First of all, I know some of these people. I was working in a restaurant when four of them walked by. I asked if they needed their water bottle filled up, and from there we hung out for three days.

Second, many of these people live this way by choice. And for much of their life they are very happy doing so.

Signed,
Horse-C***
from South Carolina

The monicker is a nickname so they know who I am if they read this.

I thought in America is not homeless

These people have made a choice to not participate in society. If they wanted to all they would have to do to get a job would be to shower, put on some clean clothes and apply for something. Taco Bell is always hiring.

that can’t be true! Please tell me that it’s not true

sad…

hmm. This is actually how a large portion of kids choose to live.

Actually, wouldn’t be surprised if 50% of them choose to live like this, it happens fairly often.

They choose to live like this because A. they are crazy, B. They are on drugs, C. It seems like a good idea, or D. All of the above. So good riddens to bad trash, at least someone got some good pictures out of it so people can point out how America doesn’t work fuck um.

When I was very young I managed to support myself and put a roof over my head with no help from anyone. In NYC no less. I even managed to pay for my school and clothing….There was plenty of work. I even worked as a nanny. No help from the government or parents. I am sure these very young and healthy people can do the same.

I won’t lie, I have two college degrees, and had a high paying job for three years. I went for that American dream but decided it wasn’t worth it. I quit my job, gave most of my stuff to friends (with the exception of this sturdy laptop and my Ipod) and have lived for two years now couch surfing around Colorado.

Beats me how anyone can choose to live like this. We have plenty of people living this way in my country, but I know it’s not out of choice.

Exactly. There’s a whole vagabond culture that’s grown up around the Mississippi.

Agreeing with Helldozer below, I’d imagine more than half of these people chose their life. Undoubtedly, they understand better than you, Normalish, that less is more. Go to any country around the world, and you’ll find that the more people have, the less happy they are. To find the truly happy people, find those who have little to nothing, AND who have not given into their vices. You’ll find some incredibly intelligent and creative minds, artistic and poetic, who choose their way of life to have the freedoms they couldn’t enjoy otherwise. Like Janis said, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose, and baby I ain’t nothin’ if not free.”

I squatted for a year of my life, and to date those have been the best times of my life. I knew real people, free of “worldly burdens,” and who’s only crimes are their nonconformity with the typical American mindset. Tag along with these people sometime. You’ll find that there isn’t always the drug use you imagine (maybe a little weed now and again), and the drinking helps to reduce the occurrence of digestive infections (and have a good time). These people have more companionship and loyalty among friends than most will ever experience.

And it’s not always about choice, you’re right. Sometimes extenuating circumstances arise, and you simply must do the best you can with what you’ve got–even if what you have is nothing at all. If you come from a place in life where you’ve had all your wishes and wants attended to, even if you did the attending, and suddenly find that all of these luxuries in life have been taken from you, you will come across a few crossroads. You can choose to adapt to your new station, making of it the best you can, you can fill yourself with selfishness and pity with the “OH! How could I EVER live like THIS?” attitude, or you could begin contemplating Camus’ major thesis: whether or not to commit suicide. If you are marginally crafty, possess some modicum of ingenuity, and aren’t filled with self-pity, you will succeed at making the best out of it. Sometimes making the best of it means getting yourself out of the situation you now face, and sometimes you’ll discover within yourself that you are ill-suited for the luxuries you once enjoyed and may choose to enjoy your new station in life. The thing is about this latter point is that you will never know that you better suited for this “meek” lifestyle until you are actually living it; simply imagining yourself in that position is not enough.

<>America, promised land, land of opportunities <>
AMEN!
Now read this:
From Homeless to Harvard
“The American Spirit” Of Lalita Booth – By 18 She was Married, A Mother, a High School Dropout, and Homeless …
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/01/eveningnews/main6355052.shtml

Most, if not all, of these photos are from a single series documenting (very beautifully, i might add) modern-day hobos; young people who ride freight trains around the country and live ‘off the grid’. It’s not about poverty in America, which does exist, but looks very different from the lifestyle depicted in the photographs. These people live this way by choice, seeking a different kind of freedom from what that word seems to mean for most people.

They are fucking gyspies. Whoever the moron is that did this article has no common sense. Apparently your one of the fucking retarded ass Obama supporters too. I hope you die a slow painful death you fucking idiot

What a crock. I saw $200 shoes, an $800 Martin guitar, an expensive mandolin, an expensive f-hole archtop guitar, and a lot of privileged kids who won’t work for a living.

you’re* :D

Some of these really made me smile. I found this series of photographs incredibly heart warming and reminiscent of some of the happiest times in my life. These times were marked by the realisation of freedom that comes from understanding how little we really need. Any of us could wake up tomorrow and do anything we wanted to do- all that limits us is our idea of what we want and what we are capable of. Living outdoors introduced me to a wonderful community of creative, resourceful people and taught me a lot about what ACTUALLY makes me truly happy. I am a successful professional now and I know, wherever I end up in my life, I’m much better set up to succeed at being happy given the lessons I learned from my time wearing smokey clothes and making beautiful homes in the woods and abandoned buildings.
Among the people of these communities are the individuals who are really making something for themselves in this world.

Dirty morons