Tag: understanding homelessness

It was often assumed that people who lived inside had a lot to teach those of us who were outside. It was rarely supposed that we who lived outside had a lot to teach people who never had done so.

When I heard Ms. Woodward's campaign slogan, "a hand up, not a hand out," I felt compelled to comment. A handout to the homeless, she claimed, has a way of "enabling them."

But I am someone who has lived outdoors — not just for a while, but for years on end. During those years, I associated largely with others who were in the same boat. I learned how such people generally speak of themselves. As a result, I use the words "outside" and "outdoors" more than either of the other two--and I feel compelled to explain why.