Weirdo and her words @weirdoandherwords - Tumblr Blog

Woman Crush Wednesday- Women of Winterfell

It’s Woman Crush Wednesday #WCW and even if it’s not being followed as much, what better time than to spotlight some warrior women worthy of girl crushing for us girls to look up to ahead of the final season of Game of Thrones.

‘Women of Winterfell’ wasn’t just used to enhance the alliterative title, when it comes to #GoT, there are some inspiring female characters to draw from and especially in the Stark sisters.

Why Sansa Stark is a warrior woman

*plot spoilers for those out of the coma*

Sansa, one of the daughters of Ned Stark, is part of the direwolf House Stark. She is one who follows the typical female interests of sewing, wanting to marry someone worthy, to be ‘a wife’. A gentle young girl with good in her blood. Some feminists may actually resent what she stands for as she’s perfectly fitting the traditional gender role but when you see her foiling her sister from the same family, it raises the question, how much of it is expected of her or just in her interests like many females of the ‘time’.

What should please feminists is how she deals with her life as it doesn’t end up the perfect way she thought it would. This girl goes through tragedy and that unravels many more for her where she could have given up, but maybe a testament to the strength of her family and House, she fights through. It may not be with swords like many in the series, but it’s arguably a tougher fight, having to mentally keep it together, find hope, deal with evil adversaries, having to literally ‘love’, praise and join her foes. Sansa for me is one of the best warriors because if people were honest and looking at many of the other characters, it’s hard to see how you could do what she did and not just lose all control. But you probably wouldn’t have survived very long. She knew what she had to do and even with uncertainty, she played the game so well to get back to her pack.

The scenes when she reunites with her family, her sister Arya, her brothers, Jon Snow and Bran (minus Robb Stark and Ned Stark sadly) is one of the most satisfying as you’ve been through her journey, her awful struggle; yearning for her to keep on going hoping to get there even when it looked dire at points but it showed the wolf she is. The direwolf pack had the strength to find each other and had meaning. If you have that, then you can fight the good fight well. Sansa made some crucial, defining decisions that saved her family when she was able to save Jon Snow in the devastating battle by bringing in a support army, she got control of Little Finger who if left could have ruined a lot and just all through her journey, cleverly played the role with the Lannisters and survived to level things and to save her family.

And the other warrior woman of Winterfell is my favourite character, Sansa’s sister, Arya Stark.

Why Arya Stark is a warrior woman

From the first moment of meeting her in the series, I fell in love with Arya. The girl I resonate with traits I love seeing in a girl. Sansa began as the typical girl that may annoy some but Arya was the mischievous, playful, clever and not giving a damn girl. She’s unafraid to get dirty, play with the boys and beat them. She thrives on that and knows there is value on being a part of the ‘man’s world’ and she picks up the sword. She’s just fearless and wants to show up and be a part of what boys can do and she shows this. She doesn’t let limits discourage or stop her. This is why she ends up being one of the best vengeful characters creating some of the MOST SATISFYING scenes too.

I loved seeing her way of surviving having to also deal with the tragedy of losing her father, someone she looked up to, taught her and made her feel safe. You saw again, the strength of that Stark blood and the honour of her father to fight through and right those wrongs and giirl did she right those wrongs. She has the bloodthirst but she has it contained and importantly savoured for who deserves it. Her clever, quick-thinking got her through the wild and took her all the way back to her family. She and Sansa with both of their differing personalities came together bound by that blood and warrior womanhood they each had that is a testament to them as individual women also.

Arya or Sansa for the throne? Or a joint sisterhood throne would make a killer team anyway. One of the most poignant scenes for me is of Arya and Sansa after reuniting and having worked together to take out Little Finger looking down at their territory praising each other on their plot. This scene shows who they are and how they admire one another, how they got to each other, their respect and understanding of family and their sisterhood whilst playfully snarking. Arya contently admits she could not be the lady of Winterfell like her sister could and tells Sansa, ‘I never could have survived what you survived’.

Sansa responds, ‘You would have. You’re the strongest person I know’.

weirdoandherwords

You ready for #GameofThrones? 😮🗡️🐎🏰

Freedom of speech needs EVERYONE to read this. Calling for people to speak out, this is how. #Savetheinternet

Never has anything been more important for the fight for freedom of speech on understanding this and what we are seeing lately. I urge everyone to watch this Youtube video (see at the very end) and see for yourself and to comment on that video condemning Youtube. Many will not know this man. You may want to watch more videos of him and look him up but just to give you a brief profile; he is a podcaster, Youtuber, philosophiser speaking on politics, relationships and science, you name it. A fan of truth and bringing insightful and interesting debate hence why he has a great following. You may disagree with him and that is welcomed by him, the need and right for people to debate and have an honest dialogue. The shocking horror that not everyone thinks the same, who knew. Yet Youtube nearly banned him just recently with a vague striking system. It was an outrage from his Twitter followers that stopped this and thanks to him having other social platforms but eerily what if he hadn’t? Why was he nearly banned? A violation of users’ rights is happening and people need to pay attention now. Whilst you’re ignorant to this because unsurprisingly this won’t be covered in the mainstream, scary things are happening and you need to wake up. The internet is a saviour but even that is facing a scary uncertainty.

I am appalled and angry for you Stefan Molyneux. Please, anyone who reads this and views the video at the end, just speak up, leave a comment under the Youtube video to show and tell Youtube this is unacceptable and we as consumers of the content do not want this to happen. All this will do is create a way for another platform. Be warned Youtube, you will lose market, if you're willing to silence and shut down voices unjustly. The fight for freedom and speech will always prevail because it is reason and truth that we hold on to so I'm so happy to see people speaking and switched on to this. Don't be ignorant. Ignorance is not bliss. People who are not on the internet are in a bubble with only the mainstream media to give them their news and 'truth'; the internet is the place now and to even see Youtube acting out censorship is outwardly disturbing and terrifying. This should terrify people.

Whether you agree with Stefan or not (even though he is an intelligent man who is willing to THINK hence being a philosopher and gives truth, intelligent and insightful debates and speaks on real issues that need a platform so I wonder how you could be hateful to him), the censorship of voices should be what EVERYONE should stand against as in time the very people who claim to have moral superiority and exhibit the hypocritical bigotry onto others they want to censor, the can of worms opens and you'll be regretting allowing this to happen.

I watch many things on Youtube, from people I don't always agree with and those I do, I spend a lot of time there, learning, being enlightened, being cheered up, being entertained by different voices with many who have divisive opinions. That returning demon of the evil that not everyone thinks the same eh. I don't tend to comment, just indulge in content after content and I often scroll down on comments to get a sense of the reaction and it pleases me to see people are not falling for the biases and are all here for truth but on this that I've just come across, I cannot help but comment and urge anyone and everyone to comment in support for Stefan here, as it is not just a comment for Stefan, but for speech, for freedom and to show Youtube and everyone that consumers and the people are intolerant over Youtube's (and other sites that are feeling pressured) intolerance. We need to call out this hypocrisy, the injustice and violation over users' rights. Pressured from an SJW army and direction from corporate contributions like adverts (the demonetisation of users), they do this to 'appease the people'. Well this is why it is crucial people comment to show this is not what the people want, give the voice, give the pressure that what they are doing is wrong, show them, tell them, speak up and people who are with this fight, if you wonder what you can do, comment under the video to show this and to tell Youtube we will not be using if they continue with the violation of not only the users but of ours as the consumers and show we are against this, that we know what they are doing before there is no video from him to comment on.

Watch. Comment in condemnation against Youtube on this and to show all the social media platforms and sites out there. Speak out in numbers. I want to see millions! I want to see who is out there and in support. This could be a movement. Fight and be on the side for freedom of speech. I’m calling for a movement to get people engaged, angry and voiced in reaction to all the outrageous and unjustified anti free speech incidences happening (Count Dankula, Tommy Robinson, James Damore to name a few cases) and what we are seeing here with Stefan. Show these major platforms that their CSR is misaligned, that they have nothing to fear if many disagree with some of their users’ content and that by censorship, banning and violating their policies towards ideas that are different or indeed misrepresented is not going to be tolerated. Many voices are shut down before people have had a chance to see clearly that often what the SJWs and media portray is the opposite. Funny how agendas work. The more we speak, the more we show they shouldn’t be pressured to censor and that we are not standing for this violation, injustice and plague on freedom of speech, for debate and truth. So start by a comment underneath after watching Stefan’s video. Tweet. Make videos. Blog. Debate your peers, your friends and strangers. Inform them of this and all that is going on. In your tweets, videos, blogs etc. make it clear we are watching, we demand as consumers and the people for fair platforms of ideas for even the ones you dislike, disagree with and may see as ‘hateful’. After all, the way to combat evil is to shine a light on it and not let it fester in its deep and gritty darkness to then build up into something monstrous. Of course, most of the time this isn’t the case as we have a judicial system in place to lock up true evil but there is a case to shine the light on bad ideas so that we know what ideas are out there and how to resolve people’s thinking by debate, intelligence, sharing of information and honest conversations. To show the hateful and harmful and to win by better ideas and debate. What are you scared of? That you might learn inconvenient truths, that you can’t debate? The best way to win a debate is to not have one it seems and what a ludicrous and telling observation and a scary world to be in. The misinformation, lack of self-thought, rational thinking and agency to look into things is creating these demonised characters that must be shut down when they are often not even remotely dangerous, only insofar for the ones that want to take away their voices... and you’ve got to wonder, why would they want that?

Think of this as an open letter to the world from just a girl who likes to learn and seek truth with a laptop. If you like truth, ideas and freedom of speech, please join and make this movement. The internet and the history, the present and the future of humanity need it.

#Savetheinternet.

#Youtube #Freedom of speech #Youtube violation #Stefan Molyneux #Count Dankula #James Damore #Truth #Ideas #Save the internet

“Transcendental ” by beccanicholson at ViewBug

#ViewBug

“Spring Amusement” by beccanicholson at ViewBug

#ViewBug

A Mental Statement

The sound of a shredder had never been so piercing and so poignant. It is funny how a mundane task can represent something so visceral. Slicing the paper up boisterously, mechanically and so violently, it was as if the machine had truly switched roles with the human, making a statement itself. This paper being shredded marked the words of a lost soul, an expression of an inner turmoil and a goodbye letter to some relatives, to the world; my suicide note.

It was my father who put it in and I watched it being macerated, desperately longing for the visual to be representing a shredding in my mind of the darkness. I then went upstairs after my father telling me he will support me and lay on my bed in my dark, uncarpeted, bare-walled room and stared blankly at the ceiling. I hate this. What the hell do I do? I did well at school, I started college with means to follow that traditional route of university but here it stops. The path has ended for me and I did not want it to yet it has and I’m so confused because I’ve made this happen? I didn’t go to college the next day. The orthodox route of ambition and a career pursuit had ceased for me. The realisation and abruption of what I could be and should be was heart-breaking. Goodbye ambition, college, university. Goodbye Becca.

* * *

Sitting on the same bed, surrounded by my walls, scattered with little random memory invokers from my life, the carpet floored with documents of further learning; I can stare at the same ceiling with this overwhelming rush of weird feelings and thoughts with the completion of a PgCE course in Primary Education. Having got off the path and knowing I would never be able to be a Primary School Teacher, even though I knew I could have, was something I was learning to deal with. But the truth is, I have always loved learning and I would tell people this is what I wanted to be flippantly just to shut them up as I knew it wasn’t going to happen. It has been difficult with the demotivation I get and the constant battle in the mind yet so fulfilling completing a degree to get onto a PgCE; to then get my dream job as a Primary School Teacher and sometimes can’t fathom it when I look back on the girl who had to walk away from college. It’s just a shame the dream job didn’t turn out to be the dream job I thought it would, but that’s another article. The point is, I sometimes can’t help but be hugely and prominently proud of myself even though it is hard sometimes to ever feel good about myself.

Remarkably, I have accomplished a dream against all odds. What has always kept with me with the mind I have, is an incessant love for learning and curiosity that has led me to this. I was made for more and for me to get to an even higher stage of education at postgraduate level confirms this. If someone like me who had to leave education because of the lost phases can get to this stage, to one of the top levels of education, just think what those that have a ‘normal mind’ and an ambition can achieve. But I guess sometimes, I have to thank it too because if I didn’t have this mind then maybe I wouldn’t be as interested in things and people, have deep empathy and compassion for people, a curiosity and all the other things I strive for and what makes me who I am. Like Yin and Yang, it takes suffering and darkness to wholly appreciate the good and the light in a way many others can’t until they ever truly feel that way yet I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

After watching 13 Reasons Why just recently it was really touching and relatable. That girl could have been me, I mean it felt like watching me sometimes and in all terrifying honesty could still be as it just doesn’t go away. It makes me think about how many tapes I could make and what I could say about people and their actions but I know many people do not realise but that’s the whole point, to make a statement. People can piss you off. As much as I have a love for people and can be this paradox of loving meeting new people and socialising with people, having a laugh, deep down they end up letting you down, walking away from you when you were supposedly friends, treating you like an object in their lives and when they feel like it, if you don’t particularly please them anymore I guess then disregard you or drift or distance themselves as if you aren’t a human being with your own life and connection. Some situations I’ve come to understand where with some males, they walk away because they wanted more from you when we were only ever friends to begin with. I am coming to terms with that and trying to understand but when people make good connections with you and then feel like they’re not getting something from it when it was never meant to be that, walk away, it hurts. But again, I also understand… It just still sucks.

Connection is key, real, honest, mutual reaching out to one another. Compassion without too much judging is what is needed. Realising that people want to be reached out to and that it takes two to connect should be remembered. People would be a lot happier knowing people are rooting for them, and don’t just see others as assets in their lives or objects but rather another being to share and understand. Too much façade is unhealthy and loses people. What I know is that also people want to constantly show that they are fine and shine themselves in the best light (I confess as a hypocrite along with many others when it comes to selfies) and not want to share they’re not alright or feel like a depressing burden to others; to feel safe keeping it hidden and just in your own mind when ironically it can be far from safe sometimes.

I know I’d rather just not bother even sharing this but I don’t think many people will read, it helps me to write sometimes and it had me thinking on World Mental Health Day that actually, why shouldn’t I? The whole point is to reach, connect, share to make a better connection and to help tackle the stigma and I don’t feel as ashamed anymore as I’ve come to realise we are all on the mental health spectrum really as we are all so close to a line that could send us spiralling whether it be by circumstances in life or by how the brain naturally is or by both.

There are awful, dark days where it’s just as it was when I first started feeling depressed and it still terrifies me with the thoughts and feelings I get as I sit or lie crying even when nothing major has happened and it’s just me thinking about life and why I’m disappointed or when the overwhelming heavy and hard to defeat apathy swallows me up whole, the demons weirdly keep me company and have come to be my solace. But then after days without showering, without even being bothered to feed myself, I get up with a nice outfit on and nice makeup on and set about making a satisfying meal and feel better with things in my head I aim to do. I don’t know if this is bipolar but it certainly feels that way a lot of the time.

I see more and more how people playfully and humorously share or engage with the idea of hating people and rather being alone because sadly a lot of the time people aren’t satisfying as much or let you down or annoy you or behave badly towards you even when they don’t even realise they have. It’s just so refreshing when sometimes, some people can cut through that and have no fear or judgment as such and just want to connect and see you as you are which I think is how we all should be: more compassionate, more loving to make people likeable again and to just not be afraid of showing the bad as well as the good. I feel like a lot of the time when people are mentally sick as it were, they’re mentally sick of the world, I know I am but then again there’s beauty that feeds my soul when I gaze upon nature or witness kindness….. or taste a pizza, eat a chocolate bar or obsessively watch Russell Brand or Neil deGrasse Tyson and remember life can be good sometimes.

Image Credit: https://juggleglass.wordpress.com/art/

Some cool things for supporting mental health:

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/

Rethink Mental Illness: https://www.rethink.org/

Elefriends (this is like a Facebook for helping and sharing with people who are struggling or just simply want to connect which has helped me by others connecting to me and me helping others): https://www.elefriends.org.uk/

Sinead O'Connor: Do We Live In A Mentally Ill System? The Trews (E435): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMawuD0fQ5Y/ (and anything Russell Brand)

Just watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8imo7l-fq7I/

#world mental health day #mental health #depression #mental illness

Today's world equivalent is an instant message reading 'lol look at this meme' #Keats #NationalPoetryDay #trueromantics #romanticera #romanticism

#nationalpoetryday #keats #trueromantics #romanticism #romanticera

The cheaper alternative make-up tutorial! *unprofessional alternate tutorial*

#makeup #makeup tutorial #cheap makeup #comedy #parody #makeup parody #makeup tutorial parody

Beautiful Decay

Would it take the world coming to an end to make you say you love me? A man with a gun attacking, to see where we’re at? Would you shield me from danger when it counts?

Why should we get close to someone, when all we are really doing is opening ourselves up to share the black rotting substance in our hearts? Don’t let it stick- but do stare into the abyss.

Attached to the phone, she ironically becomes social- just not to you. Connecting, just not with you. Settling becomes lethal. Be adventurous, complacency can be evil.

Because in the end, if there comes an end, it might just take an apocalypse to bloom an entirely, truly beautiful relationship.

Until then...

#WorldPoetryDay

weirdoandherwords

Walking Oxymoron

My eyes are open but remain closed. My heart beats but is still. I am loved but feel loathed. My yearning mind will not fulfill.

I’m going nowhere but getting far. I give reality when I pretend. I am invisible but shine like a star. Forever flattering yet I offend.

Close to the bottom but will be on top. Feeling so worthless but knowing my purpose. Letting go of time, I face the clock. I’m forever wondering but then couldn’t care less.

We see the world in our own eyes and so we are blind. Overthinking controlled by emotions yet thoughts just vapourise. Losing touch, we seem to find. All of us dumb for being wise. It’s all a foreseen surprise.

I need a hand to hold, a voice to hear, a mind to explore, Just someone here…

But then again no.

I just need to be alone.

So many thoughts and feelings taken over by the numb.

I hate this wonderful world and I love this horrible home.

weirdoandherwords

#WorldPoetryDay

weirdoandherwords

#NationalPoetryDay

weirdoandherwords

Walking Oxymoron

My eyes are open but remain closed. My heart beats but is still. I am loved but feel loathed. My yearning mind will not fulfill.

I’m going nowhere but getting far. I give reality when I pretend. I am invisible but shine like a star. Forever flattering yet I offend.

Close to the bottom but will be on top. Feeling so worthless but knowing my purpose. Letting go of time, I face the clock. I’m forever wondering but then couldn’t care less.

I need a hand to hold, a voice to hear, a mind to explore, Just someone here…

But then again no.

I just need to be alone.

So many thoughts and feelings taken over by the numb.

I hate this wonderful world and I love this horrible home.

weirdoandherwords

#WorldPoetryDay

#World Poetry Day

weirdoandherwords

Merry Christmas to all... apart from atheists

Scrolling along my social network the other day, I came across this status “Funny that atheists celebrate Christmas” followed by someone commenting “That, dude, is materialism!” which had me thinking. As an atheist myself who celebrates Christmas, amongst many other non-believers, I feel as being non-believers, we are celebrating a time of year closing that has been labelled a Christian term. So we have more reason and a true one to celebrate it, the fact that it alludes to the biblical story only means that we disregard that as that is our debate and simply celebrate what it has become and actually is; a holiday season.

So without getting into a debate, it is just simply a remark on it’s more of a holiday whether one brings religion into it or not. Yes ‘CHRISTmas’ obviously is taught upon religiously, only in the sense that from growing up it’s about Jesus’s birthday and the whole Nativity of it but without expertly commenting on it and its origin, it is most definitely to do with the closing of the year and the winter solstice too as I remember coming across something saying that Christmas day wasn’t actually Jesus’s birthday so the fact that we celebrate something on an individual day to suit the year’s end says something about that.

Also how often do you see it actually linking to religion nowadays except from primary Religious education as it’s only that story they can teach, which is a whole other matter hence atheism.

But the recurring point is, that it is a holiday season whether one wants to bring religion into it or not. And one could say it’s funny how, if it is about Christianity and what not then how come most, well certainly a lot, of 'Christians’ don’t go to the midnight masses and church. Then on the other hand, the religious people that do that probably dislike the 'materialism’ of it and how they 'know the true meaning’ when really the 'true meaning’, as many stories in literature not on a Christian side, denote it as a time for family, friends and bla bla bla and teach kids to not indulge in the consumerism of it so to speak.

So yes it may have materialistic connotations but so does every holiday, and that’s the point, it is a holiday. A time when people get a bit of time off and presents can be shared with a good meal and doing the things one likes on their time off. How good is that and isn’t that what every person appreciates and does regardless of your beliefs or non-beliefs? Just a food for thought for anyone, whilst you stuff yourself until there’s no more room on your turkey/chicken/non-meat Christmas feast, open up your many gifts or maybe one or just a card with a message, give any presents to others, and remember, that if it is all materialism, then every one of us is guilty, atheist or not. Merry Christmas and merry end of the year to all.

#merry christmas #christmas #atheist christmas #atheist #atheist humor

Why we need to tackle the prejudice of the homeless

It was around summer time last year I was making some sandwiches, getting together some mini cheeses and apples to hand to some people, in exchange for a chat, an interview so I could find out some information. These people were homeless. I’d never done anything like that before, I hadn’t even given change to the homeless which was something that I felt guilty of and found myself questioning, as well as others. I even set up a discussion on it on a group on Facebook to see if it was just me who had qualms but other people too were sceptical, “I usually wouldn't hand over change because you don't know where it's going” and “I always thought that beggars are up to no good”. My thought basis was always ‘I can’t give change, you don’t know who is genuine or not’ or the hearsay that it will just go on drugs. To be honest it comes out of habit too to just walk by. But unlike most people who are probably just not thinking about it when they pass homeless people, I find no matter who I’m with, what I’m doing, I feel a sharp pain inside and guilt as to the injustice of the situation and more to the fact I’m just like countless others, walking by.

So one day I started making some lunches and set off for a walk into my hometown and it wasn’t long until I found a homeless guy sitting down on the ground. I kindly approached and asked would they like some food and could I just sit and speak to them, and sure enough they were encouraging. The first was a man who was not too old but over middle-aged and he was actually visually impaired, he could see but I was a blur to him. I started off with my questions, feeling like a journalist of some sorts and began with ‘how did you get to be homeless?’, and as he started to answer, when he was telling me his story, I realised that he’s probably not told this in a while, here a stranger is telling me his life story without no hesitation. His name was Jason, after an 18-year on and off relationship he fell into depression, he was also in a car accident which is why he was slightly blind and that was it, he became homeless. He had been to prison and came out not long before. He was on good money and he was honest, he did turn to drugs. I reassured I wasn’t judging and made a point of how this maybe why people are hesitant and he absolutely agreed. He feels there are people out there who aren’t genuine or just go for drugs and they are giving the homeless a bad name.

It was just eye-opening, he could have been someone I knew, anyone you knew, he had money, a job, a partner and now all he has is the clothes on his back, the worn out everyday clothes he has to wear. It just goes to show it could happen to anyone. Think about it, you could have a life-changing accident making you unfit for work, become depressed, lose relationships then that’s it, you can become homeless. It was amazing how easy it could be, and how it had happened for him. I think the people who do give the change, the ones you see and think they genuinely do that all the time, they could possibly be doing it out of guilt and because they are well-off but it’s also probably because they know this fact, they have realised it could be them. People may walk around with their head up and scrunching their nose at how better they are and that people who are homeless is down to them, it really isn’t the case, at least not for all and so that’s where there is a prejudice. I found another homeless man near the train station and he too, when I asked about if he felt there was a prejudice, agreed with Jason and these guys were well aware of the battle they have to further deal with, not just their everyday lives to find shelter, enough coins to get by but the prejudice hindering human empathy. It is that prejudicial qualm I think we have but also I feel guilty for having where ‘oh we can’t give money, we don’t want to feed a bad habit, we’re helping them’ we may tell ourselves and it’s all a subconscious fast resolution when we walk by. But that’s where I despise it, the fact that you see a fellow human being begging and in a split-second you’ve passed them with all these feelings wiped, I do feel for them but then that qualm is still there. I really do feel charity starts at home, whereby I mean I want to save up and earn a good amount before I can really help but then I still feel guilty.

These homeless men ate my food and spoke to me, they were kind, were articulate (not drunken or drugged up) and even if they were, I think there is a point where we can get rid of a hypocritical judgment and say well look at us, we are all addicted to something to help us in our daily struggles, these people are the living essence of a daily struggle and if anything it is understandable they need something to take them away from their reality, and what does that? Drugs. Of course, it’s not helpful at all but someone else said, if they want to use their change to buy a drink, then fair enough and I like that. Just because they may have used your change to buy a can, a cigarette or something that wouldn’t be in Mary Poppins's bag, you’ve still helped them, their life. If some are on drugs and roaming around to scrounge off people to get their fix, more often than not, you can probably tell. I think we can use our instincts.

That day was eye-opening, if anything it deepened that guilt I had but the fact that I listened and took responsibility for my own views by going out there to find out more, that’s where I felt I did a good deed, not just the fact I made them lunches. These people were warm, understanding and now more importantly were understood. There’s still a big complex prejudice out there as I have since witnessed people posing as homeless but who are clearly drugged up trying to get anything they can wherever. I travelled to a city and saw the difference, someone who is scoring for a fix, wanting money for drugs will be up and about, if anything these are probably the most enterprising people. A guy was busking on the street and was interrupted twice. One by a woman deciding to be an interpretive dancer for him, which was amusing, and then by a guy trying to invite himself to play something with the busker. Both of whom were trying to get money, as the woman felt she needed a cut for her helpful dancing! Not long after, I saw the same man and woman talking and grouping together with other of their types and also talking to some people who sat on the street, as if they were a business and managing them. These are the people giving the homeless a bad name. It’s a shame as that’s one of the reasons why we do walk by but I think there’s something worth acknowledging that the next time you do see a beggar on the street, they too are human, and they too have a story. You just have to listen.

What are your immediate thoughts of the homeless? Do you have any experiences with the homeless? It would be good to find out more about what people are thinking. Join in the discussion.

#homeless #homelessness #poverty #prejudice #injustice #thought provoking