The Times They Are a-Changin' (Day 64 - September 24, 2011)

That Poverty Guy (Sean D. Krausert)
Day 64 - Enjoying the Sun / 218 lbs

I heard Bob Dylan's classic folk song yesterday, The Times They Are a-Changin'.  It's as true in this moment as it was in the 1960's.  Perhaps in some ways times are always a-changin' . . . at least we can hope.

I'm super duper hyper aware of change today.  It might have something to do with the yellow leaves raining down around me, or that my "little boy" drove through city rush hour traffic for the first time yesterday (he gets to use the vehicle A LOT with my doing this project), or that there's a tonne of speculation in the air about what will happen in the global economy.  I think on all fronts . . . as is the case with life . . . the times they are a-changin'.

I've been noticing the changes within me as I've been doing this project, particularly in the last week or so.  Sure there's the outside physical changes . . . having lost 15 lbs in the last 9 weeks, 64 days accumulation of stubble on my face, and my hair getting longer (and greyer, I think).  But much more than that, there have been some drastic changes going on underneath the skin.  Here are but a few:

>>> Sleeping outside, while sometimes uncomfortable (that's an understatement), has become normal.  Granted, it is only a short term experience, and thankfully I will have real shelter come the really cold weather, but I find it strange to be accustomed to it.  By the way, unless by choice, it's terribly unfortunate if anyone gets to the point where sleeping outside is normal because it can wreak havoc with you physically and mentally.

>>> I'm less caught up in how I look.  Yes, I still care about how I look, but given that I can't do much to change (i.e. no clothing options, getting dirty comes with being outside, etc.) . . . it has simply become less of an issue.  I look the way I look and I move on.  That said, I still feel discomfort when around others as I think they are all judging me . . . or smelling me.

>>> Speaking of smells, I'm way more used to the regular presence of my "manly scent".  At first, I was highly aware of not having deodorant on or my smelly socks, but now not so much.  Have you ever gone some place different and experienced smells that you find disturbing, and wonder how people can stand it?  I think people get used to the smells around them.  Just as something to ponder . . . . I wonder if people from other places think we smell funny.

>>> I'm hugely cognizant that one absolutely cannot judge another by how they look.  The happy couple speeding along in the sports car with the top down may be trying to coax some joy into their life after the still birth of their child.  The young, successful guy across the street working on his vintage car may be trying to keep busy to avoid dwelling on his marital problems.  The homeless drunk on the corner may have two university degrees combined with a world class depression that caused him to walk away from his family and his life.  We just don't know.

I'm not homeless, and I pray that I never will be.  However, this exercise in self sacrifice has changed me, and will continue to do so, and I further pray that some of the changes stick.  More importantly, I hope that what I am doing continues to touch the lives of others so that they can better see their own blessings, and be encouraged to use their gifts to help those in need.

I also think that the world around us is changing, and not just in an economic sense.  Perhaps due to globalization or social media or other factors that negate time and distance, people are becoming more aware of others.  There is growing awareness of the needs in the world, there is a growing awareness of the widening gap between rich and poor, and there is growing awareness by those in need aa to how others live.  And, with this awareness, there is a changing consciousness and a huge opportunity to allow the natural compassion within each of us to run rampant.  Hmmm . . . I'll end on that delightful thought . . . COMPASSION RUNNING RAMPANT IN THE WORLD.


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