Recently, I found a piece on the subtle differences between terms used to describe impoverished people with no permanent residence. I concluded after reading:

• Homeless: Individual is without a home, but says little about whether they plead with strangers as their primary source of income.
• Bum: Individual is also without a home, but they are incessant beggars. They often use fabrication to swindle unsuspecting citizens in to giving them a paltry amount of cash.

Once learning the word transient, I’ve never looked back. For me, it doesn’t come off as pejorative as bum and homeless.

Since reading an essay by the luminary Sam Harris, I have a difficult time judging people on their status in society. It’s certainly complex issue. I side with the thought that it’s arrogant to take credit for who we are. We’re the product of many “things”—very few of these “things” are brought-to-fruition solely by ourselves.

Living in the East Village for the last 6 months, I have somewhat frequent interactions with transients. Two things that seem to always come to mind:

1. With the loose change of random people ostensibly their source of income, has there been a noticeable drop off in their yearly take home? The question spawns from the fact fewer and fewer people carry cash with them. Personally, I carry two $20 bills tucked away in my wallet for emergencies—that’s it. This holds true especially in a city like New York, where it seems all but select bodegas and curbside food stands accept either some combination of credit card, Square, Level Up, Venmo, etc. It’s understandable of course not many transient think about such things, but curious to me nonetheless. Will a time come when transient accept something beside bills and coins? I argue since we’re in a world where cash is less important each year, change will soon be necessary for the homeless and bums alike to sustain in their current form.
2. This one’s way narrower in scope and won’t be applicable to most people. Gun-to-my-head if someone asked how often I donate change and/or bills when asked, I’d say ~10% … I have no problem saying no. Anyway, I believe a considerable reason that percentage isn’t higher, is the asker’s niggling obsession with some form of the term “God Bless”. Someone smarter than me sums up my religious beliefs more succinctly than I ever could:

“I’ve never thought of myself as an atheist, I continue to think of myself just as a person who’s trying to be reasonable with all the data that’s available.”

So … I guess … if you ever see me out n’about and want some free money, keep God out of it!

UPDATE: Speaking of homelessness, spent today (7/15/13) in Denver. Lots of homeless people in Denver.