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Comment: Take a moment to notice and say hi to 'Street People'

How does one go from being “normal” to living on the street?
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The Mustard Seed Street Church on Queens Avenue in Victoria. BRUCE STOTESBURY, TIMES COLONIT

A commentary by the interim congregational pastor at the Mustard Seed Street Church and Food Bank.

Many of us at the Mustard Seed had been worried about a woman we’ll call Janet.

Janet is a regular at The Seed: smart as a whip, elderly, well-read, and laden with “issues.” Recently, she and I found a “connection” — ballroom dancing, of all things. She had been an instructor; my wife and I had taken some lessons, and suddenly, we had something to talk about.

It was a great chat … and then I lost contact with her. She more or less dropped out of sight for over a month, which was cause for worry, until she finally turned up again.

The thing is, we had come to care about her — along with the many other people who come to The Mustard Seed. They are family, and the fact that we look for and often find ­common ground leads to a key truth about what some call “Street People”; they are un-different.

It’s easy to look at “Street People” as them, vis-à-vis us, but in the time I’ve been at The Mustard Seed, plus 10 years serving on Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, I have encountered: teachers, people injured in workplace accidents, several former military people (including two Vietnam veterans), formerly successful businesspeople, ­survivors of residential schools, ex-convicts, and a variety of others.

How does one go from being “normal” to living on the street under a blanket or sleeping on a piece of cardboard? Sometimes it’s trauma, or untreated mental illness, or addiction as a result of chronic pain or a combination of bad luck, tragedy and, yes, sometimes poor choices.

Take two people: at the outset, they don’t seem different from each other. Now, put them in identical situations, and you will get two wildly different outcomes — one of them can cope and the other struggles.

This could happen to anyone.

That we are un-different until something happens is the scary reality of mental health, addiction and homelessness. It can start with a simple misstep you might not notice: a decision that seemed like a good idea at the time; trusting someone who turns out to be a thief; even accepting an offer to “try this — it won’t hurt just once” — any of those could start the cascade of events that leads to someone ­living on the street, themselves.

A very wise man once said, “you can never hate a man once you’ve talked to him.” What better way to bridge the chasm between these “two solitudes” than through conversation?

Here’s a modest proposal: take a moment to say hi and notice these people. Educate yourself on the ongoing impacts of residential schools or on how chronic pain has led to ­addiction. Be aware of how housing costs are forcing many to choose between a roof and a meal.

In the process, you will be better able to empathize, to advocate for more accessible and continuous treatment and — who knows? — you may find yourself caring about a “Janet,” with similar interests to your own.

>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: letters@timescolonist.com