Ethan Plumier is a DRR member, a student at Lincoln Christian University in Lincoln, IL, and my cousin. Below is an excerpt from his journal, detailing a 24-hour period he spent living as a homeless person. NOTE: THE DECISION TO VOLUNTARILY LIVE HOMELESS WAS MADE BY ETHAN ALONE – WITH NO ENCOURAGEMENT OR INFLUENCE FROM THE DRR. WE BELIEVE THIS STORY IS WORTH SHARING, BUT AGAIN, THE DRR DOES NOT ENCOURAGE INVIDIAULS TO TAKE THIS ACTION. ANYONE TAKING SUCH ACTION IS DOING SO WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE DIRTY ROOTS REVOLUTION.
-Ryan Mifflin
Things are messed up. They have been, and unless we get up and do something, they will continue to be.
The sheer number that makes up the homeless nation of the U.S. and the treatment of said people makes me sick to my stomach.
I am a student at Lincoln Christian University and recently I heard a message given on teaching with authority and teaching by example. In this message the speaker was talking about his granddaughter and her knack for distributing her mother's authority and following her mother's example. She walked into the guest room one morning when someone was staying over and said in her toughest voice, "My momma says it's time for YOU to get up."
It's funny how we can give authoritative commands for the little things, but when it comes to the bigger things, we freeze up. It's funny how we can lead by example in the little things, but when it comes to the big things, we would prefer to follow rather than lead.
My friend Tevis and I decided that we wanted to do something. We wanted to quit following and lead by example, but we needed perspective. We made plans to "visit" St. Louis over our fall break this past November. We hopped into the truck and took off with nothing but a blanket each and the scraggly clothes on our backs, apprehensive about what we were about to do. We arrived in St. Louis, MO, parked the truck, and set out toward the shelter we planned on staying in.
We attempted to get into the shelter in the time that they allowed people in and we were turned away. No real explanation, just couldn't go in. We began to roam the area looking for potential spots to sleep for the night while also taking in what it is like to have nowhere to go. It is a humbling experience.
As we walked in our ratty, uncomfortable shoes, we had to take breaks every now and then to pass the time and allow our feet to rest. While on one of these breaks, sitting outside of a restaurant (it was just a little after dark) we began to notice people’s eyes. They were either keeping a constant “inconspicuous” eye on us, or trying very hard to ignore us. We stood and looked into the restaurant. It was a pretty fancy place; looked expensive. The people in the dining room were flashing us glances every now and then. Some with pity, others with disgust. It was obvious by this point by looking at the neighborhood that they were not used to the homeless. It never feels good to be stared at and stereotyped...but then again...we weren't exactly there to be treated like kings.
As people began to filter out of restaurants and into hotels, vehicles, and bars we began to notice different dynamics. The most offensive of these was the family. Now let me explain... there were multiple times that a family would be walking toward us and as we passed each other the father would conspicuously keep himself between us and his loved ones. I understand his motives, but that is a horrid stereotype to just assume that we were dangerous to his family. The least offensive of the nightlife dynamic were the bar-goers. We were spoken to on a few occasions by men and women outside of bars...they had maybe had a few drinks, but they were friendly. Kind of a switch from the "norm" eh?
We eventually encountered another problem...nature. Nature was calling and we HAD to answer. So with some money we were given we bought 60 cent donuts at a grocery store so that we could use their restroom. After we spent that, we were out of money yet again. We walked...and walked...and walked some more. We ended up in a lit park, laid down to take a rest, and were shooed away by the police. Again, this is understandable, but the rudeness we were shown was about the way you would treat a rat in your pantry. Needless to say, we moved on.
We eventually decided it was time to turn in. We walked to a church and found that the area surrounding the church and the library was heavily (HEAVILY) inhabited by the homeless. I wanted to do something, anything...but at the moment I was in a similar boat. We found a prime spot that was uninhabited; a four foot gap in between the church and a wheelchair ramp. We were completely hidden from the street and from the view of passers-by. Tevis and I laid back to back under our inadequate blankets with our feet in an unknown liquid that we called water so that we wouldn't dwell on it...it certainly did not smell like water...
We slept off and on...unable to gain warmth or comfort. We awoke at some point to hear someone messing with a homeless man and his things. Wanting to help, but unable to move for fear we laid there...it was one of the worst decisions I have made to sit there and do nothing. If I had the chance to go back and redo, that man wouldn't have gotten away so easily.
I awoke with the sunlight, rigid from the cold and sore from the sidewalk. I left Tevis to sleep and walked to an open store to use the restroom and get a little warmth back into my body. While roaming the aisles however, I became aware that I was being followed/watched by an employee who asked if I planned on buying anything. I admitted that I had no money to buy anything with and he escorted me out of the store. Apparently people aren't allowed to look without buying. I went back to our spot and found Tevis, rather worried at my absence when he woke up. We walked around yet again and ended up in the park across from the library.
There we waited until Ryan and the DRR crew arrived. He was so surprised to see me that he didn’t even recognize his own cousin! It was good to smile at that. After talking with him for a short time we went on our way so as not to divide his attention from his mission. We ended up crossing a bridge that we could look down through the bare rebar to the street below, and went to a McDonald's for a cheap sandwich and a much-needed water.
From there we continued on our way. From there we decided that we had had just about enough. One night we stayed. Just one. Some have to stay. All the time. For the rest of their lives.
It disgusts me that we can allow this to happen. I am just as guilty as anyone else, but I am ready to make a difference.
At the beginning of this post I told a story about a little girl acting on her mother's authority and example. I think it's about time we act on someone's example. Now, I don’t know who will be reading this but bear with me and please listen to what I am about to say, even if my belief system is different from yours. Give me a chance. I am not here to shove my worldview in your face.
The example I am talking about is the example of Christ. You want to ignore the homeless, the broke, and the downtrodden? Jesus was homeless, Jesus was broke, Jesus would have been shunned in our society the same that every other dirty, down on their luck, homeless person in America and in the world is.
The little girl from the story not only followed an example, but acted on authority. We have authority that we can act with. God the Father’s. The little girl said, "My momma says it's time for YOU to get up." She made me think with that statement...because we can say almost the same thing. "My Daddy says it's time for YOU to get up." Change the world. Love people like they have never been loved before.
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