The Girl Without A Face

My son and I went out all day yesterday thrift shopping. This is what you call my favorite part of the trip. He’s actually introduced me to thrift shopping over the past few years, and now my ability to find clothes while thrifting has evolved (as has his). At first, we would just get shirts, we would never even look at the pants. We couldn’t even believe there were shoes. Maybe I would glance at the bags and the other things at the back of the store. But since my son is so picky, he would have all these shirts for school and barely any pants to wear. I’d try and try to ask him what stores he wanted to go in but he could never find any. Now we go right in, look at all the racks, find pants, shoes, shirts, bags. You name it.

So, back in December I googled the best places to go thrift shopping, and for a Christmas present we drove to all the good thrifting within a six hour radius during February break. But of course, when planning this trip to L.A. I knew that this city was number one on the list and we might even need two days for thrifting. The beauty of thrift shopping is you never know what you’re going to get, you can shop in the men or womens section, the rules don’t apply in there. The craziest thing is you can get a whole outfit for $12. I got the coolest things for myself yesterday, my son got some great things as well, and let me tell you we did not break the bank at all. The wildest purchase of the day was the fact that I got an authentic Gucci bag for $19 at Goodwill. Can you believe that?! They also had several authentic Louis Vouitton, all in mint condition, I’m assuming the owner took proper care of them. But then I got home again (back to the hotel) and I started thinking about the excess.

I understand homelessness is not a new problem, it’s something that has been around in America for decades. I’ve done a little research and it looks like Skid Row was formed in the late 80s, a year before I was born actually. Thirty-six years of a homelessness crisis, it seems it’s only gotten worse. Then I look across from me and I see all these oversized buildings, museums that cost money, bowling alleys, valet parking. At the base of them someone sleeping in a sleeping bag at the corner of the street. Everyone walks by them, completely desensitized. Yesterday we were walking back to the hotel from the parking garage of the day and there were a few homeless people sitting on the street as we were walking. I couldn’t see one of them, their back was turned to me, but the other looked like they were high on heroin. Nodding out it looked like. My son saw it too and looked over at me. I understand people have to want to help themselves as well, but it seems insane to keep doing what we’re doing.

In my very brief research and understanding of this issue I also learned that Japan and Finland have close to 0% homelessness in their countries. They have very strict drug laws, very thorough mental health assistance programs, and housing programs. Are we following the same programs as them? Why is this problem not one that is talked about everywhere? I guess Skid Row is just something we all know to stay away from and have accepted that it’ll always be there. It just makes me kind of sad to see the excess everywhere when so many people have nothing and are suffering. Would it really be so hard to give them a helping hand for a while? I also read that if a homeless person is working and making over $10,000 they still have to pay taxes. I mean, couldn’t we cut them a break at all? Just while they got on their feet? It’s a bit maddening for me. To see that much suffering. It’s like they aren’t even looked at like human beings. Meanwhile, I’m just driving around shopping. It really puts things into perspective. What if that was you? Your brother, mother, sister, friend? Would you want someone to help them then?

I guess my point is, if there is a point, there is so much excess all around us. We, as in America, have more than enough. I don’t think anyone is taking into account how difficult it is or must be when you are starting off life already so far behind. Maybe the person on the street had to leave home extremely young because their parents beat them every day, or worse. There usually is a reason someone turns to drugs. Instead of looking at them like they’re vermon maybe look at them with compassion. It should just never happen where someone spends their life in this way. I read a book called The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah that talks about a families migration west because of the dust storms in Texas. How they landed in California I believe, had many big dreams, but stayed in tents and were homeless. How then in order to get a place to stay they were indebted to the system because they had to shop with credit in the store of the place they were working in the fields at an incredibly inflated price. How they were talking about an uprising at that time because they weren’t being paid a living wage, not enough to get them out of the hole they were already in. I just find it ironic that there are still so many people not able to afford housing after all this time. Maybe that’s the price you pay for wanting to be near the action of a big city? If given the choice would someone living on the streets take a bus ticket to a home in Iowa? Or would they prefer the chaos of downtown L.A.?

Its one of those things that I have to write about so I can let it go. Like I said, I haven’t traveled in about 3 years until now. Sure, my son and I drove to go thrift shopping but it was through Ohio and back to Upstate NY. In the winter no less, so increased homelessness was not on my radar. If it were up to me, this would be treated as the next pandemic.