Somebody Ought to Do Something

Somebody ought to do something. Everywhere I surf, I see it — blog post after blog post, comment after comment — "Ain't it awful! Somebody ought to do something!"

I get dozens of emails a week from people asking me to "do something." Write an article, sign a petition, march in protest. They're busy, but they thought somebody ought to do something. So they started emailing their friends.

Guess what? You're that somebody, even if you're homeless.

That something can be almost anything — donating money, collecting food for the food bank, hiring a homeless person, running for office, volunteering one day or one hour at a community non-profit, helping an entrepreneur get her business off the ground, or even just babysitting someone else's child so she can go to work.

I've heard people say, "I'm homeless, so why should I do anything? What has anybody done for me?" That's the attitude that got me and so many others in tough situations in the first place. Let's turn that around. Doing something isn't about resources; it's about resourcefulness. Since when is homelessness a get-out-of-giving-back-to-your-community-free ticket? Some people are living hand-to-mouth and overextended 24/7. If you're not one of them, consider helping out. If you are, when the day comes that you're back on your feet, remember how much you would have appreciated the help.

Here's my favorite example of taking initiative on one's own behalf. I met a homeless man in Denver in 2007 who had a shopping cart filled with bundles of wood. He collected kindling and dry branches from city parks and along the road where crews were clearing brush during the day. He tied up the bundles with twine ($1 for 200' at the dollar store) and sold the bundles outside grocery and convenience stores for $10 to $20 a bundle, depending on the size and type of wood. He spent a portion of his earnings at the store and made sure the managers knew it — so they gave him permission to stand outside. He told me he was beginning to clear $200 a night when I met him and bought a small bundle of wood for a campfire. I don't think he was homeless long.

Those who hate the whole "pull yourself (or others) up by your bootstraps" mentality might hate this post. But I ask you, do you see anyone else "doing something"? If they were, wouldn't you be better off? So if at all possible, why not do what you're asking everyone else to do?

Photo credit: alvimann