I can't help but wonder why we Americans call it "panhandling" in the US, but everywhere else the act is "begging." Does calling it "panhandling" somehow remove the stigma of begging?
I noticed some panhandling when I went on vacation in February, to the desert Southwest. Warmer climates seem to be somewhat easier to survive, at least in terms of winter exposure. The nights are still plenty cold, but at least it gets well above freezing during the day, almost every day.
So today, I saw a panhandler in the Midwest, large metro area. Two were at the same intersection to the interstate, standing in the median, on opposite sides of the highway. Like many, I feel uncomfortable watching people beg for money. It reminds me that society has failed them, in so many ways. I wonder if they're mentally ill, somehow disabled, or a felon. I wonder if they're just down on their luck, and if so, how long their bad luck has been holding. I wonder what obstacles stand in their way, toward making use of the few resources available to the homeless.
Being homeless weighs heavily on my mind these days. I was laid off in late March, and while I have the grace of severance pay, that only buys me time. It doesn't get me a job that makes as much as I was making; I'm already preparing to take a 10% to 20% pay cut, if I have to. Much more than that, and I'll be wondering if I'll be finding myself among the homeless in a year or two. I'm trying to get comfortable with the idea that I might need to work a full time job, and a part time job, to keep my house and transportation.
If I come across homeless people who are holding signs, I always read them. The one I read today was honest. It chilled me to the bone.
"Smile. This could be you."