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.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
June 28, 2011
Sorry for the delayed post. Taking a break from homelessness requires more time than being homeless. The song of the day today is "When the Levee Breaks" performed by some old guy.
I had to do some grocery shopping yesterday and I stopped by the library on my way back to Tent City. The Doctor was outside breathlessly explaining something to a security guard and another homeless man. "After the bill is passed in the House, it goes to the Senate for approval" he says. "Now the Senate can do one of two things: Pass it, or vote it down." The other homeless man seems surprised by these two choices. "Oh REALLY?!" he exclaims. I guess he was thinking that the options would be to either pay it or not pay it, and I hope that The Doctor doesn't realize this and start all over. It doesn't seem to faze him, and he goes on explaining the process of the former option and states that the governor can veto the bill, sending it back to Congress. I'm certain that the other homeless man thinks that V-Toe is a medical ailment which exempts the sufferer from paying bills when he says that his wife received government disability before she passed away. It's a good thing The Doctor does not mind if his audience is getting what he's saying and he keeps explaining how a bill becomes a law. Many conversations between homeless people make no sense at all.
I had to do some grocery shopping yesterday and I stopped by the library on my way back to Tent City. The Doctor was outside breathlessly explaining something to a security guard and another homeless man. "After the bill is passed in the House, it goes to the Senate for approval" he says. "Now the Senate can do one of two things: Pass it, or vote it down." The other homeless man seems surprised by these two choices. "Oh REALLY?!" he exclaims. I guess he was thinking that the options would be to either pay it or not pay it, and I hope that The Doctor doesn't realize this and start all over. It doesn't seem to faze him, and he goes on explaining the process of the former option and states that the governor can veto the bill, sending it back to Congress. I'm certain that the other homeless man thinks that V-Toe is a medical ailment which exempts the sufferer from paying bills when he says that his wife received government disability before she passed away. It's a good thing The Doctor does not mind if his audience is getting what he's saying and he keeps explaining how a bill becomes a law. Many conversations between homeless people make no sense at all.
Friday, June 24, 2011
June 23, 2011
This weekend is the second of my weekends off. If you're in Lubbock and you get the chance, stop by Tent City and see some of these people. Bring them some watermelon or some ice cream, anything to cool them down. The song of the day today is "Cheap" by Seasick Steve.
I went to the abandoned house last night around 10:00, and everyone there was already in high spirits. I'm not sure what time these guys usually get started, but it's clear that I am very late to the party. There are several conversations going on at once among the eight or so residents, and I try and get in on one. It takes a few seconds for me to realize that there are not very many coherent conversations going on and everyone seems to be speaking at once. Julius is quite passionate about something and I'm a little nervous standing next to him when he speaks. Julius is about 6'3" with a muscular build and several teeth missing. He's got very dark skin, and I can only see his eyes as he rails against society. The abandoned house is not well lit and the darkness seems to amplify Julius's slow and deliberate speech. "African Americans built this country" he booms. "Pickin' cotton! Raisin' the key-ids!" There's a white guy standing across from Julius nodding at everything he says. This guy's about fifty and quite normal looking. He's always got a friendly grin on his face, and speaks with a friendly tone. At first, I think that he's got the hiccups as I hear a "yup" come from his grin every five seconds or so. It takes me a minute to realize that this is just what he does; vocalize his agreement with anything anybody says. I decide to call him Lenny. Lenny tries to get everyone's attention so that he can say something, but his soft spoken manner isn't very effective at commanding attention. He finally sees a break in the conversation and says "If I ever live in a mansion, you know who I'm gonna call?" he doesn't wait for anyone to answer before he says "You guys. The fridge'll be full of beer and I'll have plenty of beds, and..." He's cut off by Julius who begins to tell a story about the time he was in the army.
I went to the abandoned house last night around 10:00, and everyone there was already in high spirits. I'm not sure what time these guys usually get started, but it's clear that I am very late to the party. There are several conversations going on at once among the eight or so residents, and I try and get in on one. It takes a few seconds for me to realize that there are not very many coherent conversations going on and everyone seems to be speaking at once. Julius is quite passionate about something and I'm a little nervous standing next to him when he speaks. Julius is about 6'3" with a muscular build and several teeth missing. He's got very dark skin, and I can only see his eyes as he rails against society. The abandoned house is not well lit and the darkness seems to amplify Julius's slow and deliberate speech. "African Americans built this country" he booms. "Pickin' cotton! Raisin' the key-ids!" There's a white guy standing across from Julius nodding at everything he says. This guy's about fifty and quite normal looking. He's always got a friendly grin on his face, and speaks with a friendly tone. At first, I think that he's got the hiccups as I hear a "yup" come from his grin every five seconds or so. It takes me a minute to realize that this is just what he does; vocalize his agreement with anything anybody says. I decide to call him Lenny. Lenny tries to get everyone's attention so that he can say something, but his soft spoken manner isn't very effective at commanding attention. He finally sees a break in the conversation and says "If I ever live in a mansion, you know who I'm gonna call?" he doesn't wait for anyone to answer before he says "You guys. The fridge'll be full of beer and I'll have plenty of beds, and..." He's cut off by Julius who begins to tell a story about the time he was in the army.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
June 22, 2011
I know I'm a day behind on my dates, but I'm still in denial that I won't miss a post. I will probably be skipping a post soon. The song of the day today is "Galveston" by Glen Campbell. It's been reported that Glen has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but is going to go ahead and record his final album. Get ready for thirteen songs about the time he took you on a fishing trip that was only attended by him and a cousin that resembles you.
I arrived at Tent City last night around 7:00. My bike had gotten a flat tire, and I haven't been able to use it for the past couple of days. I was finally able to find the right sized inner tube and fix it, and I'm glad to have transportation again. While taking the bus is nice if you know what bus to take and the critical times of the route, it is brutal if you are trying to go somewhere you've never ridden to before by a certain time. It's worse if you're the only person on the bus and the bus driver keeps stopping at every stop even when no one is waiting. Road rage is ten times worse when you're not even in control of the vehicle you're riding.
I arrived at Tent City last night around 7:00. My bike had gotten a flat tire, and I haven't been able to use it for the past couple of days. I was finally able to find the right sized inner tube and fix it, and I'm glad to have transportation again. While taking the bus is nice if you know what bus to take and the critical times of the route, it is brutal if you are trying to go somewhere you've never ridden to before by a certain time. It's worse if you're the only person on the bus and the bus driver keeps stopping at every stop even when no one is waiting. Road rage is ten times worse when you're not even in control of the vehicle you're riding.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
June 21, 2011
The song of the day today is "Make It Rain" by Tom Waits. Blogger's video application is not working at the moment so you'll have to click the link to watch the video.
I am asked a lot of questions about my safety during this month. This was a concern of mine leading up to this experiment, but all my worries quickly faded. My thought was that, if I could stay out of "shady" situations and places, I would be perfectly fine. My only concerns were: 1) Being found out that I was not actually destitute, and 2) random acts of violence. The first has not been a big deal. I've found that I look sufficiently homeless especially when carrying my backpack (almost always), and definitely when I have gone several days without showering. The second has not been a concern at all. The "shady rule" covers me as I never walk alone at night, and I don't go anywhere with anybody. Some might argue that Tent City is a shady place, but anyone who has been there will argue otherwise. It is in a part of town where the crime rate is about mid-range, and it is surrounded by neighborhoods with high crime rates. But, the gates are locked every night and someone is always on duty. Besides, what would anyone want with homeless people? The thing about being homeless is that everybody assumes that you don't have anything they want, and they're probably right. So, I would say that I feel just as safe sleeping at Tent City as I did sleeping in my house.
I am asked a lot of questions about my safety during this month. This was a concern of mine leading up to this experiment, but all my worries quickly faded. My thought was that, if I could stay out of "shady" situations and places, I would be perfectly fine. My only concerns were: 1) Being found out that I was not actually destitute, and 2) random acts of violence. The first has not been a big deal. I've found that I look sufficiently homeless especially when carrying my backpack (almost always), and definitely when I have gone several days without showering. The second has not been a concern at all. The "shady rule" covers me as I never walk alone at night, and I don't go anywhere with anybody. Some might argue that Tent City is a shady place, but anyone who has been there will argue otherwise. It is in a part of town where the crime rate is about mid-range, and it is surrounded by neighborhoods with high crime rates. But, the gates are locked every night and someone is always on duty. Besides, what would anyone want with homeless people? The thing about being homeless is that everybody assumes that you don't have anything they want, and they're probably right. So, I would say that I feel just as safe sleeping at Tent City as I did sleeping in my house.
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