I thought to myself he'd probably be a good voice for a Pixar or Dreamworks film.
I may be in the minority, but how can you kick your biological father onto the streets? Atleast give him shelter and canned food or something. I'm sure $50 a month won't make your break you.
He's been clean for two years? Two years is a long time and enough time for one of his kids to step up. Instead they looked the other way.
As somebody, who has been dirt poor myself, $50 is alot. I made $99 net(after SS taxes and other deductions) in a week in 20 hours at a minimum wage job. $50 would have been half my pay check. I can't imagine trying to feed 2-3 kids and your own father on that kind of money. Well, even $100 doesn't go far in New York City(where the kids stay).
Well, I just heard this dude got detained by police in Los Angeles. Sounds like he got in a big argument with one of his children. I don't think he was charged with anything, but dang that didn't take long. It will be sad to see him screw this up.
