Homeless is a series of diaries I have been writing since August 20, 2015, several weeks after I became homeless. PADS is the organization that is in charge of the homeless shelters where I stay nearly every night, and provides assistance signing up for available services, job searches, etc.
Homeless 50 is a compilation of information that might make understanding various acronyms and recognize some of the people a little better. You are welcome to start with Homeless Now and work through the other diaries, but starting with Homeless 50 may give you a jump start.
My brain has exploded into a gooey glob of gooiness. Seriously.
I got into St. Isidore's again last night - which is weird enough in and of itself. Sylvia (caseworker) told me that since the families have left for the family sites, it would be odd that there wouldn't be a pad left over for me. So yay.
Then this morning, Candy came over and sat by me. She must think I enjoy gossip updates - which, when it gives me something to write about, is true enough - but not really for what is said, so much.
"That guy over there," she pointed, but I didn't look, since I didn't really care, "told me that Laurie (the receptionist at the PADS center) wears an ankle monitor."
I laughed so hard, the gymnasium shook. That was the funniest damned thing I've heard since joining PADS. What kind of IDIOTS does it take to make up something like that - clearly a lie. Is it something to make people laugh at how silly it is? Is it something to make people laugh at anyone stupid enough to repeat it? Is it a social experiment, to see how far a ludicrous statement spreads in a sea of ignorance?
Honest to Pete, I was agog. But it does have me wondering the purpose. Along with that statement was, "Laurie (same married receptionist) used to date Cupcake (a client probably in his mid-sixties who is missing most of his teeth)."
I just stared at Candy. "What is wrong with these people?" She didn't have an answer for that.
Merry is a senior citizen who is in PADS with her three adult sons. They look like her bodyguards. She was also at St. Isidore's. She was sound asleep when I arrived last night; this morning she said good morning to me, and put a quarter into the story machine of the lady who hates Abyssinians. What a thing to wake up to. The thing is, if you let her go, she eventually winds down. But Merry kept dropping quarters, and the Abyssinian-hater kept telling her stories. Hey, she likes to tell stories, so it made her happy, I think.
I was just in a "Planning Ahead" group meeting. There were three of us in the group. The topic of the day was Time Management.
The meeting went 40 minutes late.
(Snare drum.)
One of the three people in the meeting was discussing things that she's figured out or resolved to change - kind of a repetition of the same things she'd mentioned a week ago. I just sat here like a lump. When someone goes like that, I don't know what else to do, but listen (even when I'm thinking, "If we could get a word in edgewise, maybe we could get back to the Time Management topic?")
It's like she's using the group as her own personal counseling session - something she clearly needs - something I'm realizing that I need, too - but I'm not going to use up everyone else's time and divert "Planning Ahead" into "why sheddhead's head is really messed up, today."
Next, we're going to compile give-away bags for an event planned for Friday. Sounds kind of boring, huh? But that's ok: I got a shower all ready! It's a good day in the neighborhood!
That's the news from the homeless at the PADS center in Wheaton, IL.
© 2015 sheddhead – not to be used without written consent of the author, unless quoting portions of this diary on DailyKos, with links back to the original quotation