The Homeless Woman and Her Mysterious Baby There's a homeless woman who occasionally hangs out in a shopping center. She pushes a shopping cart with one hand, and clutches her "baby" swaddled in a blanket with the other. Tonight she's dressed in a lightweight sweater, a skirt, and flip flops--oblivious to the 60 degree weather. She circles the parking lot, calm and content.  She doesn't

Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1895 oddsock via photopin cc You see them on the streets.  You hear them talking incessantly to themselves or shouting obscenities.  You wonder why they don't get treatment, and where are their families? According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and The Annual Homeless Assessment Report submitted to Congress, there are approximately

Image Credit: Jeremy Brooks via photopin cc For those of you who live in Orange County, CA, or for those of you who want to see what a ten-year plan to end homelessness looks like, here is the link: www.ocpartnership.net/images/website/1064/files/final_ten-year_plan_2012_445.pdf Helen Cameron of Jamboree Housing gave me this link.  She was part of a group who wrote the

Terracotta Warriors in Pits Image Courtesy of Alan J. Stone Pit 1 - The Infantry Terracotta Kneeling Archer Image Courtesy of Alan J. Stone Pit 1, accidentally discovered by the workers in 1974, is the largest of the pits.  Rectangular in shape, it measures approximately 150,000 square feet, or almost the size of three football fields. This section has the majority of the

First Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi Image Credit: Erin Van V via photopin cc Not much information can be found on the controversial and impressive figure of ancient China, First Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.  His accomplishments were unsurpassed in Chinese history. During his reign, First Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi (pronounced "chin shu hwang dee") conquered six warring

The Twenty-Something Homeless Population Months ago I was approached by a homeless woman in her early twenties in the parking lot.  She wanted spare change so she could go into a motel room to take a shower. For me, giving or not giving money requires serious thinking.  On one hand, the majority of the homeless on the streets have substance abuse issues.  I don't want to enable

 Terracotta warrior Image courtesy of Alan J. Stone   Hi, everyone: I'm back from my hiatus.  I've got two pieces coming up: the first one is an entry from my homeless journal, and the second one is a piece on the First Emperor of China and his terracotta army. Please visit my site periodically.  I will be publishing the entry from my homeless journal soon.

A Tribute to a Courageous Homeless Lady I met Christine (not her real name) on the street months ago.  She was homeless on foot.  She must have been in her mid-to-late sixties.  She was friendly and cheerful.  If it weren't for the scarf that covered the majority of one side of her face, you wouldn't have known she was very ill. As we talked, Christine kept pulling down

   1.  Never take housing for granted.  2.  No one is exempt from becoming homeless.  3.  A Homeless Prevention Plan is the ultimate safety net.  4.  Not all homeless people want to end their homelessness.  5.  People who live in cars are one step away from becoming homeless on        foot.  6.

3.  The Battle of the Emotions Homelessness produces turmoil and a wide range of emotions.  The emotions are so overwhelming that they need to be contained.  If left alone, they can cause more damage or take the homeless down the wrong path.  To prevent this from happening, many of the homeless take control of their emotions to minimize further damage and to

Hi, everyone: I'm afraid I have bad news.  Due to some important personal matters that need my undivided attention, I have to put the blog on hiatus.  I don't know exactly how long I will be away. During the hiatus, I will finish the new post (it's almost done) and publish it.  But after that piece, I won't be writing for probably a few months. I apologize for any inconveni

About four years ago, I was flipping through the TV channels when I came across a handsome, solo violinist in concert.  He was dressed in faded blue jeans, a T-shirt, and a blue jacket.  He had a bit of stubble, and his blond hair was tied back in a short ponytail. Not only did his casual appearance stop me in my tracks, his music also had my undivided attention.