During dinner, I sat at a table with someone I never met. We greeted each other and continued to eat. A few moments passed when he sparked a conversation with me. His eyes were a mixture of a sunrise and a violent storm—that all too familiar tug-of-war between hope and giving up.
He asked me how I liked being at the shelter, and I became silent. But in my silence, he comprehended every word.
I asked him the same question, and he told me that he’s learned to just stay out of the way and keep his head down. He expressed that speaking up doesn’t get you anywhere. He said, very quietly, “They want to keep us in a cycle.”
With oceans in his eyes, he told me that he’d lost a lot trying to get help in the shelters he’d been in. And I could only imagine that the things he’d lost were his sense of pride, dignity, self-respect, and the feeling of power to change his circumstance.
Witnessing the defeat on his shoulders ignited my fire even more to speak up, to rise up. No one should be made to feel that their voice doesn’t matter, and they shouldn’t be treated poorly when seeking shelter and services from organizations whose purpose is to serve, empower and uplift the unhoused and those experiencing homelessness.
That man’s quiet statement, “They want to keep us in a cycle,” is a heavy truth we cannot ignore. It underscores the systemic challenges faced by those seeking help and validates my own intention to prioritize stable housing above all else right now. The fight against systemic defeat begins when we refuse to let any voice be silenced.
The Call to Action: Let this story be your reminder that we must advocate for services rooted in respect and dignity. Start small by looking someone in the eye and saying, “Hi.” That small act is an essential affirmation of human dignity.
Speak up. Rise up. Live free.
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