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“Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#11

Post by forgotmypw17 »

m3kw9 wrote: post #10
forgotmypw17 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I look for a bathroom which I can still access and use that. This can either be a public restroom or a friend's place, lately. When I was going into this lifestyle, I was worried about it, but it's largely a non-issue. When out in nature, I prefer to shit in the woods. It's an experience everyone should try, there's something primal about it I can't quite explain. I don't use toilet paper because I think it's rather…

How do you wash your butt? That sounds even harder.

I use water, either sink, bidet, or natural body.

If it's not possible, I use wet paper towels or toilet paper to wipe clean, but this is rare.

For the last couple of years, I almost never use soap for anything, including my butt, except washing my hands.

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#12

Post by elboru »

forgotmypw17 wrote: post #8
AnimalMuppet wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, my first question is, why? Why do you choose to live that way? [Edit: Or do you do so not by choice? From your post, I gathered it was by choice, but maybe I shouldn't assume that...]

I transitioned to this lifestyle gradually over the course of several years, starting with apartment-job-cat, through couch-surfing and short-term rentals, living out of a van, and then finally total freedom. I chose to do it because I wanted to have more control over how I spend my time. I realized that I was spending most of my time on someone else's schedule, building someone else's dreams, rather than working on…

How do you sustain yourself? How do you afford food?

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#13

Post by alexpetralia »

Daub wrote: post #6

I was homeless for a period of time that extended to my first year at college. Was honestly not a bad life. I learned something fundamental... that one can get used to anything except being cold. I would go to sleep when the parks closed, around 10. Cold would wake me up at around 3 or 4 in the morning, and grab some more sleep around mid day. It’s one reason why homeless people have dogs... they serve as hot water b…

This change in perspective is really interesting. Would love to read more if you wrote about it elsewhere.

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#14

Post by forgotmypw17 »

elboru wrote: post #12
forgotmypw17 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I transitioned to this lifestyle gradually over the course of several years, starting with apartment-job-cat, through couch-surfing and short-term rentals, living out of a van, and then finally total freedom. I chose to do it because I wanted to have more control over how I spend my time. I realized that I was spending most of my time on someone else's schedule, building someone else's dreams, rather than working on…

How do you sustain yourself? How do you afford food?

In the beginning, I just lived more minimally.

Now, I rarely think about food. I just don't.

Whenever it appears before me, and it's of quality, I eat enough to be full. Otherwise, I don't think about it.

It has opened more time for me to think about programming and other things I actually want to think about.

I no longer have to think about what I'll get for lunch, spend time getting there, wait in line, pay for it, etc.

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#15

Post by thechao »

forgotmypw17 wrote: post #14
elboru wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you sustain yourself? How do you afford food?

In the beginning, I just lived more minimally. Now, I rarely think about food. I just don't. Whenever it appears before me, and it's of quality, I eat enough to be full. Otherwise, I don't think about it. It has opened more time for me to think about programming and other things I actually want to think about. I no longer have to think about what I'll get for lunch, spend time getting there, wait in line, pay for it,…

I think the question still stands: how do you afford food? Also, what happened to the cat?

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#16

Post by nothimbut »

thechao wrote: post #15
forgotmypw17 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the beginning, I just lived more minimally. Now, I rarely think about food. I just don't. Whenever it appears before me, and it's of quality, I eat enough to be full. Otherwise, I don't think about it. It has opened more time for me to think about programming and other things I actually want to think about. I no longer have to think about what I'll get for lunch, spend time getting there, wait in line, pay for it,…

I think the question still stands: how do you afford food? Also, what happened to the cat?

Food is pretty abundant in the US. I've eaten lots of fine (as in tasty and unspoiled) food from grocery trash. If you're close to civilization there's food banks, soup kitchens as well.

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#17

Post by ggm »

Daub wrote: post #6

I was homeless for a period of time that extended to my first year at college. Was honestly not a bad life. I learned something fundamental... that one can get used to anything except being cold. I would go to sleep when the parks closed, around 10. Cold would wake me up at around 3 or 4 in the morning, and grab some more sleep around mid day. It’s one reason why homeless people have dogs... they serve as hot water b…

Your inability to "get used to" cold may reflect a survival technique the body has, to avoid hyothermia. Sleeping cold has very high risks.

Aside from this, I am truly sorry you had to live through this experience, and that others continue to live through this experience. It has been a revalation to me how quickly local authorities here in Australia could house rough sleepers when they had a specific intent (disease prevention) in mind. I always suspected persisting homelessness was both complex (causative reasons) and simple (to fix) but what surprised me was how simple: they just had to decide to do it.

Shame on them, shame on us, for continuing to vote for authorities so apathetic to the problem of homelessness.

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#18

Post by forgotmypw17 »

thechao wrote: post #15
forgotmypw17 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the beginning, I just lived more minimally. Now, I rarely think about food. I just don't. Whenever it appears before me, and it's of quality, I eat enough to be full. Otherwise, I don't think about it. It has opened more time for me to think about programming and other things I actually want to think about. I no longer have to think about what I'll get for lunch, spend time getting there, wait in line, pay for it,…

I think the question still stands: how do you afford food? Also, what happened to the cat?

I found a new home for my kitty.

I do not "afford" food, because I do not pay for it.

I eat food others offer me or when I find it in discarded food.

I have participated in the "food stamps" program, but that does not last long, and it's only a small component of my diet. I also largely use them to buy food to share with others, not solely for myself.

As another poster mentioned, there is a lot of good food in dumpsters, as well.

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#19

Post by Daub »

alexpetralia wrote: post #13
Daub wrote: post #6

I was homeless for a period of time that extended to my first year at college. Was honestly not a bad life. I learned something fundamental... that one can get used to anything except being cold. I would go to sleep when the parks closed, around 10. Cold would wake me up at around 3 or 4 in the morning, and grab some more sleep around mid day. It’s one reason why homeless people have dogs... they serve as hot water b…

This change in perspective is really interesting. Would love to read more if you wrote about it elsewhere.

Thanks for taking an interest. If you don't mind, I can share a few reflections here.

> One thing it left me with is that it changed the way I walk through the city.

On this subject... I recognize this same quality in the people of the working class district of Vietnam, where I now live. For them the gap between the public space and private is very narrow. This is common in Asian countries, where so much commerce is done on the streets. It is hard to define, but easy to recognize. Perhaps one reason why I feel so at home here.

> I learned something fundamental... that one can get used to anything except being cold.

Related to this topic was the importance of regular shelter. In that time, I slept in three places: a large doorway of an opera house, a bush in the middle of a large public park and under a bridge. Of these three, it is the bush of which I have the fondest memories, to the point where I even now I sometimes look at it on Google maps when I need reminding of who I am. Inside was open, clean and mostly dry. Living on the street reduces one's life to prime values, and the need for regular shelter is one of them. For me the regularity was as important as the shelter (hell... I had plenty of bushes to choose from!). It was the atomic beginnings of my sense of home. Odd to look back on now, when I am actively planning to design and build my own house.

As for how I had found myself in that situation, it was around 20% unfortunate circumstances, and 80% low-level thinking on my part. At the time, my only response to situations that gave me harm was to avoid them. I had not yet figured out how to construct situations that benefit me. It was this failure of consciousness that led to to the streets, and the day I left the streets was the day intentionality came into my life. I was in McDonalds, ordering a Fillet-O-Fish. When I handed over my money to the guy serving me, he refused to accept it and gave me a look I can only describe as beatific... like saintly glow. It took a while for me to recognize that this was a look of pity. "Why on earth is he pitying me?" Behind me was a wall covered in mirror tiles. As I turned to go, I caught sight of myself in these tiles, and I saw myself for what I had become: a disheveled monster. That very evening I went home to my fathers house and started to take college more seriously.

Re: “Alexander the Grate” on living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

#20

Post by shadowprofile77 »

Daub wrote: post #19
alexpetralia wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This change in perspective is really interesting. Would love to read more if you wrote about it elsewhere.

Thanks for taking an interest. If you don't mind, I can share a few reflections here. > One thing it left me with is that it changed the way I walk through the city. On this subject... I recognize this same quality in the people of the working class district of Vietnam, where I now live. For them the gap between the public space and private is very narrow. This is common in Asian countries, where so much commerce is…

If you don't mind my asking, how old were you when you had to pass through this time of homelessness, (I mean, what age range until it ended) and how long afterwards did it take you to reach the point you're at now?
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