An afternoon of Tent City surprises
Assumptions. We all make them. We all believe them. And we often live by them.
I worked as a news reporter this summer and covered a variety of general news assignments, through which I met and talked with different people every day.
A few weeks back, I went on assignment to Tent City.
Tent City is a makeshift campground area in downtown Reno, harboring the overflow of about 160 homeless transients of the area. I had never been to Tent City before and could only guess what I would find there.
What I found was almost like a community. Perfectly assembled tents of all sizes lined the narrow dirt lot, while shopping carts full of personal belongings were parked nearby.
Men and women were walking about, talking about their previous lives, finding work and even sharing a laugh or two.
I immediately regretted my office-attire dress, my overly large designer sunglasses and the correct perception that I had a house to go back to at night.
There was no way around it. I couldn’t help but feel that I didn’t belong.
And then Anna Marie invited me in.
Anna Marie is in her mid-50s, although her leathered skin makes her look older. She has a thin, fragile body and she has been homeless for four months. Every day she starts anew, trying to change her situation.
Most mornings, Anna Marie fills out endless job applications and waits for replies, only to repeat the process the following morning.
She fills her spare time by tidying her neat tent, which she allowed me to sit in, washing her minimal laundry at the nearby Urgent Care Center and trying to find others in Tent City who just need someone to talk to.
She has no permanent address. She has no family. And, despite what may be assumed of her and others in Tent City, she has a mental disorder, not a drug addiction.
I would assume that anyone in her position would feel discouraged, downtrodden and even entitled to help. Anna Marie said she’s happy to have a roof (or tent) over her head.
Lightheartedly, she often spoke of the Great Dane dogs she used to have and her love of the color red.
Often we assume that we are set apart from other people. Just as many people assume that a majority of the occupants of Tent City are drug addicts, we respond negatively saying “It’s what they deserve” or “Good riddance.”
It’s easy to dismiss someone when you assume they don’t need or deserve your help.
While I’m not proposing that you go out and save humanity tomorrow, all this columnist asks is that next time you just give someone a chance.
It’s a new school year. Get out there and invite someone in that you normally wouldn’t. It’ll surprise you.
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