with or without a home?

I was hesitant to post these shots I took of a homeless person's home under a bridge today because it felt so invasive (right, not that photography is almost inherently invasive), which is why they're not more carefully taken and much closer to the hasty snapshots that are indicative of the moment.

The space struck me much in the way photos of peoples' homes as taken by The Selby and other peek-into-your-closet/house photo blogs do, because despite the shabby or unglamorous circumstances everything is organized into its own place. Tarps as carpet, complete with welcome mat, a neatly made bed with stuffed animals that double (I think) as pillows, flip flops at the foot of the bed and toiletries to the side, and the living room further off to the left of the bed complete with cooler, a book and armchair. I'm not glamorizing or praising the setup or capabilities of the occupant, or am I? I think I'm more touched by the concept of home despite not being in a conventional house, as well as the adaptability of a person and the reminder that the homeless are still human...

Homelessness has been a rampant issue in L.A. for as long as I can remember. I think I read somewhere that the mild California winters and overall pleasant weather makes it easier for people to make it through, which is why there are so many thousands of homeless encampments and individual shelters scattered about the city. My first reactions to the homeless while growing up were repulsion, then pity, scorn, and apathy, but now my reactions occur on a case-by-case basis. Who am I to judge them? But then again don't I have the right to fear for my safety when a particularly belligerent fellow or lady bellows at me from across the way? I'm not out on a mission to 'solve' the homeless problem, and sometimes I get away with the rationalization that they could be so much worse off. You'd be surprised at how generous people can be to the homeless, if they're panning the right neighborhoods. And I have a great story from a friend who offered a panhandler half a CPK pizza only to have the guy say "No thanks, I'm a vegetarian"... sheesh! Then again, I have no idea what it is like to be homeless, and am lucky for it. Overall I just try to be kind without getting hustled too hard, mentally recite a quick prayer for them and then move on while being grateful for my own circumstances and living situation. It is humbling to be reminded now and again that so many of us, despite our current problems and woes, have so much that is probably taken for granted.