Clans

A couple of days ago, I ran into Maka at the gym. He mentioned that he finally received his disability entitlement. The payments are retroactive, so he will receive about a year of "back pay." He also applied for rental housing at the Chinatown dormitory. Oh, the horror! I quickly advised him to reconsider. However, Maka wants to get off the streets because of his medical condition. I concurred and added that the lease is only for three months. So, he can look for better rental housing during that time. Maka is also planning a trip to Las Vegas for a vacation. Yeah, he's making good use of his disability benefits.

What I found interesting is that Maka does not denigrate homelessness. Rather, he speaks fondly of his current tenure at the bus stop shelter in Mano'a. The reason? Maka is camping there with four other homeless guys. They are a clan, an enclave, a close group who share a common plight. As a group, they are less likely to be victimized by marauding thieves. And, they get along well.

Consider, then, my homeless buddy in the same context. While I am certain that he is camping at the airport to avoid paying for rental housing, I also believe that he prefers to be a member of a clan even more. That clan is at the airport. In other words, a social enclave is important in homelessness, both for security and camaraderie.

There are quite a few of the homeless who are loners. They travel and camp on the streets alone, often avoiding social contact with other homeless people. The problem is finding people who can be trusted. In the world of homelessness, very few people are trustworthy. In my case, I would choose to be a homeless loner.That's why a homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan) would be imperative.

Incidentally, rumor has it that Blogger® has rescinded the previously announced censorship policy. According to reliable sources, the "blogosphere" was in an uproar over the Draconian measure. Public outcry forced the change in policy. Interesting. Where was the public outcry concerning the fraud and thievery being perpetrated on the rank-and-file peons by the moneychangers and powers-that-be? Obviously, access to nudity and sexually explicit material is far more important.

I ran into my homeless buddy at the fast food joint in town this morning. He has changed his vacation plans. He will be departing for Vietnam during the first week of April. He shortened his stay to four and a half months to save money. I don't understand why he would shorten his vacation and return here for more camping fun at the airport. My homeless buddy also described the worsening homeless situation. There are now questionable homeless migrants from the mainland empire camping up in the hills on the Windward side of the island. Heck, I have recently observed numerous homeless people camping in Waimanalo.

Aside from that, the usual agenda and itinerary were fulfilled. I had to make a quick stop at the health food store in the McCully district to replenish my supply of psyllium. No evening outing in Kahala. Dinner was courtesy the fast food joint in Hawai'i Kai. Aside from two greasy "value menu" items, I chose a couple of healthier selections. Oh brother. How can anyone eat healthy at a fast food joint?

Each day becomes a lesson in new frustrations. The world around me has gone increasingly mad. I suppose that I can empathize with the myriad fools who divert all attention to their "smartphones." There's no other escape in real terms. Only an escape through fantasy is possible. Molech, help us all.