Outsourcing God's Labor: Free Food on the Road

     My backpack weighed between 40-60 lbs. Wherever I found safe to sleep was typically about a mile away from any opportunities to make money or food. From the time I woke up every morning, to the time I go to sleep, and beyond, I was working. Fighting for my own survival. Some days were definitely easier than others, but there were no days off.

     Oddly enough, I found groups to volunteer with. Many of us do. I spent my days thinking of others and their needs, rather than just my own. Working with free food kitchens is awesome. It's emotionally rewarding, and it keeps you busy. It gave me community and family at all times, and gave me a purpose greater than my self. 

     While not all homeless people are hopped up on civic duty, it's surprising how many of us were. When our bus rolled in, you fawned over us, giving us everything we needed to feed your town and the next. But...why? Why did the homeless in your area need a fresh faced approachable mascot to donate to, when the need had been there the whole time?

     We are, as a species, lazy. Rather than take on the emotional and physical labor of solving problems ourselves, we outsource our problem solving to God. Here's the kicker, we were already given this job. Praying about it and walking away won't get it done. God isn't going to send superman to fix things for us. He sent us. We are his outsourced labor. 

     So why are we, as a society, leaving the task of crowd sourcing and distributing food security to those experiencing lack themselves? Why can't we, as a nation, be bothered to care in a way that doesn't leave such a deficit that homeless people are picking up the slack?

     So many people want so badly to believe that homeless people are homeless due to their own faults as a way to make us feel safe. So much so that society is projecting it's feelings of self on to the homeless. Victim blaming helps separate the masses from the ideation that it could be anyone. 

      But it doesn't do much else, to demonize victims of class warfare. It doesn't change anything to say that all homeless people are lazy, or on drugs. 

     I've visited a lot of makeshift housing communities, strung along the side of the highway. Many of the inhabitants work during the day, if they can. They make a home in the cluster of woods, with no real walls. They are going to sit down and eat a meal together tonight. Propane stoves when fire has been outlawed. Tarps where they are not permitted tents. 

     They are patriots. Carving out a life worth living where there was none. Fighting for every day freedoms we've all but forgotten we have. 

     And sure, some of them are on drugs. Or alcohol. Because this life has taken so much from them and left them with a hole no one and nothing can fill. A middle class woman in the suburbs somewhere is having a pharmacy for breakfast and no one cares. But a homeless person self medicated and suddenly it's a viable excuse to withhold resource? Yeah ok. 

     Some of my best friends are still or have been homeless. 

     Most of us didn't consider ourselves homeless, because we found homes on the road and with each other. We were at home doing God's work that society refused. Scraping together change to buy coffee cups so we could serve one another as equals.

     Every single day, each of us is given opportunities. Opportunities to change things, however slightly. We are each given chances to pick up some of the slack. Chances to shine, and to do His good work for Him. The question is what are you going to do with yours?


Loading excess gear on to the top of a bus

Writer riding one of these free food kitchen buses.

A coffee station while you wait for food

Bagged feminine hygiene products to give away

A feed we did in Kentucky

Chopping veggies for the soup in the back of the bus/kitchen

Self Doubt: Kick Its Butt!

     The biggest threat to your goals? SELF DOUBT! You'll never know how far you could have made it if you don't try! I know what it's like to feel low. I know what it's like to doubt in your abilities, or whether what you'd like to do is even for you.
     You've got this tho. You've made it this far, and if you keep going, your dedication is bound to pay off eventually. Sure, you might fail some along the way. It's a trial and error process. You'll make the discoveries of what DOES AND DOESN'T work for you!
      It isn't always easy to believe in yourself, or your methods, especially when what everyone tells you are suggestions that have already failed you, but that's just the thing, those methods failed YOU! You didn't fail them! Solutions are NOT one size fits all. There are as many ways to succeed as there are people in this world, and there's room for everyone on the 'Look, I Made It!' boat. Don't jump ship just yet. Keep sailing. You can do this.

https://youtu.be/Cj4W9wRHQY8

Social Media Networks Explained

     Are you confused by all these different social media sites, and how each one is used? Not sure which new network is right for you? Fret not, social padwan, we've got you covered with some helpful descriptions of the most popular social media sites, and what it'll take to make it on each one. (Nevermind the fact that I'm blogging because I've obviously failed, ok, the insight is 100% still valid!)
     Facebook: Your Grandmother's Social Media Network
     You are familiar with this one. Look up your friends, add them, and begin interacting immediately! No special gimmicks required.  It doesn't matter what you're into, there are at least a bazillion groups full of other people to talk to about it with. (Just remember though, your grandmother is watching).
     Snapchat: An Excuse To See Bewbs, with Filters
     Now I realize that many people probably use it in many ways, but the whole 'photo disappears 5 seconds after you've sent it's thing makes this the safest way to send your nudes. If you like to flaunt it, or just want to see your friends makes, this might be the app for you. How to schmooze your friends into sending you naughty pics once you've downloaded it tho, is up to you.
     This app is ALSO great if you've ever fantasized about being a dog, rabbit or deer, or if you have a thing for flower crowns and such. This network pairs well with cappuccino.

Twitter: Fighting With The Famous
     Do you live to argue? Do you often wish you give people a piece of your mind? Are you in a dependant relationship with your phone, and want to take out your aggression in famous people? Then Twitter for you, just may be a dream come true. If you're mildly funny, or extremely bored, this app might offer you a home on the web.

     Instagram: Pictures Mostly (with a side of T&A)
      This is a slightly more personal, or professional place, depending on how you use it, and it seems like a pretty even split. Whether you're posting pictures of your baby, or pictures of your latest products, the chances of people reading your text lowers dramatically. While that might make for a nicer atmosphere overall, with less fighting or trolls than you might find on Facebook, people might be mildly annoyed by memes here unless it's your original content. There are plenty of places for memes, this just doesn't seem to be one of them. Your half naked selfie, however? Practically belongs here amidst all of the other wannabe Instagram models.
     Tumblr: We Get It, You're Popular
     Honestly, I'm still stumped by this one. Done people have a lot of reblogs and 'notes' (likes and comments) and others, like myself, post only to hear crickets. If you happen to figure out how to actually engage with others in a way more substantial than spectatorship, let me know.
     Pinterest: Its More Like a Search Engine
     But for people that are too stubborn to use actual search engines. Like Tumblr, I haven't quite nailed putting myself out there on this app just yet. I've experienced more success than I have with Tumblr, however. Apparently, nobody wants to see anything less than a catalog quality photo here, and it's mostly for perfect shiny people. No poor resolution party pics to be found here, folks, it's all business. While you'll find a plethora of interesting project how-to's, whether or not you'll actually be able to pull them off, is another story entirely.
 

     These are the social media networks I've tried, some however recently. If you have comments about any of these, or some I may have left out, feel free to enrich my (and others') lives with your wisdom. I hope you found this mildly humorous, and maybe a little helpful even.

How I started a business without an ID or a bank account

   

     For whatever reason that you find yourself without an ID, don't lose hope! I started an online store with no ID, after having traveled across the country for most of my adult life. I had nothing left with my name on it, but I STILL managed, and I'm about to tell you exactly how I did it.

     Firstly, be who you're saying you are. This isn't some hack for scammers. You actually have to own your identity for this.

     Find ANY address that you have permission to get mail at. Drop ins work. Shelters work. Your friend's house, anywhere.

     Sign up for a Netspend MasterCard card online. You'll need your social security number for this, but you won't have to physically have your card. You'll just need to remember your ss number.
     Once you get your netspend card, you can open online accounts that require card information, like etsy, or a blog payment account. I realize that etsy is not the only way this could be of benefit. You won't need to have any money to open the netspend account either.
     After a few months, if you manage to make and receive money with whatever your hustle is into your netspend card, they'll upgrade you to an all access bank account.

     This is perfect for transferring money, accepting funds online, and it has your name on it, so places with lower security will take it as a form of ID of sorts when compiled with other things.
     
       That's IT. It was simple (although it did take me a while to discover how easy it was). I managed to do it while on the road. I could NOT have gotten anywhere had I not figured out this simple life hack. My life is exponentially better and I'm able to make money online now. Best of luck!

I'm now living as a somewhat successful artist with my children in Florida.the road was long, and it got hard towards the end. But I found a way to change my life for the better.

Who Takes Their Children to a Pride Fest, Anyway? We Do, And Here's Why

     Well, for starters, I did. And if you'd like to know why, I'll gladly tell you. It's because my children asked.
     My kids, 15, and 13, are gay. Very gay. I did not indoctrinate them into gayness, nor did they catch the condition at a Pride Fest. I'm not in the habit of being in and out of relationships, so perhaps I failed to indoctrinate them fully into straightness, but I honestly doubt it.
     They're gay, as many kids are. I'm lucky to have the kind of relationship with them that they trusted me with this information before any one else in our family. (They are no longer in any closets or I would NOT be sharing this information with you here in a blog.)
     I would NEVER in a million years miss an opportunity to support my kids, or how gay they are. I'm proud (no pun intended) of them for being so rigid in who they are in a world that often asks us to compromise ourselves. I'm proud of how assertive they are in their identities. I LOVED giving them the chance to see how VERY not alone they are.
     But also, for a moment, we represented something SO much more. Because so many members of the LGBTQA community are NOT accepted by their families, who gladly take them to Pride events. We represent a family so many aren't lucky enough to have. We represent a changing world, with so much love it misses no one, queer or otherwise. The world is all too often a cold and unforgiving place, but we don't have to be either of those things.
      Yes, I am that parent that takes their kids to family friendly Pride events. Yes, we are the loving home, living proof that they DO exist. Yes, they had a great time. And so did I.

Why I Won't Attend Your Webinar

     While it may be effective to market business models to baby boomers, and maybe even genXers, it doesn't seem like it'll work on Millenials. Because we see you as car salesmen of dreams.
      There's something inherently fishy in the whole scheme. Your success seems hindered upon my lack of it. If it worked so well for you to apply these techniques, great! But trying to earn yet another buck off of me, after you're already successful? Its total shit. How greedy can you be?
      "Send me 5 dollars and I'll send you my book on how to get rich!" Page one of book: put an ad in the paper that says send me 5 dollars and I'll send you my book on how to get rich. Yeah. You seem to be looking for suckers, it's not ethical. You're swindling people out of their money at that point.
     If Millenials ghosting employers is any indication, this generation values ethically sound investments of their time and money.
      I'm leery about having to give my email address for a webinar. Why is the content not just in YouTube? Plenty of people monetize their videos and make money off of it, but no. You've got to sell my email address, too? I don't think so, pal. If anyone is going to be profiting off of me, why isn't it ME?

     I'm not going to buy into your weird finances book cult. I'm not going to your webinar even if you said it's free because I am aware of the unseen costs of things and I see right through what you're doing. I value transparency. Not shady and confusing antics of people desperately trying to make a buck so They can afford their second home or new car payments.

Getting Craftier

     Sales are slow in the summer! But my little shop survived anyway. More due to the generosity of my customers than my own perseverance but alive is alive either way, and I won't be taking it for granted.
     I've diversified my inventory, but my main focus has taken a sharp turn toward cosplay items. Not that I ever didn't do cosplay items, just that I've now got the confidence to make more of what I want to make. I've made leaps and bounds in the learn-to-run-a-business arena, but living with schizophrenia, I have to take these things slow to avoid being overwhelmed. I'm still a little nervous about the future, I've got to admit. Making ends meet is a challenge.
     Learning to use Pinterest is an even bigger challenge! (The wiki says I can follow my Facebook friends, but I can't find anything on Pinterest that will allow me to).
     In November, my store will have its first birthday.  Its come a long way and it's still got much farther to go!
One of my recent pieces

Millenials Aren't Killing Anything

     You can't spend much time on the internet anymore without scrolling past a few articles whining about industries that were, frankly, never practical. The internet replaced the needs for certain services, products either improved to replace others, or they simply fell away.
     Fabric softener isn't necessary. The diamond industry was unethical. Toys'r'Us was always hella bougie. We can find the same toys cheaper online.
      Meanwhile, previous generations may have more blood on their hands for these corporate mini deaths than many would like to admit.  Double standards became standard under their power.
     Today? You can't find an employee willing to stay at a job that makes them miserable without them ghosting you? Boo hoo. Offer better work conditions and implicate more practical and ethical policies, and less toxic atmospheres, and watch people stay.
     If Millenials are responsible for killing anything, it's solely due to the fact that whatever it was, was killing first.
     We didn't start this fire. We just grew up in it.