[Week 122] The Homeless Weekend That I Needed

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Hello everyone!

The weekend is here and with it came the creativity of this weekend concept. Out of the three topics we choose to write about this weekend, the homeless weekend was the topic that spoke to me the most.

Is the one that put me in the most difficult situation off all three topics (at least for me), cuz it means that I have to do things that I normally wouldn't do cuz it puts me in a weird and uncomftrable situation that I can not funtion correctly, if that makes any sense to you, but it was necessary for me to be in that situation.

I asked my family to one day, out of no where and without any warning, take me out of bed in the middle of the night and drive me out of state to another place and let me anywhere they want with just my clothes and a bagpack for a weekend experiment that I was trying to avoid since I can remember.

But here is why I asked them to do that. All my life I have been the awkard kid with not so many social skills to pull off when it was required, so, as I get older, nothing change in that area, so, I push my own boundaries a little bit to see how will I survived to a whole weekend in a different place, not knowing anybody and without a single dollar in my pocket, counting with myself only for 72 hours.

Onces they drop me out of the car, with the sun just comming out with the first sunshines toching the buildings in the city, I started my homeless weekend with hungry and thirst. I didn't have my cellphone with me so it was harder than I thought, but I manage to ask in a fruit stand if they needed help unpacking the fruit out of the truck in exchange to get some fruits as payment and it totally works, even though I was shaking the whole time while I ask the guy for the job.

I helped them the whole day and they gave a lots of fruits for my job, but they closed at 5pm and I was out of there before they close for the day, I didn't know what to do after that. They said that I could come back the next day if I want it to and that they would help me with food for helping them around, that was nice. But the night was arriving and I had no plan to find a spot in the city to sleep outside for the very first time in my life.

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The first night was rough, I found a nice spot to spend the night in a public park that was pretty near to the fruit stand that I was working early that day, it was not easy, I had to hide between bushes so no one can see me easily and potentially get rob or something, I didn't know the city I was, neither the danger on the streets during the night.

The next day I push myself a little more and I went directly to a ask at some strangers to help me with anything to eat, whatever they want to give me I would accepted and that was a terrible idea for me, to say the least. Lots of "no thanks" where said to me, some others just ignore me completly and just a few people help me with a few cups of coffee and a sandwich. I was nerves the whole time but I kept trying until someone was willing to talk to me and help me.

Is never easy when it comes to challenge yourself to do things that you don't want to do or you don't need to do in your daily basis. I had this anxiety everytime I talked to a stranger but I get to the point that I was not feeling that way anymore during that weekend, and if I did, it felt less than before.

I went back to the fruit stand and do some work for the in the afternoon, but they closed again at 5 pm and It was all me again. But I was already feeling more optimistic to talking to other people so, I started to walk one of the most busiest streets in the city to start asking strangers If they wanted to dedicate a song to someone for any amount of dollars they wanted to give me as an exchange for my singing.

I started to ask people and again, it was a terrible idea, but in the end, I got $20 from just one couple that actually was interested and pay me for singing "Make You Feel My Love" to celebrate theire wedding anniversary that was that night. It make me feel good just because of that moment, nothing else matter after that.

I went back to the spot I found the day before and went to sleep for the last day homeless in a different city.

Woke up, I went directly to the fruit stand, the guys where expecting me with a few jobs and a nice fruity breakfast and my last day started pretty well. Then, I took the $20 and eated a big meal at a local restaurant so I could get energy to work until 2 pm at the fruit stand. Sundays are usually pretty lonely and this one was no different then others.

The fruit stand closed and I was alone again on the streets, waiting for my family to arrived and take me back home but, I had to wait until 12 am to be pick up, so, I started to walk all over the city to find some strangers to try again to dedicate a song and get to talk to people again and keep pushing my self out of my comfort zone.

It didn't work out. It was night time already but I was okay after all. I got time for myself after going back to my sleep spot and I started to thinking about all the things I experience during those last days, how I managed to stay "cool" even tought I was not, at all. The way I spended the night outside, not roof over my head, no safety, no comfort, no bed, nothing that I was used to have back at home. I felt different, more appreciated about everything I have and not wondering about the things that I always want it but never got.

Without knowing the exact time, my family arrived at the same spot they left me days before and I was there ready to get home and tell them about the most strange experience I had in my entire life and what I learn from it in just a few days.

It was a eye opening experiment that I would never forget and hopefully, I will do it again in another time, in another city.

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