As children we depend on things, toys, games, stuffed animals.
Begging for the newest game, the newest toy, the newest this, the newest that.
Throwing fits when our wish isn’t met.
Take candy from a baby and hear it roar.
So imagine taking away a child’s house, it’s home, it’s everything.
Lumping it in with beggars on the street, previously ignored.
People that child has walked past for years hoping they wouldn’t follow or berate them.
Lost without the safety of the room they grew up in,
Lost without the neighborhood they knew so well,
Lost without the comfort of a house.
Four walls and a roof defining their everything.
Defining how many friends they had, if they could have sleepovers, if they met the standard.
And yet without such definition,
Having to attend school and pretend they were just like others.
Feeling as if their soul was ripped out with the uprooting of a stationary lifestyle.
Nomadic, horrified, ashamed.
Coming back as late as possible and leaving just as early in order to be in their excuse of a home for as little time as possible.
Wondering why they couldn’t have a bed, heat, pocket money.
Why was this happening to them. Why now? Why me? Why this?
Blaming anyone and everyone; teachers, parents, God.
Having to ignore the comments on their weight because they didn’t want to have to explain they couldn’t afford the food needed to “put meat on their bones.”
Trying not to hate people that didn’t check their privilege.
We think of the homeless as bag ladies, madmen frothing at the mouth, but it’s more than that.
It’s your teacher, your friend, your peer, your enemy.
It’s hiding behind the identity of a middle class citizen they had seen on TV.
Praying that they won’t become a pariah.
Hoping they won’t become an outcast; doing anything and everything to blend into the walls of a memory.
But what doesn’t kill you doesn’t just make you stronger it makes you smarter.
Makes you realize how frivolous “things” can be.
Exposed to the elements; cramped in a car you realize that you can do it.
You can live without your iron bed frame. You can live without your closet or your dresser.
You don’t need a kitchen with an island or an espresso machine to be happy.
I found that you need support.
And in times of such dependence we think that “things” provide support.
But it’s your friends, your family, your self assurance that give you the power to be independent.
The weight that is lifted off your chest when someone says you can stay with them if anything happens, that you can turn to them, that you aren’t alone is incomparable to the false sense of security you find in a three floor townhouse in Park Slope.
You cannot depend on your next paycheck, your next interview, your tomorrow.
You can only rely on now.
Find security in the dedication of your blood, in the voice of someone close to you, of the beat of your heart.
Find your home, homeless.
A house don’t determine your value. You do.

The post “Home” appeared first on EX LOCUM.

Age: 17 School: LaGuardia School Location: Manhattan

Clare is a truly remarkable person. She is a gifted actress, a unique dancer, a knowledgeable filmmaker, and an amazing writer. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her for almost six years now. Six years! We met at the beginning of the 7th grade at PPAS, when I just moved back to New York from San Francisco. She greeted me on my first day of school and readily showed around. The moment I met her, it became clear that she was confident and had a head on her shoulders. These qualities are also easy to see when she’s acting. That first year when we met, everyone in our class was given an assignment to write a monologue and perform it in front of the class. To this day, I still remember the talent she emulated when performing her monologue. Not to mention that the level of her writing well surpassed any expectations for that age. She discusses that monologue in the video, so I don’t want to give too much away, but I can testify that Clare is not only an incredible artist with a vision, but also a very knowledgeable individual with a broadest expertise on a multitude of topics. Watch the video and see for yourself!

Fun memorabilia — Ursula and Margaret (a.k.a. Clare and Ana) in Much Ado About Nothing, PPAS/Waterwell production circa 2010 (or 2011):

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Age: 16 School: LaGuardia School Location: Roosevelt Island

Emma is a jubilant and ridiculously cheerful artist. I met her at a pre-college drawing program we are both taking at the Cooper Union this summer. During the first couple days a lot of us kept to ourselves, quietly drawing and observing others. I couldn’t help but notice Emma’s very distinct style. Emma, as an artist, has the ability to capture the essence of a person, or plant, or landscape, in only a matter of lines. She has a very light hand which makes you want to look deeper into her artwork.  Finding out that on top of being an incredible artist, she majors in violin at LaGuardia was astounding. Emma proves that one can be extremely talented in more than one way! Watch the video to learn more!

Emma’s recent art:

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