Black and White in a Gray World

What we see is seldom an exhaustive representation of what is actually happening.

We, as people, have done a lot of amazing things. Think about it for a second, and you will be flabbergasted by the sheer volume of incredible feats accomplished by the human race: minute rice, bullets, wristwatches, advanced thermonuclear physics, the NCAA college basketball tournament, Folsom Prison Blues... the list is endless and some days I am generally pleased that I am a human (other days I soooo wish I was a dolphin) because of all the wonderful things we have created. I will admit there has been the occasional item invented that I am not happy with, but I'll save those for a different post because the weather is beautiful and the last thing I want to do is rain on all the individual parades walking up and down the streets of Kalispell.

Another facet of humanity that separates us from other beings (in this instance, lets say sheep) is an elevated sense of awareness and the capacity to look at a situation and gauge what is happening. Quite simply, if I am in line at Target and there is a mother with a screaming child strapped to her hip wailing away for all of the 59901 to hear, I can evaluate the situation and make some educated guesses as to why junior is unhappy. Maybe he was denied some candy. Perhaps he doesn't feel well. It could be he just saw the price of gas.  Or, his grandmother passed away and he misses her terribly. Anyway, I look at the situation and process what is unfolding before me, whereas a sheep might just bleat and move on. I will never know the full extent of the circumstances leading up to that very moment in time when I experience the child's tantrum; all I know is that I want the kid to shut up.

Things are never as uncomplicated as they appear. When you see a person you believe to be homeless, do you ever ask what led to his or her circumstances, or do you make a snap judgement based on an incomplete photo of what you see?

Homelessness is not an alternative lifestyle and it goes deeper than the mere circumstances you see on the surface.


Khalid has medical bills and no insurance. He has exhausted all his savings and can’t keep up on his rent so he finds himself crashing on various couches belonging to friends and families. Even the patience of the kindest person eventually wears thin.

Edward started using meth when he was 16. He spent time in and out of jail and cannot keep a regular job because of his drug habit, which has robbed him of his health, finances, and dignity. He spends each night curled up in a different park.

Thomas and Rosemary were victims of the housing crisis and their entire world has come crashing down around them. In the span of three weeks they have gone from a nice house in a residential area to living in a one-room transitional housing unit in the shelter. They pray they will be able to find something permanent soon.

Anna is in the third grade but hasn’t finished an assignment in nearly a week. She and her mother have been on the run from her abusive father. They have no family in the area and feel absolutely alone when they check into the shelter.

Janine moved to a new town for a job that never materialized. She has been sleeping in her car for over a week and finally realizes that she needs a permanent place but cannot afford a deposit along with the first and last month’s rent. She feels hopeless because the shelter is at full capacity and has no room for her.

Sometimes gray is the color of life.