Last.Damn.Call

(Being) Homeless is defined as: the state of having no home or permanent place of residence. Without a home.

I dislike the word “homeless”. Not as in, I dislike homeless people. The word itself just brings such a negative feeling. It’s sad, it’s depressing, it sounds a lot like “helpless”.

Helpless is defined as: lacking protection or support. Helpless sounds a lot like “hopeless”. Hopeless is defined as: having no expectation of good and incapable of redemption or improvement.

Someone without a home or considered homeless most likely has some feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. So, I feel like all these words are intertwined.

A home (or being homeless) can most definitely be a physical dwelling–where you reside. It can also be a deeper sense of not belonging. Not feeling at home in your own skin. Whether that be physical beauty or a more emotional or spiritual level. Your personal home is where your body, mind, and soul reside.

If you happen to remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs from school (don’t fall asleep yet), it goes like this:

To refresh your memory, it goes from the bottom up. So, the needs at the bottom (basic needs like water, shelter, etc) have to be met before you can move up the pyramid to the next level. In a nutshell, if you don’t have a safe place to sleep for example, you most likely won’t be in great health, have a sense of security, and your self-esteem and confidence and such will suffer.

The nerd in me has loved this chart since before I even fully understood it. But if you give it a glance, it does make sense. How am I going to have room to grow and be respected and keep friendships and employment and such if my basic needs (the bottom row) aren’t met?

I think Maslow was on to something here, and I think this chart represents your own personal home. What makes you feel full of hope rather than hopeless? What makes you feel less helpless? Is it a sense of connection to God or others? Sometimes it is good to do a little self-evaluation and see what you value and what you can do to feel more at home in your own life.