Amerika

I spent more than 2 years living on the streets of Ottawa’/Hull when I was 21-22….

Then I woke myself up and realized that I was NOT living the life of a free and easy bohemian troubadour…. I was being a selfish, vacuous leach on society, merely running away from my responsibilities… so, I shaved and got a job. It wasn’t even that hard to find… I just had to accept that even doing dishes in a country/western bar was better than being a piece of street-shit.

To this day I would rather punch a young street person in the face than give them a single penny because I’ve lived their life and know that it’s completely self-actuated, and all they have to do is swallow some of their false pride and get even a shitty job to change their entire lives for the better.

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When I’m accosted by a young, aggressive panhandler, I tell my tale of my own life-slackery and subsequent awakening, and they NEVER believe me, and accuse me of being a LIAR. The old ones that are obviously beyond helping themselves are the only panhandlers I will give to. The young are selfish, irresponsible, self-destructing, pieces of human garbage who think that they have found the key to a free and easy life, free of any responsibilities whatsoever. They have willfully traded the trials and tribulations of responsibility for those of street living. Any time they complain to me about how horrible their life is, I laugh at them and ask them “How’s that working out for ya? Yeah, having a job would really fuck all that ‘freedom’ up for ya, wouldn’t it?”, in hopes that maybe they, too, will awaken abruptly and get back on the path of civility and contribute to society rather than suck from it.

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I understand that not ALL homeless people are irresponsible leaches of their own volition. I fully understand that a fair proportion are truly marginalized, mentally or otherwise challenged individuals who have fallen through the cracks of society and are in desperate need. But, I also know for a fact, based on my own life experience, and of the daily examples of such, that the majority are spineless responsibility shirkers out for a free ride and a free high.

Toronto is the Shangri La of all of Canada’s streeters, they all have heard the tales of how the streets of Toronto are paved with money and dope, and they all make their way here to suck the teat of ‘living off the grid’.

Mind you… the city that most disgusted me to date with rampant homelessness was Washington D.C.. Toronto is completely bereft of homelessness in comparison.

BWBK

Life is a question of sacrifices.

Want something, sacrifice for it.

That means you cannot be purely autonomous, or do only what you want to do, or think you want to do.

It is these sacrifices that show your character.

Parents who sacrifice to raise their kids well.

Students who sacrifice to do better in school.

Workers who sacrifice to get skills and do better jobs.

Artists who sacrifice to make their art better.

This is natural selection in its social form, and a sensible society rewards those who sacrifice because these are people with greater mental clarity and more focused will.