She Persisted

On a tour of our local shelter, a lawyer I know personally, met a homeless woman with 2 teenage boys. When she learned about the woman's story she got so incensed she took on her case pro bono, dragged that woman's x-husband through the court system, kicking and screaming. He fought every step of the way, assisted by a despicable, high-powered lawyer. Yet, the lawyer, a woman, of course, persisted, for about 4 years, and won the formerly homeless woman a $200,000 settlement!

So remember this when telling another nasty lawyer joke. One homeless woman's life got changed significantly for the better due to the help of one pissed-off and determined lawyer.

HOMEless

Homeless On A Walker!

1,200 people are currently homeless in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

They sleep in arroyos and parks, they surf on couches,
some occasionally housesit!

This man took a snooze at the park across from the farmers market.

He used to be my immediate next door neighbor in the eighties.

Worked as a waiter, had a girlfriend, a great smile and a glimmer in his eyes.

The twinkles in his eyes have been disappearing. 

Life on the streets is tough.

He probably helped a farmer set up in the early morning

then headed over to the park to relieve his hurting back. 

On disability, not yet old, I have seen him push a walker of late.

He looks so miserable and so vulnerable.

Occasionally he has thrown some tantrums, 

kicked some cans or bottles, muttered and cursed.

He rejects the institutional help available to him.

Homelessness on a walker does take it to another level yet.

HOMEless with Walker!

1,200 people are currently homeless in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

They sleep in arroyos and parks, they surf on couches,
some occasionally housesit!

This man took a snooze at the park across from the farmers market.

He used to be my immediate next door neighbor in the eighties.

Worked as a waiter, had a girlfriend, a great smile and a glimmer in his eyes.

The twinkles in his eyes have been disappearing. 

Life on the streets is tough.

He probably helped a farmer set up in the early morning

then headed over to the park to relieve his hurting back. 

On disability, not yet old, I have seen him push a walker of late.

He looks so miserable and so vulnerable.

Occasionally he has thrown some tantrums, 

kicked some cans or bottles, muttered and cursed.

He rejects the institutional help available to him.

Homelessness on a walker does take it to another level yet.

Wondrous Spirit

Older man with long, dreadlocked beard in shades of gray was spreading out his bedding over public picnic tables just as the sun broke through for a little bit on a mainly overcast day. Three am snow flurries still covered our 'hood and turned our Railyard in to a pristine looking landscape. 

He refused my offer of an inflatable mattress I happen to have available to give away, but assured me that he was leading a very good life, connected to white wolfs, bears, and rabbits that would spend the night with him. He sings and composes in french and speaks with a lovely accent. He explained that he acts as a kind of messenger between the realms. 

"It's my birthday today" he said "no longer sure" he said "it has been so long, I am an old man now, seventy, sometime in January or February." A lady had been bringing him sweet coffee with cream and soft boiled eggs. Never knowing where he would be at any given time, they may have missed each other of late.

By the time I returned with some goodies, a thermal mug with hot water and a variety of teas, three I hoped still soft boiled eggs, a bit of salt folded in to a napkin, a quickly heated up tortilla with melted goat cheese for consumption, leather gloves and a Pantagonia soft sweatshirt for warmth, this free spirit had already moved on. Next day the nourishment I had left behind on the park bench were gone, while the items for warmth are on hold in hopes for another meeting with this wondrous spirit.

when is enough enough or how do we line up the ducks

This evening I was sitting with George on a rock near a fountain that after years of dryness, suddenly flowed again freely. George was troubled with office politics and ran the stories by me.

A drunk guy I had chastised earlier for his audacity of stealing roses from the Santuario in plain view, kept staggering by us, upsetting my dogs who rarely bark at people. Suddenly one and then two biker tough guys took offense and violence seemed imminent. George called 911 and thankfully as he responded to seeming endless questioning, the energy dispersed and the bikers took off and were gone by the time a cop finally showed up.

Afterward one of the drunk street guys came over to us to apologize for this other drunk's obnoxious behavior. He hollered back to his buddy that he was talking to some "old folks" because they (we!) had wisdom. Wow, nobody had yet ever called me to my face "old". Turns out he is half my age and has spent the last 12 years homeless on the streets. His parents were Meth addicts and no, he would never get in to that. His lady left him and got clean and sober and his 9 year old son does not even know who his father is, although he said he calls him frequently and does tell him that he misses him.

The guy sounded and looked dejected, kept mumbling about the need for something to stand it. He brought up AA and said he had not been to a meeting in over a year. George shared with him how he got off drinking and drugging by simply deciding so and rambled on about the power of the mind. The kid seemed to hang on every of his words until he had enough and retired to the bench across from us.

This brings up one of the questions that has always fascinated me, when is enough enough? How do we make the magic happen so that all the ducks line up in one row and all the magnetic particles orient to the same one pole with a clear focus and an unwavering intent? How do we get there? Personally I have experienced this magic at various times, but never got how to make the magic happen. It happens to me.

The other question of course is this guy, and besides the dispensation of 'our wisdom' and the pointing him to the direction of our local shelter and AA groups, what should, could and would we want to do? I wished I had the number of two recovered alcoholics active in AA on me. I still might inquire with these two AA sponsors tomorrow on how to offer further help, and I will be on the look out for that 27 year old kid. He just might be ready for his Saturn Return change of life. Who can say? Sure it is up to him, but a steadying hand at just the right time can do wonders, or not.