Axle Zine

It is exceedingly difficult to remember that the lumps under blankets outside are humans. The scene is this beautiful photo by Rob Simmons is fairly common. A body-shaped blanket curled up next to the entrance of a run down beauty salon. An underpass, glowing yellow with streetlights, littered with McDonald’s wrappers, cardboard and second hand bedding. I typically continue past them shivering; hands in pockets as I curse the cold or turn up the heat in my car; inadvertently forgetting their lack of super-human abilities to do the same.
 
I am not sure anyone needs another obvious take on how the homeless people are still people and how easy it is to help and other Midwestern guilt-ridden things. But do you remember way back three weeks ago when this guy was all the rage? Perhaps you have heard of the homeless man inspiring so many voice related thesaurus references? I think the use of the terms silky, smooth, baritone, and golden in everyday conversations has increased 300% in the last month. The man with the golden voice - the first true Internet sensation since the double rainbow guy. We were way past due. 


If you were one of the few vaccinated against the the man with the golden voice’s viral effect on the interweb, then go ahead give it a run through. It is a pretty incredible story; the mention of the reunion with his long lost mother was “dust in the eye” inspiring.

But outside of his silky-smooth baritone, golden vocal talents, I was most surprised at my surprise in reaction to his quote “and then I went to school for it”. What exactly do you mean by school, Golden Voice man? Aren’t the homeless just sort of born and raised lacking homes? I had somehow always assumed the homeless just sort of tested into that sort of thing or, more accurately, I had given so little thought as to the events that could take place in someones life to get to that point that my assumptions didn’t matter.

Granted, the man with the Golden voice was just about the most interaction I have had with the homeless since a man lacking a home sat across from you on train in Boston and repeated “My name is KENNY, and I’m an alcoholic!” for about 20 minutes before I exited the train train and avoided any signs that I spoke his same language. But the attempt to imagine the choice to sleep on freezing concrete being better than any pride-killing alternative requires quite a bit of effort. Forgetting the lumps under blankets are humans is considerably easier. The pendulum of fear, guilt, and apathy toward the homeless typically swings in accordance to how aggressive the begging for change. I typically stick to light-hearted guilt.

But I am happy to report that there are people better at remembering that lumps under blankets are humans. I was fortunate enough to join Project Live Love on a three-oh-we-go outing recently. Any time the weather in Atlanta is predicted to drop below freezing at night, a group of volunteers, led by a few people who are really engaged with the homeless in Atlanta, set out to distribute hot cocoa, blankets, jackets, hand warmers, and some legitimate conversation. I went a single night and was blown away at normal a majority of those people under the blankets were. Yes, they were people with serious mental issues and other with serious addiction issues. But they were also just people embarrassed to go to family member for help. They were people embarrassed to take a cup of hot cocoa from a stranger. They were people.

That’s the hardest part. Everyone’s voice is golden. But a voice cannot be golden until it is heard. (But also, let’s avoid seeing if a golden voice is a new trend amongst the homeless)

I have since made every excuse imaginable and been out of town (an excuse) every any time project live love goes out at night. It is sad how easy it is to use the excuse of it being too cold outside to do something targeted to helping people freezing to death. But here’s a call to action. Let’s break the glaze in both passerbyers eyes when someone shakes a cup of change. Let’s have a conversation with a homeless person. When someone asks for change, ask them their name. When they say “Shine”, ask them their real name. Let’s join (or re-join) a group doing something cool. Let’s stop forgetting certain people are people.

And as a plea from those of us with limited experience working with the homeless to those of you who are old pros, what are the best ways to help? What is the most gracious way to reply to the requests for spare change? Who is doing a great job right now helping end the cycle in the lives of the homeless? Help us help!