Street people come in all different shapes, sizes and mental capacity. Lately, I have been spending more time on the streets than I usually would and I would just like to list a few people that I have encountered, how I perceive them to be and maybe give everyone in their homes who read this a glimpse at a side of life that they may not be able to see. While this may not be written that well, it is all true and some of it very sad. Some names and places have been changed to protect people who otherwise may be vulnerable to every kind of madness that the world has to offer. Those whose names I do not know, I have assigned names...most people have a "tag" or "alias" sometimes as many as 3, so this should be easy.
Sometime around 4:00 by the park you can catch many different types of people waking up for work, just going to bed drunk or tormented by various demons. Up until I got my identification stolen, I was the person who was going to work. Now, at least for the time being I am left to sit and observe. Writing to you is the only thing keeping me sane right now in a time where I can do nothing but wait.
Most early mornings on a bench by a payphone I see "May". May is the perfect example of a mad woman. You see, the streets of California are filled with VERY sick people who are not being helped. Most of these people should clearly be in mental hospitals and are just tormented by demons, "May" is one of those people.
People are scared of May and rightfully so. Although she is probably harmless, she clearly spends her life in misery. "May" is an African American lady of about 6o something, she stands about 6 ft. tall and is always on the payphone trying to call for her ride home or plane etc. She has crazy hair not unlike Albert Einstein and she constantly has a scowl on her face. If you approach her, she will scream at you to get away because she is afraid. She is constantly in McDonald's scaring little kids and if you buy her food she will take it, take a bite and throw it away. I always feel bad for her because she is so scary, yet so scared.
Then there is "Miguel". "Miguel" is a brilliant writer and musician from another town. He just got out of prison so he spends his days roaming the beach and listening to music and talking to anyone who he can. He can snap at anytime, so it is best to keep a distance. He is institutionalized in a way, but has a great heart. Sometimes how to act isn't the thing he knows how to do best. Miguel is a BIG, boy Latino and tattooed from head to toe. His writing is phenomenal and he just could use an extra chance...a fair shot, the sad part however is that he will never get that shot and the fast money from selling Meth will entice him before the payoff comes from his talents. That is the sad part about our system, rarely does it rehabilitate.
We also have "Apache". Apache is a Native American, clearly. A smart cat who lives by karma, he has dealt with the difficult things in his life well. Apache causes harm to no one and gives to the people who cannot get for themselves. He always has some weed and is quick to share with anyone, he even shares the demons that haunt him if you ask. A hard life of the streets and loneliness gets to anyone. A great friend to me he is and one of the people around here that I would give my right arm for so if you run into him keep that in mind...but you probably won't.
We have "Chain Man".
"Chain Man" is just what he sounds like. I doubt he takes showers and he doesn't talk much. This guy never leaves his spot, just stands there all day with his shirt off, black hands shaking big heavy chains over and over. Up high over his head he shakes his hands chained with weight over his head as the wealthy tourists of the area pass by dropping their coins to him. What makes this man eat, sleep and stand in the same spot day in, day out bound by chains?
A girl named "Mess" tears around the city very lonely. "Mess" is a punk rocker and she is searching for happiness in every way possible, but is never happy. Mess bounces from group to group begging for people to love her and feed her. She is eager to make friends but drives everyone away because of her demanding nature. I have seen her get dirt thrown in her face and refuse to leave. Day in and Day out she sleeps where she can and is up at night hoarding most of the intoxicants she gains to herself and overindulging in the generosity of others. Nothing can make this girl happy and if it does she destroys it and spends the next eternity longing for that which is lost.
There is an old man that I see every day. I feel extremely bad for this guy. You can't really tell his ethnicity, he is always so dirty. I mean dirty!! This guy sits in a residential neighborhood and that's why I see him every day. He sits in front of a building that is being built, a home and he sits in his own filth. This guy is so dirty that it looks like he is covered in tar. He is barefoot and sticky gunk is all around him. He sits in a very reasonable nice neighborhood and he is not made to move. Occasionally I see very clean visitors talk to him, maybe doctors. Someone must bring this bearded man his food, all around him are bags of trash and garbage and he stinks like he just craps and pisses himself everyday. I don't know what happened to this guy, but it must have been bad. He is very peaceful and will smile and sat hello under his whiskers. Tragic. Really.
I can honestly say, 1 out of every five people on the streets of L.A. talk to themselves or laugh at themselves most of the time. A lot of them are not on drugs, but most are. I don't even know how these people know where to go and get there resources. It's not just L.A. it is all of the cities on the west coast. It is clearly worse on the West Coast but the problem exists everywhere. How do we get these people off the streets? People suggest not offering them the services that are available...but what does that solve? Most of the "sick" people do not take advantage of these services anyhow. I would say that only a 3rd of the people on the streets here actually take advantage of what is available. Most people just dig in the garbage and live off of bread and bagels left in large bags by people.
One last woman I want to make note of is "Betty". I have met her several times, at first, despite our long conversations she forgot me every time. She is always drunk. "Betty" has had such a hard life yet every time you see her she is wearing a bright smile ear to ear. Betty used to live in Beverly Hills and states that her drinking got the best of her. I think she lost a love, but has never said so. Betty drinks vodka out of water bottles and looks like she is drinking water but is really chugging all day. She maintains her composure mostly but has trouble getting around due to her 2 broken hips. Betty is the most generous person on the streets. She gives if she has and enjoys long talks about politics and the government, in her day she clearly was a woman of class and to me, she still is. Very little does she move and you never see her in line for food or anything like that. She just sits and drinks. She is one of my favorite people on the streets.
There are several Beatniks and Artists out here who other than some substance abuse issues are great, great normal people just creating their arts, whether it be music or painting etc. these people are harmless and some spend their days on the boardwalk selling their goods and getting drunk and creating their masterpieces. Most of these people will do this for life, some will become successful, maybe a few times and these people should be loved by all. They don't cause drama and are giving back in their own way and should not be looked down upon for the lives that they lead...they are giving and that is what matters most.
I could list people for days. People who don't leave the spots which they are at and just scream all night. Screaming curses and screaming at God. These people would scare most of you. The other day a woman ran up to a bus bench, she was about 70 years old and in the middle of the day dropped her pants and pissed through the bench. She was about 300 lbs. and it was not a sight to see. Apparently she always does that~!
There are people on these streets who are losers, bums and drunks. There are people who are on these streets who have given up. There are people who are sick. There are artists who take advantage of the good weather and use this place as an opportunity to sharpen there skills, but there are WAY to many people on the streets.
We spend all of our money in Iraq rebuilding things that we destroy, we should BE EMBARRASSED that their are people waiting for 6 months in our country for a home. We should be scolded for giving our mentally ill $225 a month and some food stamps and allowing them to wander our streets in fear and overcome with illness. I am embarrassed at my country. That's right, label me the way Michelle Obama has been labeled. I don't care. I am embarrassed. We are a nation of bottom feeders. We kill and rebuild and over pay people with wages like $100 an hour to hand out food in Iraq, yet we offer NOTHING to our own people at home. It is a disgrace.
Karma will take it's toll. The great nation of the U.S.A. will fall just like Babylon if our ways are not changed. What was once great is becoming a memory as our debt to nations becomes larger, our people become homeless due to foreclosures and mental illness and hope is lost for so many. Get a grip people. Stop with the greed. Greed will get us a temporary fix but in the end it will result in death and the system you designed which cannot handle the few people floating about will be completely incapable of handling the devastation of an atom bomb. Look at Katrina for results.
I am aware that this is not the best of blog entries that I have written as far as grammar and structure goes, but there are a lot of people who have no voices and I am attempting to create a voice for them. In the above text I have listed a few people who have left an impression on me, but there are 100's, 100's of people who are lost who I could name by name, have relationships with and have spoken too. There are war veterans and hippies, families with children, old lady, prostitutes, junkies, mentally ill, loners, abandoned children, artists, people who have lost their home due to foreclosure, former millionaires, people living in their cars. Take a look a close look around. You don't notice it until you truly see it because people are good at becoming invisible, but there are people who are otherwise normal people working jobs and leading lives who live in their car. A lot. Please don't be quick to judge and be quick to give and share. In a nation where we have so much, there are a lot of people who have nothing and go unnoticed, some do not receive the services they need only because they are clean cut and take care of themselves and others are offered poor or no services when they are so sick they are incapable of making the choice necessary to get the help that they need, yet we throw these people out of hospitals and drop them off on skid row to fend for themselves with the dope addicts.
What is wrong with this country? Why do we kill people who kill people to teach people that killing people is wrong? Have we gone mad? I am disgusted with this country, corporate greed, the wealthy and the lizards who are wearing masks of human flesh and running the show. Fix it people. Before it's to late. I could die today and it would be a relief, I would be pleased to escape this shit before the destruction and believe and know that you are bringing your own destruction. The people who you trust are the wolves and what appears to be one way is not. Be a sheep if you will, continue to let others choose your choices and let life fly by in your plush sofa watching C.S.I. but beware, it won't be long before we are chipped and thrown into prisons because we have relinquished all of our rights and forgotten to care about humanity.
Don't say I didn't warn you!
~tilly
PS:
I have a lot to say and more people to cover. As you can see I am becoming a bit PISSED off with people and the way we act. We are the most giving nation in the world, only because we HAVE the most. It is VOLUME. The numbers are high, because of our wealthy, but it is the poor who I see giving. Get it together Americans, you have lost control of your country and your people are hungry and many are dying here and overseas in the name of greed and corporate gains...and now, it isn't even Americans who own the big companies...it's China.
It's almost over.
BOOM!
DON'T BE MORONS, TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER!!
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