Un-homed But Not Unhinged: It’s All Relative

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There is no real way to measure someone鈥檚 life situation or predicament against someone else鈥檚. What may be going on outside might not reflect what is inside, and vice-versa. Someone can be under great duress and handle things well, while others get freaked by trivial issues.

Most every un-homed person out there has some relative or loved one that is worrying about them. I know my Mom, who lives on the mainland, feels my predicament very acutely and perhaps more than I do in some ways. It鈥檚 the burden a Mother probably never expects nor ever wishes to bear.

On one hand I think it prudent never to assume why someone is un-homed, or how well they鈥檙e handling things. I watch as people express their concerns for homelessness through their own lens of personal comfort zone. And as I鈥檝e suggested in the past, though un-homed are generally not going to feel all that great, they鈥檝e been here for a while and gotten through quite a bit. So my suggestion is that rather than pity or try to control the situation in some way, try to generate a simple and pure wish of compassion. Something that says, 鈥淚 care about your pain. I hope that it will be healed very soon.鈥 No strings attached, no pitiful complaints of 鈥渨hy is this happening?鈥 are necessary.

Tibetans have an interesting method for pulling up compassion for others. They think of everyone they meet or come across as having been their mother in a past life at one point or another. Thus they feel the compassion quite naturally. It鈥檚 something to ponder next time you see one of us smelly un-homed people at the park.

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About the Author

  • Joe Bright
    Joe Bright
    Joe Bright is a graduate of Iolani School and went on to study art at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City, and later Chinese medicine at The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. Joe currently runs a small acupuncture clinic, Kama鈥檃ina Acupuncture in Kapahulu as the first dedicated low-cost 鈥渃ommunity acupuncture鈥 clinic in Honolulu. Joe has a varied background that has included working as a bicycle mechanic, freelance artist, teaching calligraphy and Tai Chi, a nanny, and even a CEO of a small entrepreneurial company. He continues to create art, even having work recently appear at the Honolulu Academy of Arts as well the Bishop Museum. He also continues with entrepreneurial projects when possible and serves on the Board of Directors for a local Buddhist meditation organization, Vipassana Hawai鈥檌.
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