Ezra Solway
A few weeks ago, on my way from McKeldin Library at about 2 in the morning, I met a homeless man named Byron stationed on a bench right outside of Slices Pizza Co. He wore a shaggy beard, dirty clothes and a face that emitted cynical but positive energy. Although I was eager to get home and only carried $2 in cash, I decided to stop and engage with him for a bit. What started as casual conversation turned into two hours discussing everything from the stupidity of some politicians to his two daughters, who now live in San Francisco with their mother. It baffled me that someone as bright as Byron could be sleeping on park benches in the freezing cold every night.
Before I left to go home, Byron looked at me and, with unalloyed sincerity in his voice, thanked me for taking time to talk with him. Here was a man with next to nothing and he was thanking me just for talking to him? Then it really started to dawn on me how invisible he must feel as thousands of people walk past him and discard him as a destitute parasite day in and day out.
As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s explore some various meanings of the word thankful. For some, it may mean taking one day out of the year to express a quick acknowledgment of gratitude around the dinner table in order to expedite the movement of Grandma’s succulent turkey from plate to mouth. For others, it might signify commemorating the liberty and freedom they are afforded in this country, while most resort to the formulaic trigger, which is to be thankful for their friends and family.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed this past Thursday that since 2014, homelessness has risen 6.8 percent in Maryland. Moreover, America still has the largest number of homeless women and children among industrialized nations.
While our loved ones certainly deserve our gratitude, it seems Thanksgiving for most has evolved into a trend, exercised to look topical instead of using that gratitude to bring about change. The least we can do is absorb that thousands of homeless people, in need of help, are forever grateful for what we consider to be life’s rudimentary pillars.
It is difficult to really appreciate this amid our hectic daily lives, especially when we are inundated with solicitations from myriad well-intentioned organizations. However, let’s not overlook the need to effect change here, domestically, before we take that step overseas.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness has fought to combat the problem by pushing federal funds to expand permanent supportive housing, which helps mitigate chronic homelessness in a cost-efficient way. Nevertheless, there is much work to be done. The impact a donation of just a dollar can make from a coalition of people is powerful and could help put a roof over a family’s head. I have only seen Byron a few times since that encounter, but whenever I do see him, I make a point to buy him a coffee or a sandwich and catch up for a few minutes. It is one thing to understand every human life needs to be respected and appreciated, but it is an entirely different animal to recognize this simple truth on a daily basis.
The next time you see a homeless person, even if you have no money on you, ask them how their day is, because odds are, it has been tougher than yours.
