Homelessness
and "The Pursuit of Happyness"
The Pursuit of Happyness
The movie, inspired by a true story, came out in 2006, with the protagonist of the story portrayed by Will Smith. It is a story about how homelessness can happen to anyone, at a moment's notice, and a single father's determination to give his son a better life.
"It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?" ― Chris Gardner
Chris Gardner
Chris Gardner was a struggling salesman with a young son when he became homeless for nearly a year. He describes his time being homeless as, "always moving," because he often hurried to get between daycare for Chris Jr., his job training, and the Glide Community House. When Gardner passed his Series 7 Exam on the first try, he became a full employee at the Dean Witter firm. Eventually Bear Sterns & Company recruited him. He has written a book about his experiences, which was adapted into a movie. Chris also founded Gardner Rich & Co. He is currently worth over $165 million.
Homelessness
Homelessness. It is something that could happen to anyone. Someone who becomes homeless could have been your neighbor you thought was well off, a veteran without a job to come back to who can't get assistance, or a child who grew up into homelessness. Most homeless people are not any of the stereotypes people often give them like "lazy," "bums," or someone who does drugs. Some homeless people are genuinely trying to make a better life, and some may be ill or mentally ill. You never know. It is also something that could be in the past of someone you know, and there are many famous people who were once homeless.
Millionaires Who Once Were Homeless
- Halle Berry
- "Colonel" Harland Sanders
- Dr. Phil
- Jerry Winkler
- Richard Walters
- Michael Parness
- Stuart Sharp
- Bob Williamson
- John Paul Jones DeJoria
Chris Gardner - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS