I saw a guy from my high school days a few years ago in the supermarket and he was looking pretty sharp, all new clothes and well kempt. I was in my sloppy work clothes doing my usual after work shop, he was quite aloof and he wouldn’t acknowledge me and kept doing his thing. I thought, wow this dude is on some other level, he must be doing something on a whole other level entirely, he won’t even acknowledge I exist. I didn’t really care because I was locked into my routine and I may have seen him a couple of times within a few months and thought he must be busy being super important. Then I didn’t see him for years and when I did he looked like he was mentally vacant, covered in a layer of dust and grime and a full blown hobo. Since that encounter I see him here and there looking like he just stepped out of a bin. Then I am like maybe he is some intense method actor, he is just as unapproachable as before when he was looking blow dried and fresh and clean.

Is he an unfortunate example of mental health service cut backs over the last five years? There was another dude I saw in a similar predicament, he was dressed like someone who had money and status but he was mentally incapacitated and couldn’t work out basic things. He was just on the street totally impaired trying to locate a service he needed to access. It was frightening really, he had quite poor cognition, he needed to be at the dental hospital but couldn’t work out how to get there. I don’t know the ins and outs of these peoples issues but I find it sad that people can be ok, then only within a few years become basket cases with no hope. What a shit society we live in these days, I suppose Covid has highlighted a few issues as well. I just hope these people have access and help to access what they need.