ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Becky Blanton - Writer
Becky Blanton is a writer, photographer and former journalist who found herself homeless, but bounced back to tell her story and inspire others.

Why you should listen

Primarily, Becky Blanton is a writer. She was a journalist for more than 22 years, working as a reporter, photojournalist and editor. Today, she is best known for her independent writing. Tim Russert selected her essay "The Monster," to be included in his last book, Wisdom of Our Fathers. On the heels of this success, Becky won a competition held by Dan Pink to come up with an additional lesson for his bestselling book The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. The prize was admission to TEDGlobal 2009, where she gave a talk on her personal journey through homelessness.

Blanton is now working on her first book, to be titled Staying Hungry, the Official Guide for Never Settling for What Life Puts on Your Plate, as well as a second about how her dog saved her life while she was homeless. The proceeds from the second book will be donated to The Humane Society. Blanton also continues to blog and post photos from her adventures at beckyblanton.com

More profile about the speaker
Becky Blanton | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2009

Becky Blanton: The year I was homeless

碧琪‧布蘭頓︰無家可歸的一年

Filmed:
1,278,615 views

碧琪‧布蘭頓打算在她的旅行車上住一年,到處看看,但當抑鬱症來襲,她的自由撰稿工作結束之後,旅行車的生活,變成無家者的生活。在這個個人的演講中,她將細說為何自己變成美國其中一位「在職無家者」的經歷。
- Writer
Becky Blanton is a writer, photographer and former journalist who found herself homeless, but bounced back to tell her story and inspire others. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
I'm a writer作家 and a journalist記者,
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我是個作家,也是個新聞從業員
00:18
and I'm also an insanely瘋狂地 curious好奇 person,
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我也是一個求知慾極強的人
00:21
so in 22 years年份 as a journalist記者,
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所以在跑新聞的22年裡
00:23
I've learned學到了 how to do a lot of new things.
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我學習了很多新奇事物
00:25
And three years年份 ago, one of the things I learned學到了 how to do
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三年前,我學懂的其中一件事
00:28
was to become成為 invisible無形.
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就是當個隱世人
00:31
I became成為 one of the working加工 homeless無家可歸.
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我變成了在職無家者
00:34
I quit放棄 my job工作 as a newspaper報紙 editor編輯
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我辭去了報紙編輯的工作
00:36
after my father父親 died死亡 in February二月 of that same相同 year,
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就在我父親同年二月去世之後
00:40
and decided決定 to travel旅行.
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我決定踏上旅途
00:43
His death死亡 hit擊中 me pretty漂亮 hard.
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父親的去世對我打擊很大
00:45
And there were a lot of things that I wanted to feel and deal合同 with while I was doing that.
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當時這樣決定,因我有很多情感和事情要處理
00:49
I've camped紮營 my whole整個 life. And I decided決定
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旅程中我天天露營
00:51
that living活的 in a van麵包車 for a year to do this
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我也決定在旅行車中生活一年
00:53
would be like one long camping露營 trip.
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就像一趟漫長的露營旅行
00:55
So I packed打包 my cat, my Rottweiler羅威
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然後我帶著貓,我的洛威拿犬
00:58
and my camping露營 gear齒輪 into a 1975 Chevy煩擾 van麵包車,
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還有我的露營裝備 都帶上1975年雪佛蘭旅行車
01:02
and drove開車 off into the sunset日落,
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直開車去看日落
01:04
having fully充分 failed失敗 to realize實現 three critical危急 things.
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完全沒有想到三件很嚴重的事
01:08
One: that society社會 equates相當於
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一,社會把「固定住房」
01:10
living活的 in a permanent常駐 structure結構體, even a shack窩棚,
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即使只是很狹小的房間
01:14
with having value as a person.
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與「人的價值」掛勾
01:16
Two: I failed失敗 to realize實現 how quickly很快
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二,我沒有意識到,很快地,
01:19
the negative perceptions看法 of other people
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其他人的負面批評
01:21
can impact碰撞 our reality現實, if we let it.
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對我們的實況影響有多大,假如我們容許
01:24
Three: I failed失敗 to realize實現
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三,我沒有意識到
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that homelessness無家可歸 is an attitude態度,
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無家可歸是一種生活態度
01:28
not a lifestyle生活方式.
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不是一種生活方式
01:31
At first, living活的 in the van麵包車 was great.
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剛開始,住在旅行車真的不賴
01:33
I showered洗完澡 in campgrounds露營地. I ate out regularly經常.
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我在營地洗澡,我按時在外用餐
01:36
And I had time to relax放鬆 and to grieve.
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我還有時間休息和哀悼悲痛
01:40
But then the anger憤怒 and the depression蕭條 about my father's父親的 death死亡 set in.
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但當父親去世產生的悲憤和沮喪開始加劇
01:44
My freelance自由職業者 job工作 ended結束. And I had to get a full-time全職 job工作
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自由撰稿的工作結束了。我必須找全職
01:47
to pay工資 the bills票據.
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來支付各種帳單
01:49
What had been a really mild溫和 spring彈簧
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本來溫和的春天
01:51
turned轉身 into a miserably非常不幸地 hot summer夏季.
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亦漸漸變成酷熱難擋的夏天
01:53
And it became成為 impossible不可能 to park公園 anywhere隨地 --
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越來越難找到泊車的地方
01:55
(Laughs)
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(一笑)
01:56
-- without being存在 very obvious明顯
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更別提
01:58
that I had a cat and a dog with me, and it was really hot.
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我那一貓一狗,實在夠熱
02:01
The cat came來了 and went through通過 an open打開 window窗口 in the van麵包車.
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我的貓從車窗來回地跑
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The doggy went into doggy day care關心.
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我的狗送到日間護理中心
02:06
And I sweated大汗淋漓.
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而我則大汗淋漓
02:08
Whenever每當 I could, I used
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當情況許可
02:10
employee僱員 showers陣雨 in office辦公室 buildings房屋 and truck卡車 stops停止.
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我會使用車站職員淋浴間
02:14
Or I washed up in public上市 rest休息 rooms客房.
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或在公眾衛生間洗身
02:18
Nighttime夜間 temperatures溫度 in the van麵包車 rarely很少 dropped下降 below下面 80 degrees Fahrenheit飛輪海,
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夜間的車廂中 很少在華氏80度以下
02:21
making製造 it difficult or impossible不可能 to sleep睡覺.
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讓人幾乎無法入睡
02:24
Food餐飲 rotted腐爛 in the heat.
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食物在高溫下腐壞
02:27
Ice in my ice chest胸部 melted融化了 within hours小時,
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冰箱裡的冰粒,幾小時就融化了
02:30
and it was pretty漂亮 miserable.
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那真是難捱的歲月
02:38
I couldn't不能 afford給予 to find an apartment公寓,
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我沒錢住進准許養貓狗的公寓
02:40
or couldn't不能 afford給予 an apartment公寓 that would allow允許 me
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更沒法找到
02:42
to have the Rottweiler羅威 and the cat.
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准我養貓狗的公寓
02:44
And I refused拒絕 to give them up,
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我又不想拋棄牠們
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so I stayed in the van麵包車.
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所以我繼續住在旅行車裡
02:52
And when the heat made製作 me too sick生病
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當夜間的高溫讓我連走50米
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to walk步行 the 50 feet to the public上市 restroom衛生間
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到公眾衛生間都懶得走時
02:57
outside my van麵包車 at night,
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而那就在我的旅行車外
02:59
I used a bucket and a trash垃圾 bag as a toilet廁所.
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我只能用桶和垃圾袋當廁所
03:02
When winter冬季 weather天氣 set in, the temperatures溫度 dropped下降
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當冬天來臨時,溫度驟降
03:05
below下面 freezing冷凍. And they stayed there.
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至零度以下,持續寒冷
03:07
And I faced面對 a whole整個 new set of challenges挑戰.
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我又得面對另一番新挑戰
03:12
I parked a different不同 place地點 every一切 night
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每晚我都將車泊在不同地方
03:15
so I would avoid避免 being存在 noticed注意到 and hassled滋擾 by the police警察.
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避免警察發現,惹來爭執
03:18
I didn't always succeed成功.
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當然我不是每次都成功避過
03:20
But I felt out of control控制 of my life.
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但我已無力掌握自己的生活了
03:27
And I don't know when or how it happened發生,
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我甚至不明白甚麼時候,為何會這樣
03:31
but the speed速度 at which哪一個 I went
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但那過程之快
03:33
from being存在 a talented天才 writer作家 and journalist記者
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從我作為一個有才華的作者,一個新聞從業員
03:36
to being存在 a homeless無家可歸 woman女人, living活的 in a van麵包車,
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變成一個住在車裡的無家者
03:39
took my breath呼吸 away.
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這簡直是快得難以置信
03:41
I hadn't有沒有 changed. My I.Q. hadn't有沒有 dropped下降.
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我絲毫未變,我智商沒降
03:44
My talent天賦, my integrity廉正, my values,
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我的才能、尊嚴、價值觀
03:50
everything about me remained保持 the same相同.
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一切關於我的,都沒有改變
03:53
But I had changed somehow不知何故.
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但某程度上我已經不同了
03:55
I spiraled狂飆 deeper更深 and deeper更深 into a depression蕭條.
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我在沮喪的旋渦裡越鑽越深
03:58
And eventually終於 someone有人 referred簡稱 me to a homeless無家可歸 health健康 clinic診所.
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最後有人介紹我到為無家者開設的健康院
04:01
And I went. I hadn't有沒有 bathed沐浴 in three days.
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我去了。我三天沒洗澡了
04:04
I was as smelly and as depressed鬱悶 as anyone任何人 in line.
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我跟排隊中人一樣沮喪和難聞
04:08
I just wasn't drunk or high.
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我只是沒有喝醉或神志不清
04:11
And when several一些 of the homeless無家可歸 men男人 realized實現 that,
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當某些無家者發現
04:14
including包含 a former前任的 university大學 professor教授,
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包括一個前任大學教授,他們說︰
04:16
they said, "You aren't homeless無家可歸. Why are you really here?"
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「你本非無家,你為何落得如此下場?」
04:20
Other homeless無家可歸 people didn't see me as homeless無家可歸,
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其他無家者不把我當成無家者
04:22
but I did.
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但我認為我已無家可歸
04:25
Then the professor教授 listened聽了 to my story故事 and he said,
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那教授聽完我的故事後,他說
04:29
"You have a job工作. You have hope希望.
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「你有工作,你有希望」
04:32
The real真實 homeless無家可歸 don't have hope希望."
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「真正的無家者連希望都沒有」
04:36
A reaction反應 to the medication藥物治療 the clinic診所 gave me for my depression蕭條
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診所給我的抗抑鬱藥有副作用
04:39
left me suicidal自殺. And I remember記得 thinking思維,
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讓我有自殺傾向,我記得當時在想
04:41
"If I killed殺害 myself, no one would notice注意."
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「即使我自殺,沒有人在意」
04:52
A friend朋友 told me, shortly不久 after that,
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不久之後,有朋友告訴我
04:57
that she had heard聽說 that Tim蒂姆 Russert拉希特,
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她聽說提姆•羅斯
04:59
a nationally國內 renowned聞名 journalist記者,
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一個知名記者
05:01
had been talking about me on national國民 T.V.
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在全國廣播的電視節目上談到了我
05:03
An essay文章 I'd written書面 about my father父親,
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一篇我寫有關我父親的文章
05:05
the year before he died死亡, was in Tim's蒂姆 new book.
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在他去世前一年寫的‧文章被收錄到提姆的新書
05:09
And he was doing the talk show顯示 circuit電路. And he was talking about my writing寫作.
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當時他在巡迴演講,提到我的文章
05:12
And when I realized實現 that Tim蒂姆 Russert拉希特, former前任的 moderator主席 of "Meet遇見 the Press,"
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當我發現提姆羅斯,《與傳媒會見》前主持™
05:16
was talking about my writing寫作,
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竟然在談論我的文章
05:18
while I was living活的 in a van麵包車 in a Wal-Mart沃爾瑪 parking停車處 lot,
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而我卻在一輛泊在超市外的旅行車裡過活
05:20
I started開始 laughing.
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我開始失笑
05:22
You should too.
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你也該笑
05:24
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
05:25
I started開始 laughing
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我開始笑了
05:27
because it got to the point where,
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因為這正是問題的所在
05:29
was I a writer作家, or was I a homeless無家可歸 woman女人?
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我究竟是個作者,還是個無家者?
05:32
So I went in the bookstore書店. And I found發現 Tim's蒂姆 book.
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於是我走進書店。 我找到提姆的新書
05:35
And I stood站在 there. And I reread重讀 my essay文章.
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我站在那,重新讀一次自己的文章
05:38
And I cried哭了.
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我哭了
05:40
Because I was a writer作家.
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因為我是一個作者
05:43
I was a writer作家.
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我是一個作者
05:45
Shortly不久 after that I moved移動 back to Tennessee田納西.
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不久之後我搬回了田納西
05:48
I alternated交替 between之間 living活的 in a van麵包車 and couch長椅 surfing衝浪 with friends朋友.
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有時睡旅行車,有時睡朋友家的沙發
05:51
And I started開始 writing寫作 again.
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我又重新開始寫作了
05:54
By the summer夏季 of the following以下 year I was a working加工 journalist記者.
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接下來的夏天,我又回到新聞從業員的崗位
05:57
I was winning勝利 awards獎項. I was living活的 in my own擁有 apartment公寓.
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我是個得獎記者。 我住進自己的公寓
06:00
I was no longer homeless無家可歸.
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我不再無家可歸
06:02
And I was no longer invisible無形.
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我不再被忽視
06:05
Thousands成千上萬 of people work full充分 and part-time兼職 jobs工作,
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無數人擁有全職或兼職工作
06:08
and live生活 in their cars汽車.
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但他們住在車裡
06:10
But society社會 continues繼續 to stigmatize誣衊 and criminalize刑事犯罪
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社會持續歧視他們
06:13
living活的 in your vehicle車輛 or on the streets街道.
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把住在車上或露宿者視為罪犯
06:16
So the homeless無家可歸, the working加工 homeless無家可歸, primarily主要 remain invisible無形.
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無家者及在職無家者,大部份還是繼續隱閉
06:20
But if you ever meet遇到 one,
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但如果你遇到他們
06:22
engage從事 them, encourage鼓勵 them, and offer提供 them hope希望.
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僱用他們、鼓勵他們、給他們希望
06:26
The human人的 spirit精神 can overcome克服 anything if it has hope希望.
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人類的意志可以克服一切困難
06:31
And I'm not here to be the poster海報 girl女孩 for the homeless無家可歸.
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我不是想在此為無家者宣傳
06:33
I'm not here to encourage鼓勵 you to give money to the next下一個 panhandler乞丐 you meet遇到.
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我不是想鼓勵你們施捨乞丐
06:36
But I am here to tell you that, based基於 on my experience經驗,
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我來此告訴你,根據我的經驗
06:39
people are not where they live生活,
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人的價值,不是由他們的住處
06:42
where they sleep睡覺,
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不是由他們睡哪裡
06:44
or what their life situation情況 is at any given特定 time.
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不是由他們某時期的生活狀態來決定
06:49
Three years年份 ago I was living活的 in a van麵包車
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三年前,我住在旅行車上
06:52
in a Wal-Mart沃爾瑪 parking停車處 lot,
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停在沃瑪超市的停車場內
06:54
and today今天 I'm speaking請講 at TEDTED.
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而今天我卻在TED演講
06:57
Hope希望 always, always finds認定 a way. Thank you.
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希望!永遠永遠會找到出路‧謝謝!
07:02
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Lai Sze Cheung
Reviewed by Dennis Lin

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Becky Blanton - Writer
Becky Blanton is a writer, photographer and former journalist who found herself homeless, but bounced back to tell her story and inspire others.

Why you should listen

Primarily, Becky Blanton is a writer. She was a journalist for more than 22 years, working as a reporter, photojournalist and editor. Today, she is best known for her independent writing. Tim Russert selected her essay "The Monster," to be included in his last book, Wisdom of Our Fathers. On the heels of this success, Becky won a competition held by Dan Pink to come up with an additional lesson for his bestselling book The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. The prize was admission to TEDGlobal 2009, where she gave a talk on her personal journey through homelessness.

Blanton is now working on her first book, to be titled Staying Hungry, the Official Guide for Never Settling for What Life Puts on Your Plate, as well as a second about how her dog saved her life while she was homeless. The proceeds from the second book will be donated to The Humane Society. Blanton also continues to blog and post photos from her adventures at beckyblanton.com

More profile about the speaker
Becky Blanton | Speaker | TED.com