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The Homeless Highway Gentleman

By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

The Homeless Highway GentlemanThe homeless highway gentleman walks as if he’s on a mission. He walks alongside a busy stretch of highway in southern New Hampshire every day, roughly at the same time, wearing …

5 Comments to
The Homeless Highway Gentleman

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  1. Thank you John, this is really touching.

    I’ll send it to a few people.

  2. Wonderful vignette. Reminds me of a homeless man who used to pass my house twice every day, with a suede coat and oiled combed back hair, a neatly presented man, carrying two bags, as if off to catch a train in the 1950s. He too walked with purpose and it always struck me how little we are different to each other yet how little it takes to be so different.

  3. Touchy? Maybe… If I figure out all well, I think you can do more on the subject.

  4. Yes, you never know! Everyone has a ‘story’, for sure. Usually I share my stories when they relate, but today I won’t, and that feels both good and different.

  5. Living in New York City I pretty much became immune to the homeless population at a very young age. But I can’t help but remember this homeless Vietnam Vet that would walk by my school every single day. He was very well put together and always wore an old rumpled suit jacket. Sometimes if we were outside he would stop and talk to the teachers (that’s how we found out he was a vietnam vet). I will always remember that man because his eyes looked so sad, yet he always had a smile on his face.

  6. Thank you for this astute and well written story. I also knew of a man who walked the main street everyday. He was a product from World War II and was literally shell shocked and would walk looking down and with the tip of his boot he would stop frequently checking for land mines. He lived for years doing this and had the most profound look of sadness in his face. When you saw him your heart would go out to him, yet some laughed at him but one day he disappeared and I never saw him again.

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