Atreus, a homeless man, living primarily in an outdoor shelter in Seattle, shared the following thoughts, letters, and notes with me over three years.
These musings come from a man who was crushed by violence and loss.
His reflections give hope to many who find themselves in similar situations, living on the outskirts of society.
His thoughts and observations dovetail with my experiences and insights into a group of people that are often marginalized for their station in society.
Driven by the interest in the postings on our website and blog, I decided to write the book “Atreus’s View From a Tent” giving author credit to Atreus, his pseudonym of choice.
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“You haven’t heard from me lately as I was cooped up in a state facility in northern California.
The weather was great but hanging out with mentally challenged inmates was not what I had in mind when I headed into the wine country.
Maybe I’ll share some of that story later.
What spurred me to write again was the visit of high school kids to our shelter last week.
As in the past, I stayed on the periphery avoiding talking with any of these kids as they wondered what we were doing living in tents surrounded by million dollar houses.
Hell, I wonder the same all the time…
Anyway, one kid diplomatically challenged one of our long term
residents on why he was still here years later with some wildly transparent tale of the government inhibiting his opportunities. A one legged armadillo could see through that defense.
The kid didn’t miss a beat and asked why the guy didn’t get a job at McDonald’s, or anywhere, other than living in a tent. Our guy dodged and weaved but was carried out of the ring by head shaking attendants.
So, what’s the point?
The guy is scared to death to take a risk.
Who knows what happened to make life better in a tent city than out in the crowd throwing punches to consume and survive.
I better slow down!
Fear…do I know it wherever it hides.
This isn’t working too well!”
Atreus
Net Profits from “Listen, Listen To My Heart’s Song” & “Atreus’s View From a Tent” will be contributed to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help fight Blood Cancer.
Books available in print and ePub on Amazon.https://tinyurl.com/5brk4846
Man on street photo credit: Getty Photos
We All Deserve Better 