“Buzz, buzz, buzz...” My alarm seems to shout louder and louder as it fills my room. I take a deep, full breath as my eyes hit the darkness of the room. I slide out of bed, somewhat dreading the long day ahead. I look out my window; there’s nothing, nothing but black. My dad comes in file behind me as I make it down the stairs, just as he was leaving his room. We eat in near silence. A quick bowl of cereal, and then we go our separate ways. I slip on my shoes and get dressed. About twenty minutes later, my dad and I meet in the garage and enter his car. The drive is about forty minutes, but after so many times, it seems like ten. We listen to old hits and to soft rock while having a few little laughs. We pass mostly woods, office buildings, …show more content…
It is like a wasteland I would see on T.V. I am always surprised that I do not see a tumbleweed pass in front of the car as we pass. I open the car door and attempt to maneuver around the mystery puddle outside. Sadly, I clunk the heel of my shoe straight into the goopy mess. My dad and I walk through the huge, heavy doors and enter into the mall's entrance. My dad waves to all his friends that work the other shops. Once we arrive at my dad's store, he takes out his ring of keys. The clanging of the keys to the metal gate is as loud as a band marching through the streets, and so is the gate when it open. My dad hands me a vacuum and some Windex and informs me on my instructions. Off to work we went, he shining and repairing bag after bag of shoes, while I clean and smile as customers walk past. Many of them mention how I look just like my dad. After a few hours, I put on the black and yellow apron and safety glasses my dad had saved for me. I have been waiting for this moment forever: my dad was about to teach me the family …show more content…
“First things first, start up the brush wheel. Gently sand the polish stick with the wheel, and then we can begin.” My dad walks me through the steps of properly shining shoes. He adds, “A little spit can go a long way,” and other tips. After I finish my first two pairs, my dad leaves me to work by myself. We work hours on end at a time, only taking a few, short breaks to eat or use the restroom. We are a conveyer belt - he repairs the shoes, and I add the finishing touches. It is strenuous work. My dad gets back pains frequently, and I notice that my legs are about to give out. It is strenuous work. I wonder how my dad has done this for so long. I look over at my dad, who is sizing a sole on a shoe. He uses a coarse spinning wheel, which causes sparks to fly with the friction. It seems as if all time around me stops, and I fixate on these sparks. I can see my ancestors who also worked in this line of work, straining themselves all day long to make a living. They do it out of love for their families and a strive to support them. I look up at my father. He looks back and we have an exchange of grins. I see this love in my father. He works just like his predecessors. It might not be the most glamorous or healthy job for him, but he does it out of
However, upholding that position he quickly lost many of his friends. My father instructed that things be done the proper way, and would not accept the slacking that many of his friends previously had gotten away with. Needles to say, my dad soon stepped down from the position, and continued to ensure things were done correctly, and he still enjoyed work, by doing them himself. As one can see, my father’s work ethic is one to aspire
Youth become homeless for a number of reasons including: family violence and neglect, rejection due to sexual orientation or gender identity, the overwhelmed child welfare system and extreme poverty. These youth almost always have experienced unimaginable abuse and trauma, in their homes, their communities, and on the street. It is the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)-funded services and programs that help to rectify the deep injustices that homeless youth experience on a daily basis.
When I was finally behind him, I watched his big feet somewhat stomp as he walked closer to the door with my siblings behind me. He opened the door without a knock and said hello along with his name. I turned the corner to see a small old man with glasses and white hair sitting on the couch. His son was next to him. Big man, much like my father.
successful auto repair shop. For him it means long hours, but he is very proud
It is logical that there are numerous health, nutritional, developmental, and psychological problems that are associated with being homeless as a youth. Health problems start even before birth if a mother is homeless and pregnant then her baby is more likely to be born with a lower birth weight than compared to normal children (Rafferty, Y., & Shinn, M., 1991). Children who are born into homelessness have higher death rates (1991). This could be due to the lack of prenatal care for homeless pregnant women. Furthermore, homeless children are more likely to have “upper respiratory infections, minor skin ailments ear disorders chronic physical disorders and gastrointestinal disorders” (Rafferty, Y., & Shinn,
The homeless population in the United States does not only include the humans out on the streets, but also the ones in living in vehicles, emergency shelters, transitional housing, and other unstable environments. Over six-hundred thousand individuals are currently homeless in the U.S. In our current society, people often become homeless due to circumstances beyond their control. Humans often face abrupt personal and public challenges within their lives causing change and displacement in their housing status without notice nor a choice. In relation to personal reasons for homelessness, individuals who identify as LGBTQ and victims of domestic violence encounter many different situational problems leaving them displaced. Furthermore, there has been a sharp increase in unaffordable housing recently causing other people to suffer issues in a more public manner.
He works from about nine in the morning to ten at night, seven days a week.
The police face many different issues while out on patrol every day. One issue is that of the homeless. In many cities, homelessness has been criminalized, but we, as a society, have to question if this is the right thing to do. Should people who have the misfortune of being homeless be punished further?
I would like to start by saying how I see it and define it in my own words. It is the state where an individual doesn’t have a normal house and are not financially stable in life. It is the situation where you have to look after yourself or another person that is also homeless. You won’t be able to find the proper housing like a normal and secured place to live. All day and all night, you will be trying to sustain yourself from everyday challenges, like looking for food to eat, a place to live, and proper clothing.
One of the areas of concern for social service providers, government agencies and society in general is homelessness in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in January 2013 they found that 633,782 people all across the U.S were homeless. During the overall count, 62,619 veterans were found to be homeless throughout the nation.
A popular misconception about homelessness is that the homeless population brought their sorrow upon themselves by abusing drugs and alcohol, uncontrollably gambling their money away, or using their money irresponsibly. This leads to people thinking they should not give away their money to the homeless, but to charities claiming to help the homeless community, but what people don’t know is that most charities often do not use the donations to help, but use them for their own advantages. Therefore, people should give money directly and unconditionally to homeless people to help them stay away from the horrible homeless shelters, overcome the reasons that caused them to be homeless, and help them find a good and
The population of Los Angeles continues to grow each day because people perceive that the opportunities will improve their economic and social well-being. Most of them get good jobs manufacturing, business and the government giving them the ability to provide for themselves and their children. Those who are not lucky enough do not realise their goals and depend on the government and the society for basic needs. The effort of the city and the government to house the homeless cannot take the pressure of the rising number of the homeless without the support of the society. Los Angeles in the United State’s largest urban and has the highest number of homeless people making the task of housing its population next to impossible without participation
In 2015 my sister had moved out, I was 14 at the time she had just turned 18. She wanted to be with her boyfriend and have her own house. I had gotten lonely I still had my Mom, Dad, and of course my little brother but I felt like I lost a part of me when she moved out. In my mind I thought she was doing it to hurt me and that she didn’t want to be around me anymore.
As usual I woke up to the sound of my father pounding on my bedroom door, hollering, “Get up! Get on your feet! You’re burning daylight!” I met my brother in the hallway, and we took our time making it down the stairs, still waking up from last night’s sleep. As we made our way to the kitchen, I thought about what to have for breakfast: fried eggs, pancakes, an omelet, or maybe just some cereal. I started to get hungry. As usual, mom and dad were waiting in the kitchen. Mom was ready to cook whatever we could all agree on, and dad was sitting at the table watching the news. The conversation went as usual, “Good morning.” “How are you today?”
When most of today’s society thinks about homeless people, they usually associate this lifestyle with laziness or other negative stereotypes. People assume that because people are living on the streets with no jobs or belongings that they simply refuse to work in order to be able to own things; however, this is usually not the case. Homeless people often find themselves being in their living situation because they lose or cannot find an occupation, they lose all of their possessions due to tragic natural events such as fire or weather, or they grow up in poverty and do not know how to break the vicious economic cycle. No matter the issue, most homeless people are targeted as having no ambition to change their situation. This paper will not