Read the homeless man's response

The following is an excerpt from a blog on homelessness. It was started by a man who, for 3 days and nights, went to live on the streets of Boston with no money, food, etc. There were comments from people encouraging him and wanting to know about his experience. Then there was this comment from a man who identified himself as "kettlebelly":

"July 27, 2009 - 10:44pm I'm homeless now, was 20 years ago for a year, and am now again for 2 years and for the forseeable future. I'm highly educated, but have mental problems, hence my life. I have a pretty good laptop that I'm borrowing from someone that had an extra, and spend a lot of time online. There are quite a few of us these days (hi-tech hobos). For two years I've been sleeping under a well hidden table in a warehouse with my pals, the rats. I use a public shower, and get food any way I can. Here's the worst of how society treats us: "To bear witness to homelessness first hand and experience how society treats “homeless” individuals to validate or contradict what I have already learned about homelessness through observation and conversation alone. " The first thing you learn being homeless is that there is no 'society' and it's not treating us any which way. Only individuals exist, and only individuals treat with us. You're one of those people that who loves humanity but not real people. We don't want society to care for us. We want real individuals to care for us, to value us, talk to us, deal with us. Not social workers who's job it is, but people who might find some value in us because of who and what we can offer. You want to help us because you think it makes you a good person. That's what you care about, your image. I don't want to be the cloth you use to polish your image. You, for instance, are condescending and paternalistic and think, despite what you say, that you can get a bead on homelessness from the outside. You empty your pockets, put your water bottle on the dresser, rip the knees of your calvin klein's, and give your house-key to your girl friend and join the ranks of the homeless for three days. Wow. Welcome to the brotherhood, dood. But there is no 'outside' to homelessness. You can't know *any* of it from the outside. Homelessness is not so much about not having a home, it's about being alone, completely alone, and not seeing any way out because you're a fu-up or fk'ed up, or both. It's being crippled inside or out or both. But it's the inside of it that is what makes it a bad thing. You want to know what it's like to be homeless? Quit your job, give away all your money and your posessions, take a bus to a distant city without telling anyone you know. When you get off the bus, the first thing you should do is find a place to sleep that night. Walk around until you find a likely place. Then collect cardboard, old clothes, anything, to make a bed. Make sure that it's as hidden as you can make it. Then look for food, or money, or help. Ask other homeless where to get food. They'll tell you. Live like that for 6 months, then we can talk. It still won't be the same, because you won't have gotten there by struggling and failing and hating yourself and your inability to control yourself, which is why you're there. But it will be better than what you did, which is nothing. But don't play pretend for 3 days with your job, comfy little bed and shower waiting for you. And don't do all this so that you can lecture 'society' on what it should do or feel. Or if you do, then at least realize that you are playing this game so that you can impress your friends and co-workers, not because you care about helping the homeless. The truth is you *can't* help the homeless. Nor your imaginary 'society'. But you don't want to hear that. You want to hear that you're a bold and committed saint, dedicated to helping the lot of those less fortunate blah blah blah, and that what you're doing will make a difference. Fine."

-Submitted by Robin Rufus from the blog http://changents.com/change-agents/impactdesigners/field-reports/30654