Homelessness by choice.

[Wutai]

Yes, it has been a while since I've visited this place, but my intentions now are not to beg that you remember me. I came here again because I remember it as being a fairly small community, and what I wish to discuss, being homeless not because of unfortunate circumstances but by choice, would best be explored by people who will reply with more than "lol yeah me too" and similar bullshit comments. I recall Gyrovorbis and Arce (or whatever his name is now) occasionally going on grand adventures and documenting them on the forums with pictures and lengthy captions and such, and that kind of relates to this, so yeah, I thought it likely that you'd take some interest in what I've been contemplating lately.
Anyway, yes, I've never been satisfied with the thought of living a traditional life, especially with college and the slow, perpetual enslavement of a 9-5 being almost necessary components. Imagining myself working in a cubicle for the majority of my life just to pay for house and car bills and taxes is an idea to which death is preferable, but the only trades I'm interested in (art and writing) don't seem likely to make me any money, and so for a long time I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. That was until recently, when a friend of mine told me that after graduating high school he plans to leave his home and travel by foot to whatever part of the country he chooses. He invited me to come, and lately I've been seriously considering it. Just the idea of always having a hand-picked purpose seems noble and practical to me, working toward something because I've chosen that something as what I want out of my life and not because I've been told to by a man in a business suit who cares about me less than he cares about his name brand shoes and four dollar cup of coffee. And life on the road, despite its obvious difficulties, seems exciting. I would not mind waking up every morning knowing that in a few hours I'd be in new scenery, seeing new people I'd not met before, and knowing that each day of my life would be like this. The mundane would be left behind. I'm also fairly sure that I could survive. Food stores throw out huge amounts of food, and I've heard from many sources that most of them are glad to hand these leftover out to people who want them, as opposed to letting them go to waste, and if this turns out not to be the case, there's always dumpster diving.
I may be getting ahead of myself, or overestimating my competence, or underestimating the difficulty of living on the road, but I thought it would at least make good discussion. So, if you share my wannabe pioneering spirit, share your thoughts as well.

[avansc]

have you looked at homeless people lately? i think you are trying to romanticize that lifestyle.

[Kcirtap1990]

I agree with avansc. Life just doesn't work like that. You can't just pick up everything and run away from the world and the obviously flaws of modern civilization. People don't work in a cubicle to pay for their home and bills. They work a full time job so they are able to enjoy the luxury of being able to write and draw, which you consider your trades. Nothing is free, and no you need to earn everything you have. To think that you can just pack your bag and walk away and people will give you food out of their own generosity is not only foolish, but also selfish.

[Netwatcher]

Wouldn't you rather being independent then being dependent on nice people, the weather, the and whatnot...
People live this "ordinary" life style for a reason, I'm sure you will find a satisfying job doing whatever it is you want to do if you look hard enough.


On the other hand, if this is the lifestyle you want to live, go for it.
I'm just certain you will regret it the moment you start living it, thinking about it is one thing but doing it is another.

If you're going to be homeless, at least do it in a jungle where you can get food for yourself, not in a city where people need to get food for you.

[Bludklok]

Hmm a lot of interesting points here. Its hard to read this and try to see the world through your eyes.

Anyway, yes, I've never been satisfied with the thought of living a traditional life, especially with college and the slow, perpetual enslavement of a 9-5 being almost necessary components. Imagining myself working in a cubicle for the majority of my life just to pay for house and car bills and taxes is an idea to which death is preferable

Strange... The things you despise about how the life of an average person works are the things I look forward to.

To think that you can just pack your bag and walk away and people will give you food out of their own generosity is not only foolish, but also selfish.

This is not foolish or selfish at all if he goes about it the right way...

Freegans eat the unsold products that stores throw due to the 'sell by' date being reached which is most cases is before the product actually expires. This is neither foolish or selfish for a couple reasons:

1. Your eating perfectly normal food. Most food that supermarkets throw away is still packaged and healthy to eat.
2. Your reducing the amount of waste that is thrown into the landfills which benefits the earth.

[dandymcgee]

I say go for it. I don't think people realize the difference between homelessness being forced upon someone, and homelessness by choice. Homelessness by choice is almost an oxymoron, because if you make the choice to travel the country on foot you're not really homeless in the eyes of many people but rather a traveler who is always on the move. I once met two men who did something very similar to what you speak of, but rather than walking they rode their bicycles. They traveled the country with guitars on their back and played music for people everywhere they went. People lent them clothes, food, and even their homes to rest in. Perhaps it may be more difficult if you lack the entertaining skills that they quite obviously had, but I'm sure you will find some way to present yourselves to others as you arrive in each new place. Perhaps along the journey you will observe others and maybe even discover a whole new lifestyle that you didn't even realize existed that you favor over both the "traditional" cubicle and the no-so-traditional travelling by foot.

Oh and by the way, be sure to stop at Starbucks every now and then and update us on your situation.

Edit: And don't forget a camera!

[avansc]

We are looking at a future burden on the American tax payer.

[pritam]

Very good, I think this could be a great experience.

[Moosader]

I don't consider it being a wage slave if I get to make video games. 0: )


Really I say... if you're worried about being a "slave", don't have kids. That's where people become slaves to their jobs, is when they have kids before they're ready and can afford it, so they have to work harder just to make ends meet.

Stupid kids.

[Wutai]

Yeah I'm fairly certain I'm going to do it. The stereotype of the homeless person is obviously the scraggly old man with tattered clothes and missing teeth, but the stereotype often also includes some kind of physical or mental disability, and of the homeless people who actually meet this stereotype, I'd say that their disability is probably the reason they're unsuccessful and miserable. Being that I'm perfectly able-bodied and reasonably intelligent, I think I could live relatively well. In fact, one man sad that he was at one period of his life forced because of unfortunate events to be homeless, but even after opportunities for housing presented themselves, he remained homeless for nearly five years because he enjoyed the freedom. He lived in his car and had a job, a gym membership, a mailbox, and other luxuries usually thought of as being reserved for those with homes.
As far as eating, I have no problem with eating food thrown out by stores, in fact I almost prefer it, since the food would go to waste otherwise. I wouldn't be taking food from people and no one would have to feed me. I would just be taking what they didn't want. So I absolutely disagree that I would be a burden on taxpayers. I would just not be one of them.

Of course there would be drawbacks. Obviously obtaining food wouldn't always be easy. It probably would be hard at times, especially when traveling along the interstate between cities. Also there are laws against sleeping in public places, although the police can't actually charge you on them. But police could be an obstacle. I wouldn't have the safety of a home, so I could potentially be the victim of crime and inclement weather. But most of these things can be avoided if you aren't a dumbass.

Also, I would be free from the horrors of television. So much of my life has crumbled away in front of that box.

[Kcirtap1990]

Well, if your really going to do it, I have a few words of wisdom from personal experience. Get a van. Seriously, those old VW Vans are the perfect home. Last summer a me and a few friends of mine went camping with one at a Wal-Mart parking lot for a week, it was a great week.

Also, how old are you? I am assuming you have at least a year left of High School.

[Wutai]

I have two years of high school left. I've really thought about getting some kind of big, open vehicle to travel in, but I just don't know if the experience would be the same in a vehicle. It seems like everything would zoom by too quickly, and I'd rather take in the sights. But then again walking wouldn't be very practical. And train hopping has to be a bad idea.

[dandymcgee]

I have two years of high school left. I've really thought about getting some kind of big, open vehicle to travel in, but I just don't know if the experience would be the same in a vehicle. It seems like everything would zoom by too quickly, and I'd rather take in the sights. But then again walking wouldn't be very practical. And train hopping has to be a bad idea.

*cough* bicycles *cough*

[Wutai]

Yeah I've considered bicycling also. But I have two years still to think of it. That's plenty of time to plan out all of the details of how to manage from day to day. Maybe I can draw shit and sell it to make money. I'd say a lot of people would buy drawings if they were somewhat decent and fairly priced. Also, since I'm grounded for the next six months of my life (weed is bad, apparently) my dad has agreed to arrange banjo lessons for me to keep me occupied. Music is a profitable trade.

[Kcirtap1990]

I know one semi-homeless guy that is around town here that rides a bike everywhere. Really strange guy and always had trouble not far behind him. The only reason my friends and I ever talked to him throughout High School was because he was 29 and could buy us booze. As far as I could ever tell he just slept where he could and ate what he could.