I have come to the conclusion that life as we know it is the proverbial bowl of cherries with a few bad ones thrown in just to make life interesting. As I have visited more and more schools over the last year. Talking about how I became homeless and how easy it is for anyone to become homeless and trapped in a life that's not really life. I learn more and more myself. When I ask kids about what they think of homeless people they have certain definitions of what they see as a homeless man or woman and it inevitably is always the picture of the man or woman with a can in hand or the man with wrapped in a blanket begging outside a cash machine and to be truthful it's what we all see. We judge homeless people on what we see daily on the way to school or work and we do put them all in the same basket so to speak. It's just the way things are and it does seem when we try to help. We don't see individuals. Everyone has a different reason for being an addict, homeless or an alcoholic and it's only when we get to those reasons that we understand why. It's by doing this we can prevent others from doing the same. All I am trying to say is we should understand more of what goes on in our society and the people in it. We shouldn't have a part of society that we deem to be unfortunate. I have often pointed out my own failing as an example but at a meeting I went to last night. I met people who where worse than me and they all said even though their own lives were improved by being off the streets they still suffered the stigma of their past. Someone said every job interview they went to. It was though as soon as they saw the address they automatically were looked down upon. Someone else said because of the address he couldn't get a doctor. We have a government that made laws saying people shouldn't be discriminated against but we all know it does go on but proving it is another thing. Surely if someone is looking for work and is willing to work it doesn't matter where they live or what past they have. So long as they have been honest and said look this is me I was an addict and I live in a hostel but I can do the job and I am ready to do it is all that should count but as I said that's not how things go and as I'm learning more and more. I think I'm getting to know how hard it is for some homeless charities to get employers on board. I think what I want to do is get people who have been in that cycle of homeless and addiction and are ready for work into jobs. So I am going to take some bushiness courses and see where they lead me. Maybe I can be useful after all.