I once knew a man by the name of Larry Love who used to frequent the Alton, IL area. That man was so full of life every time I ran into him, and although people had their reservations about him, we always had a blast when he strolled into the bar. I miss him dearly, and I never would’ve met him if I turned my nose up to him based on his living conditions. He shared plenty of stories with me about things he had experienced, and to be quite honest, the man was straight-up livin! He never complained or begged me for anything, but was always willing to make me laugh. He was Mr. “I Do What I Do” at all times and it was a blessing to be around him. He completely changed my perspective on the people who roam the streets and offered me a unique perspective on what it was like to be so down on luck in life. He was genuine to me, and I made sure to say hello every time I seen him (about 5 times total). I would always offer to buy him food or whatever he needed, and very rarely did he accept the offer. More times than not, he just wanted someone to talk to and share stories with.

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My heart breaks a little more every time I drive down the road in my everyday means of transportation and watch as homeless heartbeats scour the streets of Tallahassee. Granted, Tallahassee is just where I live so that is why I pinpoint this specific city…but this problem is not exclusive to the Florida state capitol. I have seen it all across the world, from my roots in St. Louis, Missouri to the illustrious streets of London, England and even Paris, France. It is everywhere. It breaks my heart because most people overlook the homeless and call them savages, somewhat in an identical fashion of dehumanization that the early settlers placed upon my ancestors at the inception of the United States. People drive by, point, and laugh at homeless heartbeats walking the streets wearing next to nothing in 100 degree Florida heat. Some people result to assault and wisecracks about the homeless, as if they are less than human. Numerous people blatantly scream obscenities at the homeless and judge them for the state of life that they currently occupy. To keep it G with you…that pisses me off, so please do not try that around me. I’m warning you.

I say this because even you can admit that you often lose sight of the amount of privilege that you are granted every single day. For most of you, the very words that are being decoded in your brain at the moment are being read on a device that could pay your rent/mortgage for 1-3 months (for some of you, probably your car note as well -> also a privilege to own a car). You must also recognize how fortunate you are to have access to internet whenever you want, along with access to electricity where you can charge your devices in the comfortability of your air-conditioned setting. There is also privilege in being able to read and understand the information that is being presented to you. It may seem elementary, but there are still people out there who do not know how to read or decode messages such as the one you are currently reading. More than likely, you also have the privilege of knowing how to operate the high-dollar device that you are currently touching. Again, it may seem beneath you, but this is not a privilege of knowledge that is granted to all people. I am not telling you to feel bad for having the things that you have, I am simply asking that you recognize that you are fortunate to have those simple pleasures. This excerpt is hardly scratching the surface of ‘privileges’ that you experience on the daily, but I think I have made my point.

Often times, people like you an I take our ‘blessings’ for granted. We take for granted the beauty of having a roof over our heads, gas in our cars, food in our mouth, clothes on our back, people that love us, and for the most part…good health. We take for granted the access to knowledge, education, technology, and the rest of the material things in this life that compliment our daily life. Don’t get me wrong, ya boy is no saint in this conversation. I had to pay for this domain (and have the knowledge to do so), as well as the computer I am using to share this with you…and the car I used to get where I am. I am well aware of how my life, currently sitting in a coffeeshop writing comfortably on my own MacBook, is far different from the woman I just seen out the window. Honestly, she is the reason I am writing this very piece because I honestly felt drawn to her. I’m not sure why. As I was sitting outside taking a break, I watched as she aimlessly walked the streets in attire that I guess you could call clothing, asking every person she can see if they will spare her some change. She walked all over the place, block to block, and then…she disappeared. As a man focused on action, I rose to the occasion and ventured to find her because I wanted to offer to buy her a meal and something to drink. As I found her standing in line at the gas station, I smiled and let out a light chuckle and I was reminded of the love that humans can express out of nowhere. She was standing there, talking to a young man who had just bought her a few items from the store. She looked so happy; so filled with joy. I thanked the young man for beating me to the punch, and subsequently returned to Serenity Coffee and Kava Bar to write you this very message. Upon completion, I stopped to grab a Powerade at the gas station and decided to buy an extra one because of the deal they had going on. As I drove down the road in my air conditioned vehicle, drinking my Powerade, I noticed a man in the intersection who had the same stature as my dearly departed friend Larry Love. So, I stopped and gave him the extra Powerade I had, followed by a short discussion about ‘blue’ being the universal favorite flavor to lift your spirits when it’s hot out. He said, “boa that’s a might big gift. thank you, man. don’t nobody give up they blue one so thank you!” His laugh made me smile, just like Larry’s used to.

Believe me, it keeps we awake at night to think about my ‘problems’ relative to other people who have no idea where they will lay their head to rest or where their next meal will come from. In this life, I have certainly occupied those less-fortunate spaces, and I am thankful that I currently do not have those problems to think about…but that does not mean that I have forgotten what it feels like. I never will. My heart breaks when I have to watch as other heartbeats have to endure such hardship on a daily basis because I can see in their eyes that their mountains are far higher than mine were. I see no difference between me and Larry, or the woman I seen, or the man I gave the Powerade to…because we are all human. Maybe they made some questionable decisions along the way that led them to this very moment, and maybe I would have done it differently than they did…but they are still human.

I don’t know the answer to the global issue of homelessness, but I do know that you and I must do more to help our fellow heartbeats. Now, do not misunderstand me. You must understand that we as people have to make decisions in life and live with those consequences, but we are still human and we all make mistakes. For some of you reading this, you must remember that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a safety net when things fall apart. Your definition of ‘I’m screwed’ could very well be minuscule (or magnanimous) compared to another persons ‘I’m screwed.’ That said, please stop the dehumanization. The homeless are still humans. They still have hearts, emotions, ambitions, goals, feelings, family, and oh…did I mention hearts? They still eat, sleep and breathe, so why dehumanize them and continually ridicule them for making a few mistakes? I am firmly in the camp of helping those who want to be helped, while also having healthy boundaries to decide the appropriate time and methodology for ‘helping.’ However, I am vehemently against anyone who deems themselves superior to the homeless because they drive their BMW passed a man asking for change at the intersection.

Again, I do not have the answers to the problem and it stems far deeper than I am at liberty to divulge in this current post…but mark my words: I will not stand by and let this issue pass me by. Be on the lookout for a Savant initiative to aid in this ongoing problem across the globe. I will be damned if I let anyone dehumanize another human being like people have done to my ancestors for centuries. If you are with me, please shoot me a message (@savantlamont) and let’s get to work. I do not expect you (or myself) change the world, but you can be the agent of the change that you wish to see in the world, and it could start with buying someone a sandwich who is clearly down on their luck or simply just being someone for them to talk to.

Lastly, I encourage you all to be courageous…but if you do not feel the courage to do things the way I do, there are other ways to help (clothing donation, food donation, etc.)! Send me a message and I will show you the way. If you feel called to do so, head over to the Donate page and offer your donation to the cause at the immediate level. I will be buying sandwiches and orange juice with or without your help, but together we can achieve more. Thank you for your time.

Siempre,

Savant 🌹

thank you for spending a few moments with me. i do value your time and thoughts, so please do not hesitate to send me a message @savantlamont and let me know what you think. i would love to hear from you!

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savant shelf selection: the glass castle by jeanette walls

savant song selection: where is the love? // black eyed peas