[pocomoonskyeyes]

Unswydd I do understand. Parts are still painful for me as well, 7 almost 8 years later. I treated it kind of like something scary outside a closed door. I kept the "chain lock" on the door and cracked it open just enough to see what needed to be seen. I don't know if that makes sense to you or anyone else either. Like my best friend threatening me with a Buck 110 folding Hunter. Looking him in the eyes and saying "Go ahead-Do it... Do it you sorry BLEEP Bleep! DO IT!!!" That is one of the closest times I have come to dieing. For a minute it was touch and Go. I'm shaking a little now. Yes I know what you are talking about, although my perspective is somewhat different. I also know that for women it can be worse than for men. I met my other half on the streets, She is the reasn "Cowboy" wanted to kill me. He wanted her... I stood in his way.

[Foxfire]

Thank you Poco for sharing this with us.

[spagirus]

You're sharing really is appreciated Poco. I am always interested in the 'homeless' aspect of survival for several reasons. I have barely brushed with that life here and there, but never lived it fully. When I moved to Austin, TX I had very little for like a month, except for friends. So I wound up couch surfing for that time, and spent a few nights 'out' we'll say. I have also done the train-hopping/crust punk/traveling kid thing a couple of times, but that was more like a camping trip party (with maybe a slight bit more danger than normal) than really being homeless. But I also don't drive in Austin, so I take the bus and walk, and this has allowed me to get fairly close to those who truly are homeless. Most of the ones I meet are mentally ill people who have nowhere to go. Some of them are people who chose to be homeless because they were fed up with their grid-attached lives, and they range in attitudes about it. Some find living that way exhilarating or just natural, some regret it. I have met a few people that just got in a bad situation and couldn't get out of it. Whatever put them there I have learned to respect all of them, and cherish my time with them. I have learned so much from them (they feel fairly comfortable with me as I tend to look pretty ragged most of the time, and they just think I'm one of them, so they don't mind sharing info). If it weren't for my wife and family (by which I mean genetic family, and my family of good friends) and various creative/musical endeavors that I involve myself with, I probably would choose that lifestyle myself. I know it's hard, but 'normal' life is hard too really. Anyway, all I really want to say is that I discourage anyone from looking down on homeless people and encourage respect for them, and I am thankful to you Poco, and all whom I encounter, that have lived or are currently living homeless for sharing with me what you all have. I know I'm a better person for that.

[George]

This post seems to sit on my mind.

I started to “play” with the idea of being away or without a home.

Every time we go bush we are temporarily homeless where we go.
The only difference is we can go back and we have home as we left it unless unimaginable happens.

Probably not much revelation, but somehow it made me think, that we can improvise even before we loose our place of residence.
With bit of imagination and we can live simple life in our own home, “pretending” we just got permission to use say one bedroom with few facilities or garage and toilet or just basement and toilet.

Say for example we can sleep in a car in not heated garage or get some cardboard boxes and rough it out in a basement and see how it goes. Improve bed, make few changes.

It looks silly, but we can sleep, live and cook rough without danger of being attacked.

We can camp in our own garage or backyard.

As I said, looks silly but made me thinking.

[pocomoonskyeyes]

You know George, actually that is an excellent idea. Just learning to do "without" is an exercise that would go a long ways toward helping in this particular scenario. As Gross as it may sound try going without a regular bath, trying to stay as clean as you can using as little water as you can, using just a gallon jug of water.Try and use as little as you can... because that could be your drinking water as well.