Living in a tent and waking up with icicles!

Homelessness isn't new…

Nor is homelessness just in the UK, or just Europe… It is a world wide problem.  And is it just us, but after decades of apparently slow escalation, the last four years seem to have evidenced an explosion in the number of homeless sleeping on the streets.

And people are dying.  In the street.  In the cold.  People with friends.  People with families somewhere.  Dying in the cold street as they sleep.

Now it my well be that it was always thus, and that social media, the Facebook pages, the Twitter Tweets, are the reason we are more aware.  That in fact this has always happened, and that we didn't hear about it.  That may indeed be the case.  But in a civilised society - and we are supposed to be that, though sometimes I wonder - HOW can the fact that people are homeless and dying of cold EVER be accepted by ANYONE?

We were discussing the cold in Beanie Cellars this morning.  Temperatures predicted to fall in the next few days, minus 7C (about 20F), minus 10C (about 14F), and maybe lower.  Which brought to mind a discussion we had with a friend in America about when they were young.  They ended up… 

Actually, tell you what, we'll jump timezones, pour the coffee and welcome Deej (who is on Twitter as @D4rk34gl3) to share their story…

Hi People!  

Just so you know...

It was close to 30years ago, that I was homeless in the woods of Northern Michigan.

I'm not homeless now.  Now, I stay at my father's house. I was severely injured a few years ago in a motorbike wreck. Could barely get out of bed for 2months. Had to move here when the "unemployment benefits" ran out.

The truth about homelessness in southern California, is that it's very expensive to live here.

Even if one has a job, it doesn't mean one can afford housing.

A small, single room "studio apartment"  Can be over $1500 (About £1250 currently) per month. Depending upon the location.

If it's close to where the jobs are, it's even more expensive.

More than $2000 per month!

Low level jobs pay from $9-12 (£7-£9.50) per hr.

 (Do the math!)

Anywhere else in the country, with the exception of maybe New York City, that amount would be sufficient.

Around here?

Not so much.

You'll always have to have many roommates. If you can even find an affordable place.

Or live far from towns that actually have economically viable jobs. Which means the need of a car. Due to the woefully inadequate public transportation system in Southern California.

You have a choice.

Eat daily.

Have a car.

OR

Have a place.

You can see that the choices we are somewhat forced to make lean toward being able to travel to where the jobs are.

Some live in their cars or have had the opportunity to purchase small caravans or to convert bread delivery lorries. Many more don't have that luxury.

There are so many who have stories which are much more important than mine.

 google images

But here it is...

In 1984, I was 17.

Just before I graduated high school, my parents had decided to "get away from it all" and bought a small, 8 cabin  resort on 14 acres of northern Michigan woodland. Mainly for Fishing & hunting & canoeing, tourists.

It turned out that the previous owner had "doctored" the accounting books to make the place appear to be a year-round operation.

It wasn't.

And Michigan winter freezes un-insulated plumbing. Causing water pipes to burst which made for massive water damage to the cabins.

It was a major expense. More than expected.

There was a difficulty selling our house in California.

So, my parents gave up the resort, and returned to California.

I stayed in Michigan, because I like wooded, rural areas.

I'm not such a fan of cities.

I worked at whatever jobs were available. Fast food. Local stores. Factories. Whatever. I even spent time working on motorbikes. 

I'd been there for about 2 years "on my own" when I lost my job, because I was a headstrong kid and wouldn't take any shit from the boss, and this led to losing my apartment. Which was actually just a small motel room that had a monthly rent option.

Then, my car broke down and I was unable to afford repairs.

Now, I was a pedestrian. With only the things that fit in my backpack.

Some clothes. Some camping gear. That's it.

I "lost" everything else.

If I couldn't carry it, I didn't.

In The 80's in Northern  Michigan, there was a lot of accessible land. So, the cops coming around to harass you, didn't often happen to me. Except for once when I was on a plot of land that was actually privately owned, but on a map of public lands it was shown to be "public".

Only, the map I had was outdated, and I had to move.

 No worries!

At that time, there was a lot more places I could camp. Legally.

And Fortunately, I was able to get a job at a restaurant. Which allowed for meals on the days I worked. It paid $3.50 per hr. 40 hrs per week. I slept in an old style tent. And I had a good sleeping bag. This was early in the days of specialized winter camping gear being available to the general public. Instead only scientists and very rich "adventurers" had the luxury!

google images

I was in a small copse of woods near my job.

I could walk there in 25 minutes. 35 if the snow was deep and I had to go around the field I'd usually cross directly. I lived there for 8months.  May-January

And then, a friend acquired an apartment in Traverse City, Michegan.

Not very far from my job.

Fortunately, I was able to move in. It was "Freezin-Ass" in my little tent,  and a heated place was a very nice thing to have after months of making small campfires outside every night and waking up to icicles INSIDE my tent!

And yes. I really did take baths in a frozen lake. Which was interesting, as the water was warmer than the air. The ambient temp on a usual winter day was about 0°f with a slight wind.

And yes. I've experienced colder than that. -30°f (-35C) with windchill = -50°f (-46C).

Had to cover my mouth to breathe. Or my lungs might freeze!

If I wasn't 19 years bold…  (not a typo)  ...I might not have survived.

I fully understand the danger of living in an inhospitable winter environment.

And yes. I've known people who've died from it.

I never knew their full names. When you are homeless its information you don't often share.

But I've never forgotten their first names.

Nor the days we spent together at Lake Arbutus, Michegan.

I'm still sad for them. Nobody in any affluent nation, should ever have to die like that.

nor Anywhere on Earth!

Now, after many years of floating around, having whatever job I could get, I'm working to create a business.

(Gee! How American! LulzzZ!)

Which, I hope will be successful enough to provide my necessities and allow me to help others.

As a survivor of a harsh period of time, I believe it's my duty to help those in situations similar to those I experienced.

Cold. Almost zero money. No family & barely any friends, (ya know, they tend to drift away pretty fast... Because money.)

I wish to provide, even if only a small amount, some relief.

When I'm ready to go public with it, I will. 

I still need copyright or whatever intellectual property ...procedures...

 I'll need to make it legitimate.

I guess I'm saying that even if you really haven't discovered your path in life. It doesn't mean all is doomed.

There's always some relief. You might have to hunt it down or create it yourself, but it does exist!

No matter what...

Keep Going. 

Thanks Deej, its kind of you to share your experiences!  And we are pleased to hear that you are working up a new project.  Please drop in and let us know how things work out.

Here at TeamBeanie we blog about matters homeless. and share stories from our friends on the street.  On Twitter as @beanies_masato we tweet as a noticeboard, dispel myths and sell stuff to help our homeless outreach partners.

If you would like to buy a Beanie hat or a scarf, or even a duffle bag, all of which send on to a street homeless person, the link is here

http://www.masato.co.uk/collections/masato-homeless-support

Blog edited and collated by Sue