Personal Essay First Draft

The Taunton green is a focal point of the city due to its location and
proximity to major locations such as the court house and the post
office. When driving around the green there are numerous things one can
expect to see. Lofty statues of soldiers serve as a memorial to World
War one and give the town common a sense of historic value. The lawn
remains well maintained and benches fence the perimeter of the area as
if inviting one to take pleasure in the communal space. The cascading
water of the fountain serves as background noise and helps to drown out
the traffic noise of the rotary, and in turn creates a more relaxing
atmosphere.
It was not until about the age of 10 that I noticed something out of
the ordinary, or at least what I then believed was out of the ordinary,
going on at the center of town. While driving around the green with my
mother in her light blue Toyota one sunny Friday morning, I remember it
was Friday simply because my mother had picked me up from school that
day as was our custom, I noticed that there was a woman sleeping on one
of the benches. The woman had deep black skin with short curly hair of
the same color which was matted to her head. She had a small frame
which was emphasized by her emaciated figure and deteriorated face. Her
clothing was tattered and worn as if it had never been washed or
changed for that matter. The lanky body of the woman was sprawled out
as much as possible on the narrow bench and her right arm was stretched
out overhanging the bench with her shoulder serving as a makeshift
pillow. I remember thinking how uncomfortable that bench must be and
that she would be much better off napping at her house. I decided at
that point, that since my mother knew everything I’d better ask her.
“Mum,” I began in an inquisitive tone, “Why is that woman sleeping on
the green?” “Well Samantha, the green is her home,” she declared in a
matter of fact tone as if it were common knowledge. I was beyond
confused at this point. How could someone’s home consist of a park
bench in the middle of the city? I had to inquire further, “Why does
she live on the Green?” She went on in an attempt to explain the why
and how of homelessness to me, but my mind went wandering too much to
comprehend what she was saying and her words became quiet and far away.
Simple questions began to race through my mind. What does she do when
it gets cold outside? Where does she cook her food? How does she bathe
and use the bathroom? Ignorant questions from a naïve child mind I
suppose.
There is a tremendous amount I have learned about life and people
living it since that drive with my mother. I have learned that homeless
people lack the necessary means to live in the competitive capitalist
economy on which the United States thrives, or fails depending on how
you look at it. I have come to understand that homelessness is common
in a heavily populated city and that few places, if any, are able to
escape its grasp.
Even with the aforementioned realizations under my belt, there is
still a child like naivety that lies in my mind. I still wonder how the
homeless manage to survive without a home and what it takes for them to
perform everyday tasks that many take for granted. The more I consider
the lives of the homeless though, the more I realize that they are the
same as the rest of society performing mundane tasks to survive. We are
all just people trying to get along in this journey we affectionately
call life, the best we know how.
When I see homeless people in passing, I still feel much the same as I
did that Friday driving with my mother. There are still a countless
number of questions racing through my head. Still a pit in my stomach
and knot in my neck from the unexplainable guilt I feel for being
better off or maybe even luckier than they are. Although many feelings
remain the same, there is one significant difference. When I first
learned that a homeless person existed, I saw them as a foreign entity
of which I had no connection with. I realize now that people are just
people, not categories based on wealth.
It may have been just another one of the countless Friday drives with
my mother, but to me is was a life changing moment that shaped my
perception of people and society as a whole.