11 Comments on “Hobson’s Choice”

  1. I would feel so discouraged, exhausted and worthless. I don’t know where people go from there. I imagine the anger and futility would drive some people to think of suicide, or maybe crime or prostitution. (unfortunately, because of my age, I would probably not have any luck finding John’s”.)

    If people are homeless, it is also very difficult to get back into a home, even if they have friends and family. Living on the street takes it’s toll
    very quickly. Unhealthy diet, drugs to keep your sanity. You may get raped or beaten, especially if you are new to the streets and have few survival skills. Your personal hygiene cannot be maintained in a proper manner. You do not have an address to have papers mailed to you.

    I volunteer at a homeless pantry and see their licenses or ID when they pick up food,and sometime it brings tears to my eyes at how quickly a person without a home can age and deteriorate. I do intakes and try my best to give a street person a sense of dignity and maybe a laugh. I don’t believe the homeless are a lost cause, but feel as a city or country we need to try and lift these people of the streets, whenever possible.

  2. The system needs to be reformed in order to protect people from bad situations. The problem is not the bad situation but rather the inability of getting out.

  3. I’ve been a couch surfer at my friends house then kicked out . I’ve been in a position where my the parent were tired of housing me for there own reasons. I haven’t had the full taste of homelessness like the people I was blessed to serve. But, I am glad to have the opportunity to work with this population of people.

  4. What this game does not cover are the punitive societal and law enforcement measures taken against anyone who sleeps outside or sleeps in their car, or makes other attempts at self-care that doesn’t fit within defined societal boundaries, like holding a sign asking for help, commonly referred to as panhandling.

    Being homeless is far worse than what most people think of when they think of the homeless who many people think of as simply chronically unemployed, often by choice. At every turn, the homeless meet with contempt not only from much of the public, but also from state run agencies and law enforcement who often deals with them punitively instead of compassionately or with the goal of empowering them.

    I’ve worked closely with the homeless and have found that the system is far more dysfunctional than the individual homeless and causes homelessness to run amuck, not the individuals themselves.

    The system is only as good as the people who operate within the system, and the people are only as good as the system allows them to be. Both need to be completely overhauled from punitive to self-empowering for the homeless situation to improve.

  5. Hi!

    It does not provide any prospect at any choice as if people are doomed! It is great for awareness though!

  6. i felt like i was caught in a maze with no viable way out…terrible. i’m always looking for options but just seem like an exercise in futility.

  7. I think that the hardest part of being homeless or in a bad situation, is that you have to face life alone. Regardless of social workers or people who lend a helping hand. It’s the larger moments when your alone with yourself and all the wrong turns and failed opportunities that you’ve made in life, that weight on your soul. Everyone has said at some point, it can’t happen to me! and right now, it’s happening to someone who said the same exact thing.

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