INTRODUCTION TO A SOCIOPATHS GUIDE TO HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA.
Okay.
Time to come clean and expose what I was doing when I was off the grid.
For about 8 months I lived as a homeless panhandler. I didn't have to but I felt I was losing touch with the people I fight for everyday. The downtrodden. I played my role to perfection and found myself in some very interesting situations.
I was profiled by the police, called monkey, bum and even nigger by white people and black people. I met many good people too, black and dare I say white.
I also saw many acts of violence committed by the people I was amongst, I also saw many acts perpetrated against them.
I had guns pulled on me on two occasions and had to defend myself in a few occasions.
Usually threats worked but at times I had to fight.
One thing I can admit is I was never hungry because no matter what somebody is gonna feed you people will give you food faster than they will money. At times I had so much food that I had enough to share with others who shared my condition.
My dad Willie Lawrence Murphy taught me to never judge another man to hastily or to harshly and that served me well as I navigated the sometimes savage streets of Tallahassee where it seems racism played a part in every dealing I had each and every day with blacks and whites, Japanese, African and Christian preachers.
I saw things that made me laugh, made me scoff and a couple of times cry.
Believe it or not some of the people who helped me were Republicans and Trump supporters. A lot of the people who didn't were Democrats and voted for Obama and Hillary Clinton. In saying that I'm not endorsing either party or any candidate because it just shows that political affiliation has no bearing on a humans true nature, his or her heart
I have to let you in on a little secret though. I had a distinct advantage in my plight. I have studied psychology and sociology extensively and i am also very aware of body language, I can tell if you are lying, if you are defensive or amicable, if you are afraid and many other things by the way you stand, walk and talk. By the way you gesture.
Quite a few times I had the owners of establishments call the police on me, I have also had the police called on me by private citizens as well, black and white for simply standing or sitting in places.
I also learned that the old adage of all black men looking alike is very real. I was always being confused with another black panhandler who would curse and berate people who gave him nothing or what he felt was to little. No matter that I'm 5'9" and he's about 6'2" or that I'm lighter skinned and he's dark.
This is my introduction to this story that tries to delve into the reality of homelessness and what some of the causes are, as well as some of the things that the homeless and forgotten encounter on a day to day basis in this modern day Babylon where life ain't easily defined by black and white, on paper or by basis of skin
The reason I am calling this a Sociopaths Guide to Homelessness is because when most people hear the word sociopath they think serial killer but by definition a sociopath is basically a person who lacks empathy or does not have the ability to feel emotions on societies recognized norms.
This is really kind of a prerequisite of the successful homeless person and it also manifests itself in the unsuccessful homeless to a lesser degree. If someone were to ask me do I feel it's advantageous in a homeless person I would have to say yes.
So without any further ado I introduce to you my tale.
JERALD HAMZAHFARUQ MURPHY
