This morning I was reading a post on Facebook with random facts. One of the facts stated that outdoor cats live for 3 years and indoor cats can live up to 16 years. The next thing I did was google it, and this came up in my search:
“An indoor cat may live 15-17 years, while the life expectancy for outdoor cats is only 2-5 years, according to researchers at University of California-Davis. Dr. Jeff Levy, DVM, CVA, owner of House Call Vet NYC, also discourages owners from keeping cats outdoors.”
As I contemplated this, I visualized a cat I often see who lives outside. Then I started thinking about people living on the street and in tents in McMinnville. My mind also drifted to people who live outside in tents in refugee camps. Then Tom Petty’s song, “Refugee” popped into my head.
REFUGEE, BY TOM PETTY
We did somethin’ we both know it
We don’t talk too much about it
Ain’t no real big secret all the same
Somehow we get around it
Listen it don’t really matter to me, baby
You believe what you want to believe
You see, you don’t have to live like a refugee (don’t have to live like a refugee)
Somewhere, somehow, somebody
Must have kicked you around some
Tell me why you want to lay there
Revel in your abandon
Honey, it don’t make no difference to me, baby
Everybody’s had to fight to be free
You see, you don’t have to live like a refugee (don’t have to live like a refugee)
Now baby, you don’t have to live like a refugee (don’t have to live like a refugee) No
Baby we ain’t the first
I’m sure a lot of other lovers been burned
Right now this seems real to you
But it’s one of those things
You gotta feel to be true
Somewhere, somehow, somebody
Must have kicked you around some
Who knows, maybe you were kidnapped
Tied up, taken away and held for ransom, honey
It don’t really matter to me, baby
Everybody’s had to fight to be free
You see, you don’t have to live like a refugee (don’t have to live like a refugee)
No, you don’t have to live like a refugee (don’t have to live like a refugee)
You don’t have to live like a refugee (don’t have to live like a refugee)
Oh, oh, oh
Songwriters: Michael W Campbell / Thomas Earl Petty
Refugee lyrics © Gone Gator Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Wixen Music Publishing
Tom Petty may have been singing about lovers, but it fits perfectly as I think about people who are experiencing homelessness. However, there is a catch for me personally. During the past year, I have been volunteering to help a little with people who are homeless. I am watching people leave a building after they can eat and shower to go live outside and sleep outdoors on the actual streets, sidewalks and in tents. I have come to the conclusion that I am enabling or helping them to live there by not doing something to help them live in a home.
So, I googled “life expectancy of a person living outdoors vs. indoors.” This is what appeared on my computer screen:
Generally, a person living primarily outdoors would have a significantly lower life expectancy compared to someone living indoors, due to increased exposure to environmental hazards like weather extremes, predators, accidents, and lack of access to basic necessities, making living entirely outdoors is considerably more risky for health and longevity.
Key points to consider:
- Environmental dangers:
Exposure to harsh weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, and storms, can lead to health complications and potential fatalities.
- Predators and accidents:
Individuals living outdoors are more vulnerable to attacks from wild animals and potential accidents due to lack of controlled environments.
- Access to healthcare:
Limited access to medical care and sanitation facilities when living outdoors can exacerbate health issues.
I don’t need medical experts to tell me that living outdoors shortens the life expectancy of someone. I have seen what happens with my own eyes. People’s health deteriorates rapidly over a few months of living outdoors or in conditions where the roof leaks and there is no electricity or running water. The hazards of living outdoors, especially when you are disabled are real. Thurman Crisp, a disabled veteran, was living on the streets in McMinnville, and he passed away on December 2, 2024 when he was crossing the street and hit accidentally by a vehicle.
Tom Petty was right, you don’t have to live like a refugee. But until I can help develop and implement a strategic plan to keep men and women from living outside in tents and living in a home, I believe that I am allowing people to live like refugees in McMinnville. And I am embarrassed to keep thinking and saying that there is nothing I can do about it.
Refugee on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/4mcZYzoGwPRDdhWVlygiHf?si=a132825cb4534c93
Refugee on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fFnOfpIJL0M?si=6MMpcQ9SJ4BdbtYM
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