In Which We Find Out That Not Everyone is Tolerant and Compassionate

…of those who choose to live their lives outside society’s norms.

One of our long term entrenched rough sleepers left us in the summer of 2014 to move on to a very small village in the deepest depths of Somerset. He had been in our area for years and we had, very early on, signposted him to mental health services and attempted to get him housed. However, J didn’t want any help. He didn’t want to be housed and he didn’t like his daily routine being upset. He kept himself to himself and bothered no one. The only time he interacted with the public outside our drop-in sessions was to fill up his travel mug with tea from the local cafes & restaurants.

Then one day he just disappeared and we were very concerned about his welfare. And then rather extraordinarily, the postmaster at a small village post office in Somerset contacted me in the Doorway office to ask me to send down any post that we had received for J.

The postmaster has been in touch with me regularly, since J’s arrival in the area, to keep my updated on his welfare. The villagers were looking after him and making sure that his post was getting to him and he was being fed etc. I even spoke to the local Council who were aware of his presence in the area but not particularly bothered since there was no cause for alarm and J wasn’t causing any trouble.

However, very recently, J moved from the village since the flight plans at the local air base were changed and helicopters started regularly low flying over his field which obviously distressed him enough that he needed to move location.

I have just had an update from the village postmaster  and he says that J has now moved on to another village who are so intolerant of him that the villagers have all united together and raised a petition to get him physically removed from the area.

J is totally harmless. He has no alcohol or drug dependencies. He is on the autistic spectrum and just wants to be left alone to live his life outside and by himself with no interference from the public. He doesn’t want to be housed and has his own reasons for living the lifestyle that he chooses.

Shame on the entire village for their lack of compassion…