Hey, good evening, folks, it’s me, Billy Bob and a couple of my trusted friends, we just wanted to say Merry Christmas to y’all. You get to hear the true Christmas story every year, but we would like to tell you ours, if you would kindly let us. It’s a bit different than most, and often a bit sadder.
Hey everybody, I am sorry, I am a little bit shy and a lot scared. My name is Carol and street life is not easy and running ain’t either and I ran out of hiding places, did not want to be found by that mean man anymore. This will be my 7th Christmas out here, hoping that he won’t figure out where I lay my head at night. He beat me bad, hurt me too, so I had to take off. At Christmas people are nicer, we get more food. More willing to slip a dollar or two so we can eat and even get some better clothes. One of the shelters even does a get together for us, food, clothes, new bags, and that kind of stuff, but nothing that can fix my problem. My Christmas prayer is that, that mean man would leave, so I could come off the streets and get back to living again, instead of just trying not to die.
Hey, I am Dan, this is only my 2nd Christmas, the pandemic destroyed my world, no work, rent increased and all the mess that went with it. I never thought that this would happen to me, I am a college graduate and had a white-collar job, but that does not mean a thing in the face of a pandemic. But the world is slowly coming into the “new normal”, for the old is gone for good. I don’t aim to be out here for long, maybe through this Christmas, then come the new year I will find a job in my field, won’t be as good as before, but I won’t be out here! People are mean these days, they are scared, they are more afraid than we are. But Christmas does bring changes, we do eat more, the police are a little gentler and the stores and shelters feed us and good folk come out more to check on us. But I want a home again, I cannot conceive of being out here for years, that is my Christmas prayer.
Hey folks, I’m John, no story here, I been out here for years, I just gave up, it is too hard to fight any more, it is just not worth it. Life is too short and the fight too great to just struggle for nothing, so life is life. But now the days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, they can put a flicker of hope in a dead man’s heart for a spell. People become nice, they don’t yell at us for panhandling, and they will give us something, we can eat, and not from the garbage cans and more people bring us food and actually talk to us. Some business owners will put the ‘old’ food, that is supposed to be thrown away, outside, like it is thrown out, but it is just sitting there waiting for us to come by and pick it up. There is something about this Jesus season that helps us get through the very dark times.
Hey, it’s Howard, I only have three questions for you. Christmas, what matters most to you, family or wasting time running around finding a gift that will fade in a few days or months? What is important, the true reason for the season or your unimportant made-up reasons for fighting, fussing, and ignoring each other? Christmas is Christ with us the hope of glory, we don’t get that anymore, yeah, we get food, a new pair of shoes and $20.00 but then we go and sleep on the ground. Remember, your family, is important. Oh, and my third question, is if you were homeless how would you spend Christmas?
Well, folks did not want to upset you during this very special time of year, but I wanted you to all understand just how special it is. You have homes, food, family, churches, and you don’t have to hide, or avoid people. We all do wish you a Merry Christmas, and if you see one of us, think twice before driving off, please.
