People always wonder, how does somebody end up homeless? And Wayne was happy to tell us his story. He used to work at the Lunchbox in Bricktown for 11 years as a chef, but it was on the land that Devon Energy bought out. He said he didn't really have a good job history so he lost his job when Devon took over. Although he lost his job due to this expansion, he did not seem bitter about it. Instead he said it was interesting to watch the development of that area.
When I asked them why they were hanging around the Botanical Gardens, they said they were waiting for the mission to open to eat dinner. They seemed a little skeptical about even being on that part of town and they told me they hate going to the mission because "that's where you run into trouble. You're liable to get stabbed over there, but we have to eat."
Since they were so open with me, I asked what was the most interesting thing that has happened to them living on the streets. Mike said that sometimes people will drive by and throw things at them. He said people have tried to throw water bottles at their heads before. They never cause trouble, yet since they are homeless people always draw those assumptions.
These men really made me think. I never thought about how grateful I was to have friends that are there for me, but they know the true meaning of best friends. I've never thought about the lives that are impacted when big companies come in and jobs are lost. And the biggest one to me, is I've never had to fear eating a meal because I was worried I would lose my life.
It was very humbling listening to them, because everything average people take for granted everyday, these homeless men appreciate them more than anything in the world.
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