Today I took the bus home from work. It was not a big trip. I didn’t have any bus tickets or change for the bus, so I had to walk for 10-15 minutes. Then I bought some bus tickets and walked to another store to get some grocery. Then I caught the bus. All the while I really had to go to the bathroom. And I was hungry. I got off the first bus and relieved myself at the bathroom at Tim Horton’s. Then I waited out in the freezing, biting cold, rainy, windy street for the next bus. Caught that bus, then got off at my stop and walked home. Total journey was about 1 hour.

Typing this is physically difficult because my fingers are numb. The entire way I was feeling cold, uncomfortable, hungry – oh and did I mention I had two large grocery bags and a laptop bag too? I cannot imagine if I felt like this in just one hour how people must feel to spend the entire night out in the cold. Many people who are newly homeless must feel so embarrassed having to use public or restaurant bathrooms, and trying to find food and shelter – it is probably very frustrating and humiliating. We really need to do something about the lack of affordable housing and mental healthcare in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside. I admit I am probably spoiled and weak so maybe this had an exaggerated effect on me but I was literally thinking while standing out in the cold waiting for my second bus that people should be handing out flyers here that say “Feeling Cold? Uncomfortable? Imagine Being Homeless.”