I've lived in Toronto for about two and a half years now, and I visited this place often before that. Queen Street west is probably one of my favourite parts of town. There are neat stores, including my favourite electronics and surplus stores, wonderful places to buy books, great restaurants, and last but certainly not least, lots of nice looking girls just about everywhere you turn!
But there is something else that is in abundance on Queen Street, and many other places in Toronto. That is, homeless people. People sitting on the streets asking for money, asking for food and looking terribly pitiful and hopeless. The number of homeless people is higher than I remember it being in the past, as just about every unused nook and cranny has at least one or two people sitting in it. The bustling city moves past them at an alarming rate, but their cries for help continue. I've never really known what to do when I pass these people. Part of me wants to give them money, and another part of me thinks that it won't really solve the problem, that these people will be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, no matter how much money they receive. So, in an effort to neither hurt nor hinder the situation, I remain neutral, giving my money instead to street musicians and people that seem to be performing some sort of service to help the quality of life for everyone in the city. But it still makes me feel badly every time I walk by someone begging for change, mostly because I'm confused and unsure about the right solution, and wish that there was some way to remove the suffering that these people seem to have. The few dollars I might have on me doesn't seem like it will really make any difference in the grand scheme of things.
Lately the homeless situation seems to be changing though. At least, on the exterior, what we, the non-homeless people see. Instead of the old "spare some change", routine with a hat, or maybe just a cup, there seems to be a whole new campaign going on. Marketing stunts, mottos, and gimmicks seem to be the normal routine these days. Hardly anyone is doing the plain old asking for change thing anymore. Each person or group of people have their own scheme. Many have adopted the "$2 Short of Taking Over the World" slogan, which really doesn't work for me. It's kind of cute, but I'd prefer something more like a fundraising thermometer or something, because if I deposit my toonie, I'm sure they their goal will just be raised by two bucks. I know I'm overanalysing it, but hey, that's how I think. Another one that has seen the light of day many times is "$ for Weed". I think this is a great slogan because hey, if the guy wants weed, the guy wants weed! I noticed that people with phrases like that seem to make a lot of money. Today I saw another one too, which really makes me love living in a vibrant city where even the people with the least have a sense of humour. Their slogan is sure to please just about any 13 year old kid from the suburbs, strolling with their parents in downtown Toronto. That is: "Smile if you Masturbate". Needless to say that I couldn't help but smile!
But there was the one homeless marketing ploy that topped all of them, at least in terms of me thinking about it all day as I went home. There was no sign, just a woman sitting on the street and telling everyone that walked by: "Kick me for a dollar!" It really troubled me to think that a) she would want to make money by being abused more than society is already abusing her. And b) people would actually take her up on it. It gave me that "this isn't right" feeling in my stomach as I picked up the pace a bit. I didn't want to hear that, because the last thing our society needs is rich people literally kicking poor people, in exchange for a small amount of money. Maybe it was a joke, but it rang too true and too real in my mind and soul.
One other thing that I noticed when I was thinking about our society and its problems today, was the age of all these homeless people. They were all young, all about my age. Maybe that was the crowd attracted to this part of town, and perhaps the older homeless people are gracing other streets. But it really made me wonder why things are like this. You know, I think back on the short time I've spent on this earth, and I try to imagine someone else's life parallel to mine. I try to recall places and things that I have seen, times I have spent living and working on different things in different places. During the years I spent at university, highschool, and before, what were those people that are my age and on the street doing during all of those times? When did their luck turn from good to bad? Certainly many of them grew up with parents in houses and apartments. What happened? What was the turning point that brought them to this? And I think the biggest question that we often forget to ask ourselves is: Do they really mind this life? Are these people actually interested in getting off the streets and getting jobs that they can do to support themselves, or do they see this as an acceptable existence? That's something I've always wondered, because politicians seem to talk about homelessness as a problem that needs to be solved. I certainly view it that way, as I've been brought up to think that those sorts of people have problems and need to solve them. Certainly in the cold Canadian winter, it can't be pleasant not having a warm place to go. And certainly I know my own personal need for privacy, for shelter in the rain, for a warm place to relax.
So as I try to understand more about what makes society tick, the subject of homelessness is something that often runs through my mind. Nobody seems to have a solution. Even the most left-wing politicians who preach socialism and fair government for all don't seem to really know what to do. I vote for them because they're the ones that seem to be the most concerned about the problems that I worry about. But there doesn't seem to be any right answer. If I thought that every dollar I gave a homeless person would bring homelessness one step closer to extinction, I would do it as much as I could afford. If I knew that the number of days someone had to struggle would be reduced by my act of charity, there would be no question that it was the right thing to do. But my gut tells me that it's not so. That the money might help, but a year from now that person will be sitting in the same stoop, possibly dishing out the same lines for hope of getting even a few dollars for that nights meal, coffee or cigarette. It makes me feel like I can't help, like my vote or my pocket change or my view of what is right and wrong really can't affect anything. I've often wanted to sit down and talk to a homeless person and ask them what they want in life, what their ambitions are. But I fear that I'd be taken the wrong way, and I fear that I might offend, talking about what is likely a delicate situation. So instead I walk by confused, uncertain, and feeling rather upset at the fact that there are people in need that nobody knows how to help.
Our priority in this world should be to learn about and truly understand each type of person. Until we understand all the complexities of people, we can't possibly hope to solve very many problems.
