In my Intro to Comp class, we have been discussing where we are from, where we are, and where we are going. I know the purpose of this assigned mentor text was to help us see different perspectives on what home can be. I was assigned to read What Home Means to the Homeless, written by Damon Winter. Now, I couldn't find much information on Mr. Winter, only that he works for New York Times as a staff photographer and is currently on assignment for Opinions. In this text it is evident Mr. Winter is focusing on the opinion of a home specifically to the homeless. The passage essentially discusses what objects or things the homeless cherish and cling to when life wasn't kind to them. Things like mementos, memories, their loyal animals, but for many objects of utility were cherished. I think the overall purpose of the article is to serve as a reminder that the homeless are humans who suffered great loss. After reading this passage, which I know is meant to merely provide a different perspective on home, I can't help but to think of my mom. The biggest weight on my heart currently is that my mom doesn't have a home. My parents separated in 2019, my dad won custody, and my mom of course was left with some money to find a stable place to stay. But the thing about my mom is English is not her first language, she lived in Mexico her whole life, and when she was married to my dad, he took care of the finances. When they divorced my mom was financially illiterate, after a few years the money from the divorce ran out, and she had trouble keeping a job mainly because she suffers from hearing loss, had car troubles, and she doesn't have a high school diploma. There were so many reasons from the start that already put her at a disadvantage. My mom is a huge part of my life but when I am asked about my past, and even my present, I keep this part of myself hidden. I'm telling this story because one of the strangest things my mom has started doing over the past 2 years that she has been without a home is collect objects and randomly send me pictures. The car that she lives in is filled with stuffed animals and all kinds of picture frames. After reading the article I understand now that she is just holding on to pieces of home which give her hope.
Real World Response: https://twitter.com/TeresaKing0314/status/1519012702965813248?s=20&t=Hbu48Dmexj4d3K0IHIDMbg
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