PRIVACY

Give it up when you're homeless.  You have none.  Anything and everything about you becomes public knowledge;  Subject to scrutiny and judgement.

Privacy ? There is none.  Anybody and everybody can ask you anything, anytime.  Since being homeless 7 months ago, I've had some of the most disgusting people ask me some of the most disgusting things;  As if - just because they have the power to help you (not that they actually do) that gives them license to probe into your past, present and future.

They want to know:  What went wrong?  How did you end up here?  What bad decision, chance, roll of dice did you take which landed you on dead-end street?  Then, they have the nerve to ask you to reassure them that it could never happen to them.  Oh.... But it could.

They peer at you like you're an animal in the zoo.  They poke at you psychologically, hoping they can find your soft spot.  Then - when they do - they keep poking, and poking, and poking and poking.  They're sadistic freaks, with no life of their own, so they live vicariously through us.  It's just protocol (they say), it'll be kept private (they say), it's just for our files (they say), don't worry (they say), we have to abide by HIPAA (they say - as if they even know what that is).

Imagine all the skeletons you have safely tucked away in your closet come tumbling out - for all the world to see.  Now imagine you have none, but people make up stuff to put in there?  Imagine that.

Apparently, only people with homes deserve privacy.  They don't have to show their id every time they want to buy something, or get a service.  They don't have to justify their existence, all. the. time.....

It gets old, this constant walking around with no clothes on, exposed.  Knowing that you're dealing with some of the most incompetent people in the world, but they've got your name, social security numbers, age, birth certificates private health information, phone numbers, children's personal information, everything - at their fingertips.  Free to use and abuse at will.  In this age of identity theft, they appear oblivious.  We have nothing to steal, after all.  We have nothing to protect - after all...We're nobody's - after all.