walking amongst the homeless
The homeless slept on the streets by the monuments. Belongings stocked in supermarket trolleys. The open-top sightseeing tourist bus roll by as the rain clouds gather and the homeless sleep in the warmth of the daylight.
I saw several cardboard cities around the inner Paris suburbs, groups of homeless helping each other. Hiding from the weather, not from the public.
At pedestrian crossings the homeless sat silently on the floor holding out used paper cups containing a few coins.
September 3rd, 2010
I always feel really guilty when I see homeless people. I can imagine it would be very easy to fall into that life and situation. I’m torn between wanting to give them money and knowing I don’t have enough money to give to them all. The guilt really built up when I was in London. I got friendly with two homeless people who made their pitch outside the Halifax Bank near Warren Street Tube. They said a simple word or two in their direction made all the difference. It made them stop feeling invisible. So that’s what I do now. I’m not sure how I’d do it in French though.
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