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Homeless Asylum
My parents were fans of giving back to the community, and I remember distinctly the first time that we went to Andre house, a soup kitchen in Phoenix. Since I was only about seven years old when I volunteered at the Andre house, I could not help in the kitchen. I drew notes on cups of water to the homeless telling them to have a nice day or to feel well. I initially wanted to shed some light on the lives of these homeless people, but as my hand became weary, so did my message. After I finished writing on the cups, I served water to the homeless. I noticed the smell of urine and sweat that wafted off of each homeless person like cold air out of an AC unit. There was also a stale smoky scent that was almost recognizable to me, but I was not sure exactly what it was. I was surprised that we let humans live this way. I realized that I was doing these people a great service, but I wanted to give them something they could have forever, like a job, or a better way of living. I immediately wanted to confront the overall problem of homelessness and vagrancy. I was baffled by the fact that society could not come together and form a method to eliminate homelessness. I was a young cub: naive but pure in intentions
I mapped out a future where those with their basic necessities of life could spend their free timing working for programs that would put those without basic necessities on their feet and send them walking down the road of success. Everyone could have a job.
Other details that derailed my train of thought. There was a homeless man who clapped on every syllable he spoke, and also an old woman was muttering to herself in the corner, and another man was wearing platform-shoes, camouflage-pants, and a fishing shirt. There were three women taking a brown shredded substance and rolling it in peculiar, small pieces of paper. One man was reluctant to leave his cart full of trash for fear of it being stolen. These people had issues.
Suddenly it hit me like a car going ninety down a side street. And the car's licsense plate said not everyone can have a job.
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