The Meaning of Homelessness

Posted by Beverly Felix Posted on - 0 comments


Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, defines homeless as "having no home or permanent residence."  Although it is a good definition and a major cause of homelessness, the definition covers the tip of a towering iceberg.  Homelessness is much more than being without a home.

Expanding on the Meaning 

There are different degrees of homelessness and different groups of homeless people.  Therefore, the homeless condition varies.  For instance, the homeless person who lives, sleeps, and walks the streets has a different experience from the homeless person who lives, sleeps, and drives around in a car. The person who walks the streets deals with a full-blown homeless lifestyle.  It means living life on a raw level, including complete vulnerability to the elements and dangers of street life.  The person who drives around in a car has a similar existence, but the exposure to the elements and dangers are of a lesser degree.  The vehicle provides shelter and protection, so the lifestyle is not as severe.

Even though the definition differs, most homeless people will agree that homelessness is a demeaning, unforgiving, and taxing lifestyle.  Living on the streets, no matter what form, is unhealthy and dangerous.

What It Means to Be Homeless

Being homeless is excruciatingly painful.  Living without a base from which to operate, or a place from which to build a normal life creates a huge void and numerous problems.  Faced with extreme limitations and hardships, the homeless person is forced to live like a nomad in a continuous state of survival mode and instability. Because poverty is prevalent in this population, it compounds the problems.  All of these issues contribute to an undesirable image, a label, and intangible losses.

Generally the moment a person becomes homeless, he or she is stereotype, stigmatize, and label an outcast despite what caused the displacement.  Many of the reasons for homelessness (which will be discussed in another article) do not justify such a damaging label. The homeless person can be a substance abuser, or an executive who lost his or her job and home.  What is important to note is that the homeless population has changed dramatically, and it is now a diverse group.

In addition to grappling with a damaging label and stereotyped perceptions, the homeless suffer from intangible and emotional losses.  As mentioned above, many homeless people live in abject poverty.  Money is an essential necessity in life, particularly because it affords freedom.  Freedom to choose. Freedom to make independent decisions.  In the homeless lifestyle, these are the first liberties to go.  Without money, there is considerable loss of freedom and control.

Then there are the emotional losses.  The losses that take a toll on a human being.  The homeless lifestyle is so harsh and relentless that over time, it can weaken the strongest resolve.  Since homelessness can last anywhere from months to years to decades, there is often a major decline of the human spirit.  And along with the loss of the human spirit comes a loss of hope.  Hope is the component that sustains a person through a homeless experience.  It is the driving force that can help overcome incredible odds.  Without hope, homelessness can go from a transitional stage to a fixed lifestyle.

Homelessness is a life-changing event that affects a person on a primal level.  A home is a basic necessity for survival.  It is the heart and soul of a person and without it, there is no foundation or normalcy.  Homelessness is a painful reminder of how vital housing is in life.   



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The Homeless Condition Series

Posted by Beverly Felix Posted on - 0 comments



Homelessness is a broad, complex, and sensitive topic.  To make the topic manageable, I will be writing a series of short articles.

 The homeless is a diverse and grossly misunderstood group.  My goals are to help sort out the population and bring more interest, compassion, and understanding to their plight and issues. A series of articles will break down the topic in categories, and they will inform, clarify, and encourage thinking from a different perspective.

 I hope you will find the upcoming articles informative and thought-provoking.  The first entry will be posted in approximately 1 1/2 - 2 weeks.


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It's a Pen-Paper Writing Process

Posted by Beverly Felix Posted on - 2 comments

With a desktop or laptop and a software program, the writing process is easier and faster.  All you have to do is fire up the computer, open up a Microsoft Word program, and let the creative juices flow.  No more notebooks, trash cans overflowing with crumpled up papers, pens running out of ink, writer's cramp, and you get to stare at a blank screen instead of blank paper when writer's block derails you.  In addition, the keyboard is faster and mightier than longhand.

 That said, I still prefer to write my rough drafts with pen and paper and then transfer the contents onto the computer for the editing stage.  When I use the pen-paper writing method, I reap benefits that I don't get from the keyboard and the computer.

 There is a profound, significant difference in my writing experience when I use the pen-paper method.  I think and write better on paper, so I automatically relate to the medium.  Paper is a more personal medium than an electronic machine.  When I write words down and see them on paper, I feel connected to my work.  The act of writing on paper produces an emotional bond between the medium and me.  I find this bond particularly beneficial in the rough draft stage when I'm writing from the heart.  The interaction enhances my creativity and helps me in the development of ideas and their direction.

 To me, writing is largely a mental process.  I believe paper can be a helpful element, but in the end, the medium used is usually a matter of preference and convenience.


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My Beloved Neck: A Tribute to Nora Ephron

Posted by Beverly Felix Posted on - 2 comments


I'm a fan of Nora Ephron.  I enjoy her books, her movies, her blog entries at The Huffington Post, and her recipes.

In 2007, I was in the library and happened to see her book titled I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman.  At the time I read the book, I gave little thought to my neck.  It was an issue that could wait.  Fast forward five years and my neck ordered me to reread the book.  It alleged that I didn't take my neck seriously and I dozed off at key passages. To do right by my neck, I marched to the library and borrowed the book.

In I Feel Bad About My Neck, Ephron talks about aging and the effects of aging on the neck, subjects that are usually off limits for most women.  It's hard to grow old and accept the physical effects of aging, let alone chat about it.  But Ephron wants to chat about it, and she deals with it in a humorous and candid way.  She starts off by listing the different kinds of necks.  (I must mention that I'm horrified at the sheer number of necks.  The following is just a short list.)

"There are chicken necks, turkey gobbler necks, scrawny necks, loose necks, crepey necks, stringy necks, and mottled necks.  There are necks that are an amazing combination of all of the above," she said.  She informs us that without surgery, there is nothing you can do about the necks.  "According to my dermatologist, the neck starts to go at forty-three and that's that," she adds.  "The neck is a dead giveaway.  . . . You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, but you wouldn't have to if it had a neck."  Then she expounds on her experience with her neck, the cosmetic surgery option, and the questionable idea that "it's great to be old."

What I took away from the essay was this: no surgery = turkey neck in all its glory = out of your control = so be it.

So what's happening to my neck that's causing me to write this blog post?  Let me reminisce.  I remember saying to myself in my 30s that I'm going to age gracefully and embrace the inevitable.  There will be no remodeling and carpentry work on my neck or any other part of my body.  No thanks to surgery, injections, laser treatments, or whatever else is out there.  I'll stick to creams and lotions.

Those were nice thoughts back then when my neck was smooth and lovely.  But when the wrinkles appeared on my neck for the first time, I did a double take.  As I studied the wrinkles, I gasped for air because I knew it was the moment of truth.  The moment of no return.  The moment when I entered a new relationship with my poor old neck.  I realized that the au naturel philosophy was in dire need of some tweaking.

It's bad enough when you get crow's feet, droopy upper eyelids, wrinkles, and puffiness under the eyes.  But when you get wrinkles on your neck, it puts panic in your heart and sends shock waves reverberating throughout your body.  Why is this area so terrifying?  Because it's a flashing neon sign.  The neck is a prominent feature of the body and like the face, it is expose to scrutiny.  And more important, the types of wrinkles that appear on the neck are--as they say in Spanish--no bueno.

I still hold the age gracefully philosophy, but it's not cast in concrete.  I take my neck very seriously and any other effects of aging.  When I'm at an impasse, I contemplate on what I can live with and I go from there.

Time really does fly and what you do for your neck is up to you.  It's a personal choice. Whatever you do, don't let your neck order you around.



(Nora Ephron passed away on June 26, 2012.  She was a filmmaker, director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, playwright, journalist, blogger, and HuffPost Contributing Editor.  She was an inspiration to me and she set the bar for humorous writing.  Nora Ephron was an extraordinary talent and she will be missed.)

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