In the Bahamas there is one character that has a food store trolley cart laden with hub caps. He always has cardboard placards that are always thought provoking. I look forward to reading them when I pass him on Shirley Street. He is homeless but does not beg and always seems so self assured and independent with his trolley. He is known by the alias Pot Cake. In the Bahamas Pot Cake often refers to a stray dog. The other meaning is the burnt bottom of a pot; some say it is the sweetest part of the pot others think it is the worst. I would think from his demeanor that his meaning was based on the sweetest part of the pot. In Montserrat, in other Caribbean countries and world wide there are many such characters. Even in European countries, they have abandoned their laws that make vagrancy a crime.
I recall this man called Brim, in Montserrat, who made a living from begging for money. One day he approached a prominent person for some money. When the person hesitated in giving it to him, his words were you may have more money than me but you are not better than me. To this day that incident has been etched in this person’s mind and they have shared it with others.
Some homeless individuals may appear to suffering from mental illnesses but it is only because we can see them every day as we pass them by. They give us a peep into their secret worlds. We can only guess as to how many other persons suffer from disorders. Many of these homeless men and women have behavior that can only be explained by physicians, psychiatrists or psychologists but to me they are some of the most creative individuals you can come across. In history there have been many examples of eccentric behaviour be it in art, literature etc. There are many international examples such as Van Gogh, Dorian Grey, Michael Jackson etc. In every day life the man or woman on the street in order for them to counter their conditions (anxiety, manic depression, mania, depression, bipolar disorder, drug abuse) they behave in a particular ways; begging for funds, appear on the side of road cursing, scratching themselves all the time, not taking a bath for weeks, tearing their clothes off etc).
For me these antics of some homeless individuals evoke powerful imagery that stretches my thinking and deepens my understanding – giving me different perspectives on life. The next time you see a vagrant do not think about how you could wish them away and think thoughts of they should stop bumming around and find a job. Yes many of us may think ill of them but bear in mind that many of us who are not in the eyes of the public have control of our persona; we bring out what we want the world to see; the apollonian side (rational, formal, uncontrollably, predictable, cohesive , regulated). These homeless people on the other hand are individuals who show us their Dionysian side (disorder, falling apart, chaos, emotions, and irrationality) and in the background to there story are often interesting and profound and many of their quirks can be traced to family traits.
Yet not all of the homeless are strange and undisciplined characters. Living on an island as one would come across these personalities I notice that some are kind, some sincere, some genuine others insolent. Some would tug at our heart strings in one manner or the other and some inspire us to reevaluate ourselves when we finally do notice them.
Tags: Bahamas, Bahamas Press, bum, Caribbean, Dorian Grey, homeless, Michael Jackson, Nassau, New Providence, pot cake, poverty, prosperity, Shirley Street, Vagrant, Van Gogh, wealth, wisdom
