[bvw]

With his nice leather jacket you can tell he’s “Uptown Homeless” — William Reed is no cheap country bum dressing in layers of sweat pants and a plastic trash bag overcoat held together with safety pins who hangs out under a bridge overpass with a sixpack. Still, with his busy schedule even an Uptowner like William has no time to floss.

[bvw]

In my remarks above, some may see mockery. I mean, I see it myself. Here I am, comfortable and warm in a cozy place. With family, friends and resources. So harsh it is to so mock a fellow human who may have honestly been set back on hard times.

Yet I know men like William, and in seeing him I think of them -- they are homeless because the condition suits their way of getting by in life. They are able men -- even some of them physically mighty. They can work they have smarts. Yet if life can be had by begging and living "free" they will do it.

Helping them stay in that near-feral condition is no help to them or us. When we gift them leather jackets, that "gift" enables them to sleep in the streets or woods or under bridges most nights -- better they have clothing that forces them into our city's caring places where we charge them only some acclimation towards being a civilized man for the comfort.

Treat them like the men they are.

William, see a dentist.