Day 5 (Part One)

“Tim, you look like s##t” (How J, another former rough sleeper, greeted me yesterday)

I realised yesterday that I need to change my plans. One of the things I’d wondered about for many years is how difficult it is to function properly if you are sleeping rough, especially if drugs and alcohol are part of the coping strategy. So far, I’ve tried to keep up my work during the day. Yesterday at 11am I realised all I was good for was reacting. I could answer emails and phonecalls and stuff like that but that list of work I want to do and may need to do, that is partly in my head, had gone. I couldn’t think what to do next without real effort.

We want people who are rough sleeping to be organised enough to take reasonable decisions that will help them in the long run. It means remembering appointments and where those appointments are meant to be. It involves keeping your composure when systems fail or people don’t understand what you’re really asking for or trying to say. It involves a lot of things that at my best I can do with ease. But I’m not at my best and I can’t be because I’m not getting enough sleep and I don’t feel great about being me or the way some people have looked at me or treated me. 

For the remainder of the two weeks, I won’t go to the office much. I will write the blog and post it and I will keep the handful of appointments I’ve got over the next nine days. Otherwise, I will see what I feel like with nothing much between waking and sleeping. A few of those who were rough sleepers have told me that’s what I should be doing, so that’s what I’ll do.

And one more thing….today, I had a shower. It felt so good!! Today I took off socks that have been on my feet for four days, I want tell you any more details. The sad reality is that at night I haven’t wanted to take them off, nor my trousers or shirts. I needed them for warmth. I’ve got clean socks, but there wasn’t the option of a clean shirt. Thank you City Taxis! I had an early meeting at their offices and they let me use their shower!!

If you want to know more about changing the lives of people who are homeless visit www.archerproject.org.uk 

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