The song of the day today is "What Sin Replaces Love" by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. Fast forward to the 0:30 mark to skip the frankensteinian Henry Rollins.
I arrived at Tent City last night around 7:00 to find about twenty-five residents gathered around the Administration Building. It is rare to find many of the residents in the same spot at one time. Usually at any given time, the greatest number of them found together is around eight with others scattered around town or in their tents. Most residents get government assistance of some sort with checks normally arriving on the third day of each month. By the end of the month, though, the money has dried up for most leaving them with nothing to do but hang out here.
The residents of Tent City spend their money on different things. Some people out here save quite a bit of money, trying to get out of the hole. Others blow their money as soon as they get it, leaving them broke for most of the month. Most people, though, bleed their money for most of the month: saving very little, spending some on necessities, and spending some on creature comforts. Some residents will disappear for a few days at the beginning of the month, going on a drug binge of their choosing only to come back a few days later flat broke and hungover. Shopping trips are pretty common at the beginning of the month. With a pocket full of cash, residents will head to Walmart and pick up some items that were needed ranging from new clothes to a new bicycle. These necessities are inevitably accompanied by impulse buys of every sort. One resident goes to Walmart seemingly every other day always returning with a large cake which he consumes throughout the day. Alcohol is another popular expense, but one that varies noticably with the age of the consumer. Younger residents opt for several nights when they go out to bars and buy drinks for others and themselves, drying up their bank accounts within a week. Older residents tend to be smarter drinkers: they drink steadily throughout the month, opting for cheaper drinks and only occasionally buying a drink for a friend. Many people will spend money going out to eat at places ranging from McDonald's to Texas Land & Cattle. The most popular expense, though, is a motel room. Some residents will rent a room for a week, and some will rent one for only one night. This is the luxury expense that I can relate to most. The ability to take a shower, watch TV, and sleep on a bed in an air conditioned room can do quite a bit for morale.
One thing I've noticed about the residents of Tent City is that the most stable ones are those who do not view homelessness as a short-term living situation, but as a way to relax and go about things more slowly than those caught up in the monthly paycheck battle. Many people come in stating that they will be out within a couple of months only to be discouraged by the uphill battle. When this happens short-term happiness is usually sought in one of the forms mentioned previously, further discouraging the destitute when the happiness has worn off. The only goal for these residents upon entering homelessness is to get out. Generally, there is no clear picture or plan on how to climb out of the hole. This is a problem. A well thought-out plan complete with budget, social services to-do list, and job hunt goals would be quite helpful for the homeless. A new resident arrived last night stating multiple times that he needs to get a job. Slim took him aside and laid out a simple plan for him: Take a few days to unwind and get used to your situation while you take care of the paperwork required for social services, and then work on finding a job. Slim told him to be sure and sell newspapers on Sundays to put a little cash in his pocket which is good for morale. I believe that this is sound advice, but I can tell that the new resident will not follow it. He is used to having a place to stay and a little money in his pocket so he'll try really hard for a week to improve his situation. Perhaps he will get lucky and find a job, but I think he will probably become discouraged and take a couple steps back. The way out of the hole is to slowly put more dirt under your feet, giving you more room to breathe until you're back on solid ground. Most of the homeless I have met, though, scramble upwards as quickly as they can only to wind up back to where they started and in a tight spot.
Last Monday I returned to Tent City from work and asked Sweet Cheeks if he had seen Miss Mary. He told me that she went to the hospital that morning with an apparent broken jaw. I immediately thought of Carl when I heard this and looked over to see him sauntering across the lot. Carl walks up and I ask him how Miss Mary is. "I'ow know. Someone says she broke her jaw or sump'n." He looks confused, and it's all I can do to keep from yelling "STREET JUSTIIIIIIICCCCCE" and ripping his ear off. He walks away to go find Slim, and Sweet Cheeks tells me that the prevailing theory is that Carl hit Miss Mary. A little while later, someone asks Slim what he thinks of the situation. He replies that there is no proof Carl hit Miss Mary, and Miss Mary told someone that she had fallen down. I've heard that this is how all Lifetime movies begin, and doubt Carl's innocence. Everyone else does, too and many threats are made on Carl's safety.
Miss Mary returned on Tuesday afternoon, the side of her face still swollen. I spoke with her for a little while, and she told me that she had gotten an infection of some sort that should be cleared up in a few days with the help of some antibiotics the (real) doctor gave her. Her story checks out, and I realize that I had been sucked into the Tent City Rumor Mill. With not much to do all day, many residents (especially the younger ones) sit and talk. I've heard some pretty juicy stuff in the past month including: who is doing what drugs, who got into a fight, who got arrested, and the ol' standby - who is sleeping with who. I vow not to get drawn in like that again, but hold steady that Carl is still a bad guy.
Last night I was in the Administration Building helping out with some chores around the place. Rufus and I had just finished moving some things around for the garden, and I wash my hands at the sink. The sink is just outside the bathroom (still not functional) across the common area from the front door where Rufus appears with a spray bottle full of a clear liquid. Rufus is back to storming about like a mad man, and he heads straight for the bathroom. Someone asks him what he's holding and he replies that it's a bleach and water mixture without breaking stride. He brushes past me muttering "Dis oughtta kill 'em all. Gotta get 'em offa der." He heads into the bathroom and closes the door. I'm not sure what Rufus is referring to, but I get a little nervous when I hear him laughing mischievously behind the closed door. I know that Rufus spends a lot of time with the two dogs who live out here, but I'm pretty sure that it's strictly platonic. Maybe I'll test the Rumor Mill to find out for sure.
No comments:
Post a Comment