As the father of a homeless mentally ill man-child,I have had the chance to meet many
folks who live on the streets or in emergency shelters in Seattle,Yesterday,I met
several new people.
The sky was cloudy and rain was falling when I saw my Son standing with a woman in
a very old and seedy part of the city. They both hopped in my car. The woman was 70
years old and her face showed it. Most of her teeth were missing and I think she stopped
brushing her long grey hair years ago.
My 33 (34,the 25th of this month) son happily announced they were going to Hawaii.
Over coffee,I asked why there?"Begging will be easier there".she said. Our eyes made contact and I asked why would she go with a very young man compared to her.
"He makes me happy,and no one has ever done that in my life." She has know my son two weeks.
Word must have gone out that I was buying coffee.suddenly five folks surrounded our
table. 'Jack may have bee fifty,he was drunk,so was forced to leave by the owners.
The other four were much younger,three man and a young lady maybe 20.
All wanted money,and my son never looked at me when I glared at him.
Outside,the rain was falling heavier. Fifty men and women were standing in the rain.
I asked why should all be standing in the rain. The daytime shelter was already full.
I have met folks of all trades,two teachers,fishermen and young people who won't
go back to a home where they are abused and or raped.
These people are all in pain for different reasons. Street smart,they seem at home
in a seedy ugly part of Seattle on a Saturday morning in the Seattle rain.
All have tried for housing,16,000 people are waiting to get ON a waiting list for subsidized housing.If they are lucky to get on a list,four years is the average time
before they may get an apartment. My son had been getting $160 a month for food
assistance,now he gets $41 a month to buy food.
He is on a list to get in a clinic that can give him his needed shot once a month for
his various mental issues.
I have no idea why a soon to be 34 year old would go anywhere with a 70 year old lady.I offered to drive them both to the airport and buy two one-way tickets to Hawaii.
I would not give them any money but I can get them there. Will they go? who knows?
The Seattle area is home to Boeing,Amazon,Microsoft,and many tech companies.
There is money in this town. The state is overwhelmed by the demand for services.
Many of the faces I saw looked just like middle-class folks. Never ,have I seen people
of all ages,so many children,girls ,and Women up to the age of 70 living on the streets.
In the middle of Seattle are the expensive department stores,organic grocery stores
selling $11 dollar health drinks. Over at the Seattle center,someone will park your
car for you and charge $24 dollars to do it.
How many of us are one paycheck away,loosing a job,or unable to cope with this
increasing technical World.
Trades,shop class in school.Apprentice jobs need to be brought back to our society.
Free day care should be available for folks who want training to move away from the misery they are in now.
Folks who vote Republican should be okay with spending tax dollars on REALLY dealing
with these issues. Lets demand that our local and federal government spend money
to stop thousands of Americans from falling into the abyss.
I will feed my two sons as long as I live, when I'm gone,I pray they will live in a society
that cares for ALL of it's people.
I left my son and his 70 year old girlfriend with lunch money. This freed them from
standing in a free lunch line with people of all ages standing in the rain for a bowl of soup and a sandwich.
Our Country is broken.
-To the world you may be one person,but to
one person,you may be the world.
-Josephine Billings