After grabbing dinner at Taco Villa last night, I headed to Tent City. It's just before 9:00, and I'm relieved I don't have to ask someone to come unlock the gate for me. Several residents are sitting at the picnic tables near the Administration Building. They are discussing the upcoming remodel of the Administration Building and I decide to walk in and take a look around. As of right now, the building consists of a main room, a bathroom, and a TV room. The main room is about twenty five feet by fifteen feet and contains a microwave, coffee pot, and hot plate on a countertop which bisects the room lengthwise. Usually this room is occupied by the younger residents of the camp after 7:00 PM, but they are absent tonight. I ask someone where they are and he says that he heard they got a motel room for the week. I imagine the eight of them in a motel room for a week, and every scenario in my head ends with at least one of them dead and most in jail. I'm relieved to hear that we won't have to deal with them for a while, and it seems all the other residents are too. Though I don't think they've broken any rules of the camp, I am uneasy when they are around. I know that a couple of them work, but they rarely have anything to show for it as evidenced by the makeshift spaghetti they ate a couple nights ago. All signs point to drugs harder than the pot they went to smoke the other night, and I hope they end up in jail over the course of the week. I decide to monitor the active roster for the Lubbock County Jail to be sure.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
June 9, 2011
Former Boston Celtics big man, Henry Finkel dropped in on yesterday's post to ask what kind of pants I wear. A great question, Henry. They are U.S. Expedition brand cotton shorts purchased at a thrift store for four dollars, and the very latest in homeless fashion. The song of the day today is "Devil's Basement" by Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights with cameo appearances by Optimus Prime and Super...man?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
June 8, 2011
A quick note: I appreciate all of the responses to my project, but please do not come out to Tent City to visit. I do not want to draw any attention to myself from my fellow wanderers. If you want to talk, e-mail me or message me on Twitter. If you want to hang out, call me. I know a great little place with a ton of fluorescent light bulbs just waiting to be smashed. The song of the day today is "With a Little Help from My Friends" as performed by Joe Cocker on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Joe Cocker has done more to raise awareness for cerebral palsy than any musician that I know of.
A few notes:
By far the best part of being homeless is the time that I have on my hands. My situation is far different from most of the homeless population as I work for eight hours a day in an air conditioned office, but that is all I have to do on most days. Some days I have to run some errands - go to the bank, go to the post office, go to the grocery store - but, that's it. In my spare time I read, go to the library, hang out with my girlfriend, ride my bike around, sit around and talk with people, or roam around downtown. Last night, I had a few extra dollars so I went and had a couple beers at a bar while I watched the basketball game. I've seen a lot of things that I had never noticed before, and have found places that are very cool and unique. This past weekend, I found a parking garage downtown with an elevator and I rode my bike down the ramp a few times. It was awesome. One day, I climbed a fire escape to the top of a building and threw stuff off the side. Downtown is definitely my favorite place to be. On weekends or in the evenings, not a lot of people are down there except the homeless. In the summertime, the homeless do whatever they can to stay out of the sun. Reading is the most popular activity I've seen among them. Many have library cards and take full advantage of all the library has to offer.
A few notes:
By far the best part of being homeless is the time that I have on my hands. My situation is far different from most of the homeless population as I work for eight hours a day in an air conditioned office, but that is all I have to do on most days. Some days I have to run some errands - go to the bank, go to the post office, go to the grocery store - but, that's it. In my spare time I read, go to the library, hang out with my girlfriend, ride my bike around, sit around and talk with people, or roam around downtown. Last night, I had a few extra dollars so I went and had a couple beers at a bar while I watched the basketball game. I've seen a lot of things that I had never noticed before, and have found places that are very cool and unique. This past weekend, I found a parking garage downtown with an elevator and I rode my bike down the ramp a few times. It was awesome. One day, I climbed a fire escape to the top of a building and threw stuff off the side. Downtown is definitely my favorite place to be. On weekends or in the evenings, not a lot of people are down there except the homeless. In the summertime, the homeless do whatever they can to stay out of the sun. Reading is the most popular activity I've seen among them. Many have library cards and take full advantage of all the library has to offer.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
June 7, 2011
Sorry for the delayed post. I've found it tough to settle into a routine. Expect sporadic posting. The song of the day today is "Trouble Weighs a Ton" by Dan Auerbach.
At dinner on Saturday, I sit with the man who is a recovering alcoholic. He caught me when I walked in and asked me some questions about my backpack so I feel like we've established a connection based on our mutual disdain for carrying things and I sit next to him. I've decided to call him Chuck. Another man who I cleaned the kitchen with one morning is at the table. He's a middle aged man who is tall and skinny and has a push broom mustache that covers his top lip and looks like a Ron. Ron is a recent victim of The Doctor's onslaughts of nonsensical verbiage, but he did manage to get some words in while The Doctor caught his breath one morning. He said that he was laid off recently, but is only waiting on a background check before he is hired by another employer. He speaks slow and is unassuming and I feel confident that he will pass the background check. Now, he is telling Chuck about his laptop. He says that he has rented some movies from the library. He lists the titles of them and Pirates of the Caribbean is the only one that Chuck has not seen. They make plans to watch the movie together on Sunday afternoon, and Ron is going to try and find some external speakers at Goodwill so that they will be able to hear. One thing I have learned is that the homeless are both bored and sometimes hopeless. Every little thing is looked forward to. I believe this is why so many of them smoke.
At dinner on Saturday, I sit with the man who is a recovering alcoholic. He caught me when I walked in and asked me some questions about my backpack so I feel like we've established a connection based on our mutual disdain for carrying things and I sit next to him. I've decided to call him Chuck. Another man who I cleaned the kitchen with one morning is at the table. He's a middle aged man who is tall and skinny and has a push broom mustache that covers his top lip and looks like a Ron. Ron is a recent victim of The Doctor's onslaughts of nonsensical verbiage, but he did manage to get some words in while The Doctor caught his breath one morning. He said that he was laid off recently, but is only waiting on a background check before he is hired by another employer. He speaks slow and is unassuming and I feel confident that he will pass the background check. Now, he is telling Chuck about his laptop. He says that he has rented some movies from the library. He lists the titles of them and Pirates of the Caribbean is the only one that Chuck has not seen. They make plans to watch the movie together on Sunday afternoon, and Ron is going to try and find some external speakers at Goodwill so that they will be able to hear. One thing I have learned is that the homeless are both bored and sometimes hopeless. Every little thing is looked forward to. I believe this is why so many of them smoke.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
June 5, 2011
Sorry there was no post yesterday. Access to the internet is not easy to come by for the homeless regardless of what The Doctor says. Anyway, the song of the day today is "Junk Queen" by Brian Wright reminding us that there is someone for everyone.
Last night was my first night at Tent City. A brief history of Tent City (follow the links for more): There was a need for another place for the homeless to stay back in January of this year because local churches who provided shelter in previous winters were unable to this past winter. Carpenter's Church, a local church dedicated to helping the homeless, began leasing tents to those who agreed to follow a set of rules. The site chosen was a patch of grass at a city park (a memorial to those who died in the 1970 tornado). As this piece of land would need to be maintained in the spring, a new site would have to be chosen. The Executive Director of Link Ministries donated a piece of land and an adjacent building (with bathrooms) as the new site for Tent City. There are now about 50 people living in roughly 40 tents at this location.
Last night was my first night at Tent City. A brief history of Tent City (follow the links for more): There was a need for another place for the homeless to stay back in January of this year because local churches who provided shelter in previous winters were unable to this past winter. Carpenter's Church, a local church dedicated to helping the homeless, began leasing tents to those who agreed to follow a set of rules. The site chosen was a patch of grass at a city park (a memorial to those who died in the 1970 tornado). As this piece of land would need to be maintained in the spring, a new site would have to be chosen. The Executive Director of Link Ministries donated a piece of land and an adjacent building (with bathrooms) as the new site for Tent City. There are now about 50 people living in roughly 40 tents at this location.
Friday, June 3, 2011
June 3, 2011
A quick note: I'm going to begin posting a "Song of the Day" at the beginning of each post. It will be a youtube video featuring a song of no particular importance. Today's song is "Dog House Boogie" by Seasick Steve.
I arrived at the Salvation Army last night just ahead of the 9:45 curfew. I'm signed in and given a clean towel and a bar of soap to shower. One rule at the Salvation Army is that everyone who stays must have good hygiene, and the Salvation Army provides all necessary toiletries. From what I can tell, everyone willingly follows this rule. Everyone has showered and are wearing clean clothes by the time I've arrived each night. There is also a laundry room that residents may use as they wish. I'm buzzed inside the men's dorm and I go put my backpack down in my room. Each room has 4 beds (2 bunk beds) and 4 storage areas. My storage area reminds me of the cubbyhole that I put my coat and lunchbox in when I was in the 2nd grade. Wendell is already asleep in his bed when I walk in. It looks like we have a new roommate who is sleeping in the bed below me. I saw him at breakfast the day prior. He is a 40 something white guy who is about 6' 6". His feet hang off the bed and he snores loudly.
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