5:30 a.m. I woke up at my friend’s apartment. I get all my stuff together and I drive out to Lawrence to work. It’s been a stressful weekend and I still feel the aftermath. I really want to get back on track and keep up with the work I need to do for this project. I made it a year long project for a reason, because homelessness is one of the hardest circumstances in our society. It exists on the playing field of incarceration, physical illness, and mental illness. It is also common that mental and physical illness play a role or become a part of a person’s experience of homelessness. The biggest impacting factor I have seen for the homeless people I’ve interacted with, has been addiction. Addiction in itself is in the realms of mental illness, the difference is its behavioral more than something that is genetic or contracted like multiple sclerosis, cancer, COVID, or Lyme disease which I was able to avoid by taking antibiotics after a deer tick bite.
Genetic factors have been identified that increase a person’s likelihood of addictive behaviors like alcoholism or drug addiction, although that is not the be-all end-all of addictive behavior. I don’t know what my complete findings will be. I am very suspicious of liberal policies that introduce large numbers of undocumented immigrants into a country and system that is already overburdened and ill-equipped to handle poverty on the level of its own citizens. This has been a big complaint I’ve heard a lot of, from people of all walks of life whether those on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder, to those who are just regular day citizens, or working within public service. I am neither conservative or liberal. I advocate for what I know is right, and to find out what is right I do my research. What we are seeing is a tipping point of poverty on a massive scale. The majority of society is not impoverished, so it’s easy to turn a blind eye. It’s getting to the point where that is impossible because so many people are on front street barely hanging on. If the state, and the state funded agencies cannot alleviate the burden and suffering of those unable to sustain off the web of our social systems, who will alleviate the suffering. I hope that when I am finished with this project, and write a comprehensive book, that more people in society will rise up to help those in need appropriately, and bring balance to our capitalistic and democratic systems that are falling into disrepair.
7:00 a.m. I arrived at work, I have not been talking to my girlfriend since we have been butting heads. This is really stressful for me, I am overwhelmed, I have been overwhelmed for weeks now. Although part of me wants to reconcile. I go through my work day, working on improving resource allocation, documentation, and outreach for those who are living on the street in Lawrence. Although I want to be able to provide people with supplies, and help them gain access to services, as well as provide what services we have to offer, one of my main goals is to help foster self-efficacy and the people I engage with, so they may learn how to solve their problems on their own. It’s teaching to fish over giving a fish philosophy.
3:00 p.m. I wrap up with work. I drove out to my campsite. I decided to drive my little car up the driveway I created, or discovered. In essence this little off-road driveway has not been used in decades or more. The little car is low to the ground and I am a little apprehensive about driving up the dirt driveway. I do it anyway cuz I want my car to be obscured.
6:30 p.m. I did a little writing, and I lay inside my tent. As it gets dark, I get tired and I decide to turn in early and get some rest for my next day of work. I also want to express the amount of frustration and depression that I was feeling over my relationship struggles. I didn’t know what to think about the situation. I just wanted to give it some time, but it definitely caused me a lot of stress. So I have to let that marinate, the solution is to go to bed early around 8:00 p.m.