Hero's of the streets

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for the massive response, it is incredible and far more than I expected. This morning I have something I want to talk about so here is the first post of many...

Homeless war veterans they deserve so much more than they receive, from the public and government.

Take a moment, I want you to picture yourself, your partner, children, parents, friends.

You are deployed to Afghanistan leaving everyone you love behind but you smile as you leave to represent your country and help those in desperate need. In Afghanistan you kill many men, you loose your best friends, you see the death of children, you see fear in their eyes. Whilst you are fighting for what you know is right you receive the new your mother has passed away; her funeral was yesterday. You have no time to mourn your own loss, besides it can't be true can it?

Every day is a struggle but there are many moments when you couldn't imagine being with anyone than your fellow soldiers. They are family. When bombs explode and shots are fired they feel it too, they know the adrenaline rush that propels you forward.

The day comes when you are told you can return home and it seems like the best day of your life, it probably is as when you step off that plane back onto English soil your life has changed forever:

You are allowed to stay with your brother for a bit whilst you adjust back to civilian life but the trauma you have experienced never goes away and you are eventually diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). You scream in the night, lash out sometimes and your brother no longer wants you in the house because your behaviour upsets his daughter.

You end up on the streets.

No one would want this, no one should be homeless but war veterans have fought for our lives and others and are forced to live in shop doorways, under card board boxes battling the elements. You may here the word homeless  and associate it with other derogatory terms and actions that people take such as becoming alcohol or drug dependant. For some this is the case for others it isn't, just the same as it is for some who live in a house, flat, bungalow.

Next time you see someone homeless, try to give what you can. A muffin, some money, hat or scarf. Remember they are people and should be treated with the dignity they deserve. They aren't just littering the streets the sad truth is many of them are actually war heroes. Okay you may not be able to change their world but you can certainly help them have a day that is  tiny bit more bearable.

Please lets break these stereotypes and help the homeless.

Love the boringly ordinarily normal teen.

 'How do they have money to buy cigarettes?' A question many ask but if a person wants to buy them with their money as a stress relief as something to subdue the starvation they are free to do so.