I found reading Al Handa’s story about his experience of being homeless to be thoughtful and observant about the different kinds of people who experience that life.
In the title of his work, ‘Becoming A Face’ has a specific meaning. Al lived in his car with his companion, Ivy, a small dog. Becoming a face meant law enforcement recognizing that Al was homeless and living in his car. So anytime there was a problem or a complaint about the homeless, that could make Al a target.
In Al’s situation, he put in the effort so his car did not obviously appear to be lived in. He kept things in a trunk, and brought out items as needed.
Having Ivy as a companion also served a purpose. Ivy’s senses meant he could alert Al to a problem before Al was aware. I’ve often wondered why so many homeless have a dog as a companion. Al answers that question.
In the community Al lived in, he realized different people were taking care of each other’s dogs when someone had an appointment to keep.
Al also made the effort to stay groomed by paying to shower at a truck stop. This allowed Al to spend time in a coffee shop to charge his cell phone. The young people working at the coffee shop became aware of Al’s situation, and they would occasionally slip him a treat.
One issue Al mentions is that when he lost his tech job and his living situation, he at first spent money to stay in a motel. That just meant when he could no longer afford that, he had less money to serve as a cushion in his new life.
Returning to the issue of grooming, when I had a gym membership in a national chain, I could spot the people who were living rough who maintained a gym membership so they had a place to shower and groom.
Al’s story is also very specific about the types of homeless he came across. Some folks had the money to buy a small travel trailer. Others would find an isolated place by a river to camp. Single women would find another female companion for safety, and needed to find a safe place to camp or sleep. Some women would accept being in a relationship with a man for the safety it might provide.
In Al’s story, young people would come to a homeless camp by the river on the weekend to buy drugs and party. That drew the attention of a predator who would rob those young people and steal their jackets and shoes to sell.
In my life, I would take a friend out to dinner sometimes at a restaurant near a parking lot with food carts. That attracted the homeless at night, which was fine with me. But it also attracted the people who preyed on the homeless, which scared my companion.
Because Al became a face to others in the homeless community, he would meet and get advice about where to park or where to avoid. He also met a few who had lost a living situation but managed to find a way out of that life.
One sad aspect of Al’s story is the young women who would trade sex for drugs but would find themselves trapped into being a sex worker.
Al’s story is gritty and insightful, but also shows the human kindness that can be found.
There are many gems in Al’s story.
With the situation in the United States, I suspect more people might find themselves becoming homeless. Al’s story is a valuable guide to how to survive that life.
His book is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGWKK19K
