The homeless in Reading

Got chatting to some ex-drug users here in Reading earlier in the week and I was gobsmacked by what I heard!!

One is selling big-issue to get some money together to try and get off the street, get a job and house and make a fresh start. The other is waiting till his divorced wife and child can move out of his house, but remains homeless in the mean time.

What I could not believe is that these guys who were fit and healthy and seemed in good spirits already had everything they needed to be completely happy yet they still had their eyes set upon the standard images of houses and jobs.

The system has failed them more completely than I can believe. They have no reason to be anything up happy, but they are brain washed by an unforgiving and uncaring system into thinking that they must attain a standard of living, even against all the evidence of their senses.

They have solved the real problems of moisture and cold (which I am happy to say I've achieved also) have enough money for food and I presume can rely upon the good nature of the health professionals if they fall seriously ill. Yet they still view themselves as "bottom" of the pile. That is appauling and serves as the single biggest failure of our "society". I've never seen the dark side of "Progress" so blatantly before.

The destruction of the environment that comes with Progress is more subtle for most to see and I can understand why most city people don't get it. But to see the blind mindless way in which people think they "have" to attain the standards of living before they can be satisfied is insane.

However I realised an important thing also. These drug addicts have to believe that having a job, car and house is a type of nirvana as an inspiration to get them off drugs. If someone was to say you will be as happy in your "normal" lifestyle as you are on the street they may lose the incentive to give up drugs.

What is it that we are all running from, that we need to believe that "Nirvana" will happen if we carry on working, or shopping, or even being good, or bad, or starting drugs, or giving up drugs? What is this deep unease about life that keeps us all running, even those who were so close to stopping but have been encouraged to carry on?

I found their attitudes the most depressing thing I have witnessed in a very long time.