Friday, January 7, 2011

Sick and Homeless

For the last few days, I've not been feeling 100%. I wasn't sure if I was sick or just needing to move to the next city until this morning. It's a sure thing, I'm a little bit sick. I've had a few colds in the time I've been living on the street, but now I've got something somewhat more than a cold.

So now the question is what do I do to get better. Under normal circumstances I'd sleep in, spend some time laying around, eat some hot soup, and get better. My problem at hand is that I don't have the opportunity to sleep in, lay around, eat hot soup (unless it's being served somewhere) and therefore, I can't get better fast.

I've spent as much time as I can indoors. I've been watching movies on Hulu at the library. I've been drinking a lot of Emergen-C. That stuff is amazing. Beyond that, I don't really know for sure what I can do. I'm definitely not going to be sleeping outside ever in the next couple weeks. If you've got any suggestions or ideas for me, please let me know.

As for feeling like I'm either sick or ready to move on to the next city goes, I've decided to take that as a sign that it's getting to be time to leave San Francisco. So on Monday or Tuesday I'm going to make my way to Monterey, CA. San Francisco has been great. It's a beautiful city and I've really enjoyed my time here, but it is time to move on. Hopefully I'll be feeling better after the weekend.

9 comments:

  1. Read an artical in the Mankato Free Press about you today, and am not very impressed. You are right about being a drifter not homeless, yet you mouch off all the good people trying to help the homeless. You are lazy and you want people to contribute so that you can continue to be lazy. It is a good gig if you can make it happen, but it will not be with my extra money that I make from hard work at a job. You are a lazy mouch that we do not need in our country. Go somewhere else.

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  2. I just want to say that "Paul" is completely misinformed. It is extremely brave, and selfless to attempt to take a journey like the one you are on. Reading your blog is interesting and eye-opening. As for how people spend their money, I'd rather support someone who is at least trying to make a difference, or shine a light on a not-frequently discussed topic, then funnel it into corporations that are actually hurting our world. Sean, I think you are great. Keep up the work, and Brent and I can't wait to see you when you get back. Oh, also, the word mooch is spelt with two o's.

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  3. Well the only journey Sean is on without any sugar coating on it is "finding himself", just like many other people. While he is doing this, he is not brave as I define it, mooching off of other good people trying to help the homeless. I do agree his blog is interesting, but do not see much in how he is making a difference yet. Maybe he can make some money someday in writing, and pay back the free meals and other help he has received in donations. Sean, there are many other ways to "find yourself" without being lazy and mooching off of other good people trying to make a difference for truly homeless people down on their luck. Sean, grow up and get a job to support yourself. Julie- thanks for spelling tip on mooch.

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  4. Thanks for your thoughts Paul. I'm sorry you feel the way you do. I assure you I'm not lazy mooch. I have a lot of references who, even if they don't particularly like me, can tell you that I'm an extremely hard worker who knows exactly who he is. I've been a photographer for years and while I've been on the road I've done portraits to earn money, I've laid a hardwood floor, and I've been out in the cold trying to save the lives of impoverished kids all over the world. In case you've never experienced homelessness or drifting or whatever you want to call it, it's not the relaxing life that you seem to think it is. I'm really looking forward to the time when I move back into a normal life and have a normal job, but I've committed myself for this time to do something that just might help someone, which is far more than most people can say. However, I know there's nothing I can say to make you think anything other than what you do, so I'll consider this matter closed.

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  5. Sean, I bet you can be a hard worker when you want to be, but when one knows exactly who he is, he takes responsibility for himself and welfare even when he is not working. Your not doing that in no way, shape or form. As far as doing good so far, I see you as more as a "taker" disguised as a do gooder unless you are paying for your meals or reinbursting them for your research or your way of helping. Is your work paying you enough for this? I doubt it, so I'll consider this matter closed.

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  6. I help clean and serve meals as often as I can.

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  7. Oh wow, Great, thats pulling your own weight in life. What about the rest of the time? Are you waiting around for the next free meal, or are out looking for a different way to support yourself other than cleaning and serving meals with the truely homeless? Sean, I don't care what you do with you life. It's your life, but get off your duff enough to pay your own way in it as you travel through your journey.

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  8. I'm sorry you obviously haven't paid any attention to anything I've said and just stopped when you saw the donation button, but I have worked to pay my way the entire time I've been on the road. There hasn't been a city I've been in where I didn't work to get to the next and through out the entire summer before I left I worked overtime to save money to pay my way along the way. I'm sorry you don't appreciate someone who's trying to tell the world what life is like on the other side of the coin. I'm doing the best I can and working as hard as I can to do this. I don't want people to hand over their money; I don't agree with panhandling (I did it once so I could write about the experience). I've worked my entire life and paid my own way and I'm continuing to do that. I don't sit around all day waiting for the next free meal or the next sucker to give me some money. Next time you know what you're talking about, please, be my guest, but you've obviously jumped to conclusions about me and what I'm doing so from here on out I will not reply to anything you say and will delete any comment you make without reading it.

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  9. I read the article about you in the Mankato Free Press. I think what you're doing is very bold. As for being sick, drink as much water as you can. It'll flush the sickness right out of you. Anyway, you've got a new follower. I look forward to being a fly on the wall of this fabulous journey you've been embarking.

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