Stigma

There will always be a stigma in the minds of the unenlightened about homeless people.
I just painfully watched an episode of "Seinfeld" which cast a dark shadow on the stereotypical homeless guys in New York City.
Yes, it was somewhat humorous but it still irked my inner soul.
I endured all of the pangs one must encounter when trying to survive and overcome the factors which led to my bout with homelessness.
I encountered a skunk in my tent.
But I tried to display a sense of humor and nicknamed him Pepe LePew.
I spent 107 days incarcerated for something I didn't do but I was the prime suspect because I was that homeless guy.
Again I tried to cope by writing a tongue-in-cheek column and wrote with some sense of humor.
No, it wasn't a fun time in the Washington County Detention Center but I bonded with some dudes and made some friends for life who I will probably never see again.
That's the key to life, handling adversity with grace under pressure. That's the phrase that Ernest Hemingway penned to earmark and distinguish true American heroes.
You can either be a zero or a hero.
Now that I'm blessed with a new lease on life I'm dealing with a new agenda of adversity.
The communication gap between me and the Hispanics took on a very awkward moment yesterday when a potential new tenant walked into my office and desired information.
I processed her credit and criminal background check and received favorable news.
But I had no interpreter available so I went to my translator gizmo and handed her the message in Spanish.
I guess I need to take a course in Spanish to cope less forlornly.
It's a stigma to overcome.