Joe Rodota Trail - Bob's Visit

Tents along the Joe Rodota Trail by Charles Bryan Jones

 Everyone was warm, friendly, trusting, forthcoming.  There were housed-people walking, biking on the trail.  I stopped all and asked their trail experience.  Not a complaint, except one man said it made him sad to see how our homeless residents had to live.

Two of the women are very bright, focused, making good decisions.  One talked about organizing a “city council” so there would be two or three to speak officially for the campers instead of a reporter talking to someone who may not be representative.

A repeated observation was that it felt good to be noticed, to be though of as more than the lower-than-human they take themselves to be.  A woman named Lisa said repeatedly that no one, particularly not CC, gave them credit for an ounce of sense, that they had multiple understandings that would solve routine and even more substantial vexatious problems.

They ask and expect nothing, no envy, gratitude for being allowed to live there (they think until April).  I didn’t encounter anyone who was getting SSI or any other kind of support.  One fellow who was physically and mentally damaged, but generally a nice guy, would like to get on SSI for help w/his disabilities, but he can’t deal with the paper work.

Is there anyone in Homeless Action! who’s good at that?  He’s Charles Jones, thin, missing teeth, gets very animated, about 20 yards west of the entrance at Goodwill.  Has an African American mate who keeps him on a constructive path.

They are the rending stories you hear whenever you have a good conversation with a homeless person. Raped by father after 7, left home at 11, mom came after me, so back home and in school off-and-on until 16 when I left for good.

Could never get along w/mother, wanted me to be like my perfect older sister.

Does anyone know about an older couple who come to the Goodwill entrance Fridays at 8:30 p.m. and feed everyone who comes to the table they put up?

Do you know the name of an MD who visits now and then?

I’m not saying no-one on the trail throws toxic stuff over the wall into Casa del Sol, but everyone I talked to seemed thoughtful and self-disciplined.  Adrienne was exactly right when she suggested the Sol folks go around the wall with some food and meet their neighbors.  Given the bridled hostility at her weird, dangerous, uncalled-for proposal, probably never going to happen.

I’ve since learned that neighbors of Doyle Park don’t think the homeless problem there is much of an issue (contrary to a hair-on-fire report I got from someone who seemed to be my friend, but obviously isn’t), but my neighborhood thread has a dozen or more angry, nasty posts daily, several who’ve given me a tongue lashing for offering truth to their “factual declarations” and one who called me a bully.  I guess they must be outliers.

GoingBackBob
10-22-19