Homelessness in your backyard

I was in Washington, DC recently and, as is my habit, was up early and in the exercise room.  This 2nd floor room was quite spacious with a huge bank of windows overlooking the downtown street below. 

Our nation's capitol is a wonderful place to visit, with monuments and museums and things to see that will boggle the mind.   I am in DC on a regular basis and have been for 30 years but I never fail to be moved by it all.  There are some things I always try and do, like visit the Lincoln Memorial, where the former President looks down on all--his stony visage makes you want to be a better person.

On this trip, my sightseeing was limited to a short visit to the National Gallery of Art, but I am always in awe of the majesty of DC.   I may be old and traveled, but walking out the front door of my hotel, looking right and seeing the brightly lit U.S. Capitol Building still elicits chill bumps. 

Anyway, from my bicycle perch, it didn't take me long to notice the pedestrians passing by on the street below.  Separated but close enough to notice details, it was a perfect place for a people-watcher like me.

I didn't tell you about that?  Oh yeah...I'm a habitual people-watcher.   Walk by with a limp and I'm trying to figure out what is wrong.   And after 34 years in this business, I usually will have you pegged.  

But on this morning, I wasn't looking at limps or smiles--I was looking at layers of clothing and shopping carts, because the pedestrians below were mostly the homeless.

The first to go by was a lady who looked 70 but was likely much younger.   It appeared that she was wearing many layers of clothing and I suspect it was most of the clothes that she owns.   Pulling a typical airport carry-on bag, I at first thought it was someone heading for a plane ride.  But she was pushing another homemade-looking contraption that had an assortment of possessions that I suspect was the rest of everything that she owned.

Then I started noticing a steady stream of people that I'm pretty sure were homeless.  Young, old.  White, black.   Men and women.   Most were pushing or pulling some kind cart with a wide variety of possessions inside and demonstrating a slow, shuffling gait, as with someone that didn't really have any place to go.  A vacant stare and in need of a bath.

So then I started paying attention.   I passed by one man sitting in a wheelchair on a city street asking for spare change.    A woman sleeping on the steps of a building nearby.  They seemed to be everywhere you looked.

So I looked for statistics and I find that DC might have the highest rate of homelessness in America.   There may be 12,000 homeless people in DC.   And maybe 40% of them are veterans.

Then I remembered the homeless survey that was conducted right here, in Blount County, not too long ago and I realized that this is a problem that is everywhere.

This isn't a problem confined to big cities.  It's here and it's us.  So what are we supposed to do?