Her name was Betty, or so I was told as a child. She was an
old lady but to a kid everyone over the age of 25 is old. She lived in our neighborhood
and seemed to be everywhere that we were. She wore a long pink puffy coat. I
remember that coat so vividly, faded from the elements of the environment in
which she lived in. Betty seemed to be known throughout the community. Betty’s
story was always intriguing to me. It was told that Betty had a home, a loving
family that cared for her and no need to live on the streets, but Betty chose
to be homeless. People that talked about Betty seemed confused by her decision
to live like a homeless person, but I always found it so interesting. Maybe I
found a sense of empowerment (if that’s even possible to understand as a child)
in the fact that she didn’t need what was so readily available to her… a roof
over her head, a hot shower, a fridge full of whatever she might desire and all
the other amenities that come along with not living on the streets. Betty didn’t
look like she had a drug problem and never appeared to be falling over drunk,
she just always appeared to be so content with the life she was choosing to
live.
I’ve been given a lot of crap (mostly in fun) for “living
like a homeless person” and I even had an old friend give me a wooden sign for
Christmas one year that said “Camping, where you spend a small fortune to live
like the homeless.” It’s true, I have spent a small fortune on all my camping
and backpacking gear, but I must admit that living like a homeless person out
in the woods is the freest I’ve ever felt. There really is something truly
empowering about making the decision to pack the things you think you’ll need
and take of on a journey. Something about not really knowing what the day has
in store for you while not having the protection of walls and roof over your
head. Without having the creature comforts of our day to day life that just
makes everything easier. That almost uneasy feeling is what drives me out of my
comfort zone and into a place that forces me to grow into something calmer,
more understanding and more grounded.
For me it’s getting outside, for others it’s something
completely different but I encourage everyone that comes across this to shake
yourself up and pull yourself out of your comfort zone occasionally. Do the
things that feed your soul and help you grow as a human, whatever they may be. And
whatever happened to that long, pink, fluffy coat wearing lady named Betty, I
hope she knew how inspiring she was to me!
