EXPLORER SUBMISSION

You probably want to know how the hell I got a Glass, right?

I submitted through Google's #IfIHadGlass campaign, where you had to submit via 140 character (and an optional video or photo) what you would do if you had glass.

I submitted the following video:

Every day on my commute,  I see a crazy amount of homeless individuals.  On my 10 mile drive from the South Bay into Santa Monica,  I see the same homeless people everyday. 

Most of them have a commute similar to mine. They head north on Lincoln Blvd to work and head south to go home. I see them on the same street corner with their same sign, and by 5:30pm they are walking "home" to their destination, which may be located in a cardboard box, homeless shelter or under the Playa Del Rey bridge. 

What strikes me so much is the contrast that I see on this commute everyday. Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Venice Beach etc. has a sleuth of wealthy individuals and yet the amount of homeless people is overwhelming. Its so bizarre to see a homeless man being ignored by plenty of BMWs, Mercedes, and Range Rovers. 

Heck, I'm guilty of it too. Initially, I would search my car frantically to see what spare change I had...but then as I started my work routine, I realized they had a routine. I'd see the same guy in Marina Del Rey, the same lady pushing her cart in Venice and I wondered (still do), is this a job for you? How much money do you earn pan-handling?  Some days, I would pretend to be reading a text message or fixing my hair not to have to deal. 

Sometimes, its difficult to see such sadness and poverty and often it's easier to ignore it than to do something about it. 

Now, I just give an "I see you and acknowledge you as a human" good-morning nod and occasionally share whatever lunch left-overs I have on the way home. 

I realize this is a much larger issue at hand. Many homeless people suffer from mental illness, addiction and psychiatric disorders. Others have just hit bad luck, lose hope and turn to self-medicating perpetrating a downhill battle.

Long story short, Glass provides the opportunity to showcase this......aspect and disregard of our society. Sharing this experience--will if anything else--provide awareness to the problem. My hope is to just inspire one other person on my same commute to give a nod of acknowledgement to these people, instead of blatantly ignoring a despaired soul.