The word "Homeless"

The word homeless is deceiving.  Everybody has a home, because home is much more than a place.  

Home is where the heart is

Home is a concept of safety, and a part of each of us.  Nobody could actually be homeless as long as they were living.  Many may call a certain porch, street corner or shelter, or even a bridge home.  I have known quite a few people who were without permanent residence for a time, or so-called homeless.  

For one friend of mine in particular, when he speaks of being ‘homeless’ in Santa Cruz, sounds like he is describing any other place he’s lived, like a house or apartment.  For him, he still had a home, it just happened to be between a bottle and a bridge.  Nonetheless, it was still his home, a period of his life that will always be a part of him.

We all feel homeless sometimes

The idea of homelessness brings up an interesting feeling in me.  I feel like I’m homeless or something like that every time I move.  It usually takes approximately a month for me to get used to a new place.  During that time of transition, I have an unsettling, unstable feeling in my gut.  Besides the excitement of the move, I cannot dispel this feeling within me.  I feel like I’ve been uprooted and occasionally get ‘homesick’ of my last place, wherever it was.  It’s a strange feeling I, but soon enough it goes away.  I get that feeling when I imagine what it must be like to be homeless, and I cannot imagine having this feeling all the time.  I suppose if I were without a permanent residence, I might begin to think of my backpack or sleeping bag as home, as I adjusted to that anxious feeling.