Yesterday – Wednesday, was the launch of our ’3 Days on the Street’. It was quite amazing.

We started off at The Good Shepherd, a very well-run shelter, drop-in, that serves up to four meals a day, to well over 800 people. I had the chance to interview a couple of men, both of whom have been living on the street (on and off) for a long time.

They were sitting in front of the Good Shepherd and after a few minutes warmed up to me and my questions. Initially one of the men thought I was a phony- homeless guy just trying to get information for a book. I assured him that was not the case – that in fact we had come out into the street, not to pretend we are homeless, not at all, but to step into the ‘homes’ of those individuals we call homeless, to get to know them, to see their humanity, to break down barriers.

I conducted these interviews with a small digital recorder and will be transcribing them upon my return home. In short the sense that I got from these men is that their lives have been very difficult, beginning with abuse and exposure to violence.

One man, Art, told me he witnessed his three year old sister dying under a truck, while he watched over her. He was five. He couldn’t remember anything after that until he was eight, when his father died and all eight children were then put in foster homes - different ones. 

He has been in and out of jail for 25 years. Art, however, is a highly articulate man who told me that he has represented a number of homeless people in court. He had a clear look in his eyes and didn’t seem erratic in nature. I believe him.

He told me that he would often dress up in a suit during the day to feel as if he is ‘more human’. He wanted to be a lawyer and still does but needs the push. He is 55. He carries himself as if he is 10 years younger (that is the thing about being in the street. The homeless for some reason, often appear to be younger, yet their is an aged feeling about them as well. Difficult to gauge).

Bruce is 65 and he has no dreams other than enjoying the day, of which he does. He wakes up in the morning and gets some smokes (they are 25 cents on the street. Art says you can make a good living selling them. I asked him why he doesn’t. He said ‘can a monkey sell bananas’ in other words - he’ll eat them all; Art will smoke them all).

Bruce looks like the Santa Claus you frequently see on the street – a thick white beard. He says he’ll shave it off soon. He has two children he never sees. They don’t know he lives on the street. He says they are doing well as far as he knows. He says he is content and life is just fine. Perhaps it is for him. There are those people who are satisfied with living in the moment as he does. I have a difficult time understanding it but didn’t argue the point with him. That is how Bruce feels.

I spoke to Mike for about 1/2 hour. He is a heavy set guy, 40 years old, and has lovely warmth about him. Mike was given away by his Dad to the ‘state’ when he was 10 years old. His mother was ‘promiscuous’. She didn’t care for children and his Father just didn’t seem like he could take care of him.

Mike is angry still that his Father didn’t try harder to keep him. He is still looking for his love -says so openly – and doesn’t think he deserves to be loved.

Mike recently got a dog at a rescue shelter and feels as if he is his child. He is on an interview today to secure a job as a groomer.

My heart bled for Mike and the others. I had tears in my eyes much of the time, crying for their little boy. How sad it is that so many people - and there were lots more we spoke to – who as children are abused. They are so fragile, little, yet their parents and family members toss them about as if they are garbage.

After being on the street for 1 day, I told the fellow sitting at the front desk of the Good Shepherd, when he asked me what I had learned there, that we need to figure out how to love better.

We need to figure out how to love better. There is a lot of bad shit going on out there.  A lot!!

Teresa, who is our advisor on the street (former prostitute and crack addict; she cleaned up after winning Ve’ahavta’s Creative Writing Contest), told me story after story of little children who were smashed about their parents, kicked out of the house at 10 years old; walked the streets alone, and ultimately fell into drug stoppers, group homes, prison and the like. Theresa said it was only when she couldn’t take her mother beating her regularly that she hit her back. She was charged with assault.

Theresa has spent months in jail and said the place is full of hardened women who ‘justs don’t care.’ She told me ‘at least I was nobody’s bitch’ but knows of many cases where young women, new to that system, were forced to ‘satisfy’ the needs and desires of some ‘wretched  women’.

She said jail, the system, and often agencies can destroy people.

The experience so far has been highly unique, one which is almost impossible to describe. After one day I have had my share of tragic stories and am trying to figure out what has gone wrong.

The only thing I can say at this point is that we need to learn how to love better.

(Note: I was sick before going into the street. I had a bad chest cold which progressively got worse while I was out there. Late last night I decided I had to go home and get a good sleep if I was to continue.  The team actually voted on it. They – Jacquie Stein, Alvaro and Boris Castellano - slept on the floor at a local shelter and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get through these two days if I got worse. I am also very conscious of the fact I had a heart attack 1 year ago. That makes a difference! Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep in a shelter tonight.)

P.S. My team is amazing, troopers and doing a fine job. Yisha Ko’ach (Yiddish for ‘way to go’) to everyone involved in making ’3 Days on the Street’ a success.

August 27, 2009
Categories: 3 days on the street . . Author: avrum

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