::Mr.Wendal::

"Mr. Wendal has freedom,
a free that you and I think is dumb. 
Free to be without the worries of a quick to diss society,
for Mr. Wendal's a bum."

 

 

I've loved this song since my high school days, and now my kids and I listen to it together on occasion.  We all enjoy it, and the kids especially like Speech's silly scream part at the beginning.  It's a song written to make a statement about homelessness, as explained in the interview you will be linked to if you click on these words.

 

 

In our area, there is no visible homelessness...unless there are people living deep in the forests...  It's not conducive to homelessness here at all, as there is not a town center.  The nearest town center is not far, but there is not public transportation that cause it to be a hubbub of activity.

 

 

This year we visited Philadelphia, PA and Cambridge, MA.  In both places we were exposed to much homelessness.  It was eye-opening for our son, especially as the oldest kid.  And for my husband and I when we walked through Harvard Square at night, not expecting all the homelessness that we came across once we crossed a certain point.

Some cases of homelessness are not chosen.  People are losing their homes and unable to afford rent.  This is happening to families in towns nearby, as I read in a newspaper article recently.  These are invisible cases, as the families are not living on the streets.  Luckily there are homeless shelters to help these families transition.

Then there are some "homeless" people in Harvard Square who, as I read in Spare Change News, are choosing to live in the Square for the summer to raise money in order to move from one state to another (such as from Maine to Georgia).  Instead of getting a summer job, paying taxes on the money they make, and spending money on housing, they are living outdoors and raising money from people who frequent the Square.  These people are peppered among those who are truly homeless - (the fundraisers aren't homeless, in my opinion, and I don't fully agree with what they are doing).

I didn't realize what this post was going to be all about before I began to write it.  I just knew Mr. Wendal needed to be in my blog collection of music videos and freedom songs of sorts.  But it seems there is more to the story.

 

 

One of my favorite memoirs is The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls.  In this book, Jeannette recalls stories of growing up with her three siblings and two parents who were nomadic, adventure seekers, and eventually chose homelessness for themselves.  Jeannette and her siblings ended up doing well for themselves despite how they were raised, and it surprised me how she was able to share her life without any seeming judgment or regret, just love. 


As an adult working in New York City, Jeannette describes driving in a car past her mom, who was out on the street rummaging through garbage, hoping she would not make eye contact.  Her mom did not want responsibility, although she had the means by which to live well at some point in time.  Her homelessness was a chosen way of life.

I would not want to be homeless, but I imagine the fun and freedom in owning an RV and traveling around the country while camping.  There is a balance between stability and responsibility that comes with home ownership.  It requires the loss of some freedoms that may have been enjoyed when there was less to pay for regularly.  I can't imagine traveling around with three kids, not having a home to rest our heads, store our stuff, play, put our feet up.  I'm very thankful for all that we have.


It is interesting to think about though, the implications of freedom and homelessness, the lifestyle choices that some people make, or just end up falling into helplessly.  What can we do?  Everyone's got their own story and life to live. 


I think of Jesus who said, "Foxes have lurking holes and the birds of the air have roosts and nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."  His Spirit is free, and sets me free, even as I live in a home, with responsibility.  Learning how to embrace that freedom is my goal this year.

"Civilization, are we really civilized?

Yes or no - who are we to judge?

When thousands of innocent men

can be brutally enslaved or killed

over a racist grudge.

Mr. Wendal has tried to warn us

about our ways but we don't hear him talk...

Mr Wendal, a human in flesh,

but not by law.

I feed you dignity to stand with pride

and realize that all in all

you stand tall.

Go 'head Mr. Wendal."

~Arrested Development