We all have those days where we literally roll out of bed in the morning and rush out the door because we hit snooze on the alarm about 17 times. For me, this is more of a common routine than an occasional occurrence. This rushed morning is more of a science than anything else.
You can only afford to prioritize two things when trying to make it to class on time: availability and comfortability.
We all have our own versions of this but most commonly this is recognized with some combinations of the following items: oversized T-shirt, yoga pants, leggings, sweatshirt, UGGs, Birkenstocks & socks, messy bun, or any number of similar, comfortable clothes.
After you rush into class late, despite your best efforts at doing anything right, you take a seat next to your friend and they shoot you a glance of judgment as they look you up and down. This is when you might be tempted to say something along the lines of, "Sorry I look homeless, I woke up late."
Stop.
This is where everything goes wrong. You do not look homeless, like at all.
We need to stop using our privileged mouths to call ourselves names that are unfair to other people and just rude. It is insulting and offensive to those who genuinely do not have a home. Most of these people have struggled more than you have in life and would not be homeless if they could help it.
This whole issue just coincides with the fact that everyone should be constantly more aware of the world around them. We do not live in a little bubble of whatever we want. Some people have it off harder than others and we as a society need to be aware of that.
This might come as a shock to you, but just like your parents told you growing up, the world does not revolve around you.
Things are always happening and society is always changing. In order to embrace all the world has to offer you have to be apprehensive about what is going on. For every person who calls themselves "homeless looking," I highly doubt they are familiar with the real problem that homelessness has in even our own backyards, much less in the country as a whole.
It is not easy to be constantly aware of what is going on around you in the world, but practice makes perfect. Start out this week by just trying to be more mindful of the words that come out of your mouth and more receptive to those that come from others. Next time you feel like you look like a "bum" don't call yourself a name but grow up and be honest with yourself. When you wake up and roll into a class within a matter of minutes, you do not look homeless.
Quite frankly you probably just look like a hot mess.