According to statistics theory, under a normal distribution, the areas under the curve to the far left and far right are both considered normal. Applied to our society, this more or less indicates the ratio accounted for by the group we variously call "wanderers," "drifters," or "street people."

Some of these marginalized people come from shattered families, others have abandoned their families, and some have failed in business. Some have lived on the street for a long time, others for shorter periods, but all have lives that have run up on the rocks. "Don't take my picture! We'll just have something to drink, that's enough. We'll be friends, OK? Come back and sit with me if you have time." "I can't appear in the newspaper.... If I am spotted people will come to collect on debts, tens of millions of NT dollars, you know! So don't take my picture!" "I'm just temporarily on the street, I am not in this position very often, so if you want to take a photo, go find somebody else!" Are they afraid to face up to their problems, or unable to solve them? The answers can only be found in the heart and mind of each individual.

They are a group of people "on the road." They inhabit the lowest stratum of urban life, and use expressions like "the place I take shelter" or "the location where I sleep" rather than "home." Some of them won't admit to having a family, or opine that a family is unreliable, a burden, or just plain evil. Anyway, they are simply unwilling to look back to whatever family they may have had in their past, finding it best just to wander. "That shelter run by the Bureau of Social Affairs is a good place, but there are too many restrictions, and I can't get accustomed to that, and also you can't drink there, so I just took off. If you live there for long you'll get sick!" "It's great to sleep here. There's no rent to pay, and in the morning orioles give me a wake up call." "You all live in apartments, right? Well, I sleep under the sky, and the earth is my bed, which is big enough, don't you think? I just sleep wherever I feel like it!"

They all have strong reasons for how they live, commonly being insecure and boastful at the same time. No one can persuade them to change the way of thinking to which they have become accustomed. Those who have some learning under their belts will talk to you about the philosophy of life: "Life is full of loneliness anyway. Listen here, young man, you simply can't understand this mindset." Those with less education just say: "Whatever! Eat whatever, sleep wherever, anything goes!" I listen quietly, my heart listens quietly, time listens quietly, tick-tock tick-tock.... Listening and thinking, this is the only way to make some connection.