Snow White and LSD

It maybe a bit simplistic, but there seem to be two distinct types among the homeless people I have met - those who share intimate and often shocking personal details about their lives on first meeting, and others that take their time, observe, build trust.  Most people are naturally curious and sometimes going round the houses, going the long way can bring the closest connection.

After a morning of jovial competition- who can name the most fairytales... A seemingly simple exercise, but actually allows conversations to flow into other areas and curiosity into the wider goals of the project Sing me to Sleep. 

After many brief conversations with M, up to now he has been on the outside looking in,  a little break through occurred. He was curious about the quilt making, it turns out that when he was at school one of his teachers threw him out of his class so he was sent to home economics- where he learn't how to sew. As we sat and stitched together, we both relaxed into it, he told me how therapeutic he found it, that it was being creative that had helped him deal with his addictions to drink and drugs.

 

Like so many people we meet at the Homeless Resource centre's, he had difficult start to life. '

--> My mother had mental health problems, kicked me out when I was 15, I’d travel around, do things on the spur of the moment. Started smoking cannabis at 13, LSD at 14, my mothers valium and one or two other things from her medicines. Me and my mates would take her valium with a bottle of cider, the police would arrest us when we got aggressive which the mix made you'. 

He tells me that he is clean, he looks calmer, more at ease than I have seen him before. I wish him well and hope he will follow us onto The Booth Centre Manchester, where the project moves onto in a couple of weeks.