Homeless Man Complains After Kids & Their Parents Trash His Camp — ‘I Live In The Woods, But I Still Have Some Pride’
“I don't have much in the way of privacy, but who in their right mind would ever even approach a shack like that in the woods?”
Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock Typically filled with stories of demanding bosses and wealthy mothers, the “Entitled People” Reddit forum boasted an entirely different story this week.
A recently homeless man shared the unfortunate events of his new life on the streets — including the camp he recently built to live in and an interaction he had with a young family that reminded him of the distaste our culture has for those experiencing homelessness.
The homeless man shared that kids and their parents ‘trashed’ his camp, ruining his food and messing up his bed.
“I am homeless. I don't drink, and I don't do drugs," the man wrote in his post. "I am homeless because of a few unfortunate events — a medical issue that took away my career (I still haven't been given an actual, factual diagnosis) and a bitter divorce. I am waiting on disability.”
Like many others experiencing homelessness, including a recent increase in boomers with previously well-fulfilling jobs, their lives on the street were sparked by some failure of the system — insufficient wages, unstable housing, natural disaster recovery, or even uncontrollable government aid timelines.
“Today is Victoria Day (a Canadian holiday),” he continued. ”I have a decently hidden campsite in the woods; to be fair, it's more of a hobo shack."
He went out for the holiday, ready to return to the community, meet people, and ensure social interaction in his life. However, when he got back to his camp, just a half hour later, he noticed people rummaging around.
“What do I find? Parents with their little demons at my shack," he wrote. "They were playing inside it.”
He dubbed the family ‘entitled’ for ruining his living space.
“Now, I get it; I don't have much in the way of privacy, but who in their right mind would ever even approach a shack like that in the woods?” he questioned. “I saw them in my shack. I just kept walking. I didn’t let them see me. I just don't need that trouble.”
Over 98% of those experiencing homelessness have experienced a violent attack purely for their living situation. Over a quarter of those experienced violence more than once, an alarming statistic for those facing poverty.
“I just got back. They had left, and they trashed the place. I like to live clean. Yeah, I live in the woods, but I still have some pride," he wrote. "But they let their kids trash my camp. They messed up my bed, tossed my canned food, and dumped my cooler (I had some meat I was planning on having for dinner). They just dumped everything."
Not only did they invade his space — which was clearly someone’s property, homeless or not — they allowed their kids to rip through his things, spoiling his food and rifling through his private space. The only space he could claim as his own.
Amidst growing concern over rates of homelessness and a culture of disrespect towards those struggling, this man's story acts as a humbling reminder.
Stories similar to this man’s are becoming all too frequent.
Despite national ideals that suggest housing “as a right” to citizens, skyrocketing rent payments, poor landlord regulation, and inadequate social housing infrastructure simply fail to support those without a home. It’s why many homeless people and communities are forced to make homes for themselves — whether that be in existing infrastructure or beyond — to enforce their right to shelter.
Many people struggling find it impossible to get back on their feet. In addition to safety and nutritional concerns, like lacking food security and health care, many people experiencing homelessness struggle to save enough to purchase a traditional living space. In fact, studies show between 40% and 60% of homeless people already have jobs but don’t make enough to sustain rent payments alongside other bills.
At the end of the day, this harmful and judgemental culture is cultivated by a lack of empathy and understanding for fellow humans. Those who can’t afford living spaces are no less human. Impoverished communities are still made up of humans. We’d all go a long way by adopting a sense of empathy for our neighbors — homeless or not.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.