Especially now that it’s gotten warmer, I have (on one or two occasions) found myself craving ice cream in the middle of the night. The great thing about Toronto is that there is never a time when you are completely without the possibility of ice cream, so the last time I found myself in this headspace, I took a little walk.

I live in the densest area (population-wise) in all of Canada. There’s a lot of community housing around me, a lot of poverty, new arrivals to Canada, and, naturally, a lot of homeless people. So, this last time I found myself on a quest to get ice cream in the middle of the night, I ran into a few of them. Of course, they were all sleeping: one guy (or gal) was cozied up in a sleeping bag, while another slept in fetal position in a tiny alcove, between a wall and some large plant pot. He didn’t have a pillow, a blanket, or anything at all apart from the clothes on his back, which were, of course, tattered and dirty.

This second man got my attention on account of how vulnerable and without he was. On some level, I can envy the man: to be without anything at all might be the most freeing sensation in the world, even if it is extremely difficult. And were I to venture a guess, he would agree more with the latter, not having the privilege of being about to intellectualize poverty as a virtue. Regardless, I was struck by the difference in circumstances. Here I was with a home to go to and a bed to crash in (after I enjoyed some ice cream, of course), all this while this man, day-after-day, had to sleep on concrete without even a pillow and blanket.

To add insult to injury, I’ve known some people with so many pillows piled on their beds that I’ve honestly had to throw a bunch of them on the floor to get myself at all comfortable. And this, I think, is our great shame as a society. That we can have so many people with too much, and so many people with too little is, if I’m being honest, a disgrace. Even more disgraceful is the fact that some people don’t even consider it a problem. To some, this isn’t a bug but a feature of our system. The threat of destitution—poverty, homelessness, etc.—is enough to make people put up with a lot of crap from a hierarchical system that benefits the very few, and so many of us do so for that sweet, sweet paycheque. Incidentally, I am fortunate in that I enjoy what I do and who I work with, but then what of those with less privilege?

I must admit, though, the sight of this man frightened me. He wasn’t scary-looking, but I was scared of what he represented: that this is a possibility. This could be me. It could be anyone. Who’s to say I’m any better or different than he is? Am I any more deserving of the good fortune I’ve enjoyed in life? I’m not saying my life is easy, nor that your life is easy either. However, very probably, neither of us is homeless. Neither of us has to worry about the elements being too extreme for our comfort, nor do we worry so much about the threat of random violence as we’re sleeping. No: if you’re taking the time to read this, chances are you’re at least mildly fortunate as I am. We don’t have those problems, and then there are some that don’t even have our problems. There are some people whose problems are that their yacht can’t fit under a bridge. Meanwhile, this man has nothing. (Side note: tell me again how the super rich are selfless guarantors of human welfare?)

What I’m saying isn’t meant to downplay any of the issues you might be facing, nor is it meant to make you thankful for what you have. I don’t care about that Hallmark shit, to be quite truthful—not while these human beings continue to suffer as they do. Such sentiments, I feel, are an excuse for lack of action. For to be conscious of injustice, be in the power to do something about it, and to do nothing is the greatest shame of all. Many in our society are guilty of this sin, not excluding myself, and some in greater ways than others. So I ask us all: What attitudes and prejudices render us impotent to deal with this problem? How did we get here? What are we going to do about this? Or shall we finally concede that some people don’t matter to us as a society, and we can stop pretending that our culture has ever truly cared about the dignity of human beings?

And if that makes me sound pissed, then good. I am. Maybe we all should be.