A New Addiction...

A life-altering event. That's my realization of homelessness, gained firsthand out here on the streets and highways of our country. What a change in living circumstances! All of a sudden, even the most common day-to-day events takes on a different hue. 

We take so many things for granted, like running water. Like indoor plumbing, accessible on demand (at least 99% of the time; allowing for plumbing anomalies), sleeping (in a bed is really a blessing; on the ground it is an exercise steeped in uncertainty, given the variables of weather, environment and the like), eating (up to 75% of the time of a homeless person; the quest for food consumes much of a homeless person's time and energy).

The homeless face so many challenges that many 'regular' people think of them almost as a separate species, barely worthy of respect, much less acknowledgement. Additionally, those who set in motion the chain of events that resulted in so many Americans becoming homeless have almost succeeded in convincing the rest of society that they are the cause of their own misery. Talk about Chutzpah! 

Now the homeless have the added burden of the social stigma attached to them by the very charlatans who put them on the street to begin with! 

As I've made my way through the southern half of California (where I choose to live), I've seen so very many persons with compelling personal narratives to share; it's like covering a major disaster that is slowly taking place before our unbelieving eyes. So many of these people are as regular as your next-door neighbor...you wonder, "how did HE/SHE end up homeless" and, "Am I going to be next"?

Having talked at length with many of these people, it comes to me that there should be someone telling their story...someone calling our society to account for all of this human suffering.

And now, this mission is beginning to take on a life of it's own, a 'calling' to me to document this still-developing tragedy. My natural inquisitiveness and curiosity draw me to this task. Additionally, much of my time is spent our there on the streets - where this is all taking place.

So...many of my posts will originate "On The Road" as I speak with people on how life in America has changed for them since September 15th. Their stories touch my heart. I want to share them with you and will do so during the coming months. 

This, then is my NEW addiction...telling the stories of people that you know, the stories of people unseen, the stories of people who have no one to speak up on their behalf.

Stay with us. You may heard/read a story that sounds very similar to someone you"ve known. 

We're going to have a different close starting today.

I sincerely hope that 2014 is a fantastic year for you, filled with happiness, good health and good fortune.

Blessed be !

This begins a series that was thrust upon me, as it was on many others, like an economic tsunami. It came, literally without warning, (some, like myself had a vague unease leading up to the financial collapse of 2007-2008, but our words were ignored.)

In the pre-dawn hours you can make out their forms. Dark. Silhouettes moving along back streets. A large, dark mass in a darkened doorway. Look closely, though, for they will be gone soon. They move silently, ghost-like. They're invisible, as Society wishes. Swept under the rug. They are 'deniable'. 'Non-persons'.

What then is their crime that they are viewed with such disdain? Why has Society cast them off like so much human flotsam?

They are the homeless. Many of them ARE "guilty". Guilty, that is of believing in the American Dream. You know, the one that goes, "Do your job with honesty and great vigor and you shall be rewarded". (You do remember that cartoon with the fellow with the feeble smile on his face and a size 250 wood screw driven through his middle, don't you?) Every day these middle class went to work, put in their time and energy, all the time believing that they were paving their way into a better, secure future for themselves and their families.

There are others, to be sure. Drugs. Alcohol. Mental Illness. Issues that our Society refuses to confront. Soon, it may be forced to confront them anyway. More about that later.

In our specific instance, it was a two-step drop to living on the street. A nasty divorce in 2007 took all of my lifetime's works and treasures; trying to rebuild financially in 2009 moving forward, my work managed to keep a roof over my head and food stamps helped put food on the table.

Homelessness came home to roost finally on 1 February of this year, 2013. Since then, it's been a struggle to stay upright and moving ahead. In this case, it's also making lemons into lemonade, to allude to that old axiom about misfortune. 

It's been an amazing journey, with insights coming from everywhere. All sorts of people moving through our life. Some are transitory, others have a feel of permanence. As time and resources become available, we intend to flesh out this journey with pictures (maybe even video) and links to places you may find interesting, worth a moment or two of your time or attention. Of course, we invite your comments. 

Tomorrow: A New Addiction

How Time Flies...when you're having fun

Almost a year since we last posted. Very busy trying simply to survive the financial tsunami and it's continued economic malaise; finding housing. A lot of new material has come out of this experience, however. We hear of "the homeless" and our eyes start to glaze over. Not THEM again !! Let's get something straight...there, but for the grace of God go YOU. And it COULD happen to you if you don't stay alert. Even now, the financial markets are being juiced by the big players on the money train. Investment Banks, holding companies and others are deciding how they are going to engineer the next "crash" so they can sell short again and prosper while millions will be losing their homes; this one will result in a truly 'classless' society. We shall ALL be poor and indentured to those who will have long since departed our shores for the economic safety of the Caymans, Costa Rica or Dubai

Anyhoo, as I started to say, we've had a self-imposed deadline to get this blog up and running again. Being an urban camper has resulted in a wealth of material about the people we've met, the places we've been along the way. We've seen much beauty and generosity, but sadly, much negative at the same time. 

A couple of shout-out's to some people we've met along the way. Each of them gets their own special treatment, pics (when it is financially doable), "Uncle Eddie" up near Chicano Park here in San Diego is one of them. The small shop-keeper - Wal*Mart can't stop 'em! I love it !

A big shout to my friends and compatriots over at The Huffington Post. Missed you much. Back now for keeps.

This time last year saw us in Palm Desert, CA. Now we're in San Diego. Ambivalent now as there is much to laud about this Seaport Village all grown up/not all grown up. There's also a lack of creative spark like that which inspired me in Coachella. No Mt. San Jacinto. No McCallum Theatre. 

Are these the opening paragraphs of another "Tayle of Two Citees"?

Time will tell. Drop us a comment. We moderate as time permits, hopefully income will grant us more time and we shall all be fat and happy little cherubin...

Is Our Republic Ending? 8 Striking Parallels Between the Fall of Rome and U.S. | Alternet

Is Our Republic Ending? 8 Striking Parallels Between the Fall of Rome and U.S. | Alternet

Time To Throw An Elbow, Mr. President (pt. 2)

Yesterday I put forth several challenges that President Obama should use against Mitt Romney in the upcoming debate on Tuesday. Today, I add to those challenges.

Mr. Romney is bound to level the charge that Obamacare ‘steals’ $716 billion from Medicare. This is easily debunked, as I am a Medicare beneficiary. I began working in 1959, when I was 16. I have paid into the Medicare fund every since it’s inception in 1965, so I believe that I can speak with some authority. I have Medicare. I also utilize a Medicare “Advantage” program underwritten by a major healthcare insurer. It is a piece of crap. But, taxpayers unwittingly supported the legislation when it came into  being. It is nothing more than a sweetheart cookie given the insurance industry by congresscritters who were bought by those same insurance industry giants so they could finance their re-election campaigns. What Obamacare does is take that $716 billion from the insurers and spend it on better diagnostic and prevention procedures that will save us users in the long run. You know, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And, the prescription drug donut hole is closed for those of us with chronic conditions who require ongoing prescription regimens, saving us upwards of $600 per year. Now I realize $600 isn’t anything more than pocket change to Mitt or his friends, but to we seniors, that $600 will buy a bunch of groceries; groceries that we might have to forgo to purchase our prescriptions. Another benefit of Obamacare that Mr. Romney doesn’t acknowledge is the amount of refund that we will be receiving from the insurers that isn’t spent directly on health services. Those of us who checked out “Obamacare” know that this plan is good for those of us in the working and middle class.

Challenge Mr. Romney on the specifics of his plans for jobs during the next four years. He’s been big on complaining about the 23 million currently unemployed, but he has no specifics. He is claiming that his administration will create some 12 million jobs during the next four years. Sounds good, doesn’t it? EXCEPT that, generally, economists have forecast that our economy can reasonably be expected to generate 12 million jobs over the next four years if the current recovery remains on track. So, really, Mitt’s proclamation is just like predicting that the sun will arise in the East tomorrow morning. To the uninformed, the superstitious, this is spectacular. In reality, however, it isn’t. So, hit him hard on this, Mr. President.

You will likely be challenged for your specifics, Mr. President. Here’s a suggestion: Jobs in the renewable energy sector. The right-wingers will trot out names like ‘Solyndra’, blah blah blah. Remind them that out of 26 companies devoted to alternate/renewable energy, fewer than a dozen failed. Companies fail all the time. In small business, the failure rate is better than 75%, so government backing in this sector is doing better than the so-called ‘free’ marketplace. It might also be helpful to remind people that energy independence frees us from our energy vulnerability in the fossil fuel market. No longer will it be necessary to send American troops to protect resources in far-off regions of the world. And, to those who claim that it would take decades to get to full energy independence, you might remind them that this nation put a man on the moon and returned him to Earth in LESS THAN A DECADE during the 1960’s. It was accomplished by a unique convergence of government, private industry and academia all working together to advance a great goal. A program of that magnitude offers a chance for America to recapture that great spirit of the ‘can-do’ that has always marked the best of our country. Call out that spirit once again Mr. President and challenge us to do our best.  

I said it earlier, Mr. President, but it bears repeating, IMHO. Stand tall and proud of your accomplishments during the previous 3 1/2 years;

preventing a second “Great Depression” (because that is what we would have had without the stimulus), Signing of “Lilly Ledbetter”, The Affordable Care Act, Rescuing our Domestic auto industry from sure catastrophe (including almost a million jobs in supply-chain related companies), killing three of the pirates operating off the coast of Somalia, elimination of Osama bin Laden, creation of more than 5 million private sector jobs. Then, openly speculate about what could have been accomplished had the Republicans not opposed you on virtually every proposal your administration put forth. You can also skewer them on the failure to act in good faith and blatant partisanship, no more evident than during the Health Care debate. You can remind them that when you acceded to Republican wishes, they turned around and voted against those same proposals when you put them forth the next day. You CAN call them out on their failure to act to make the economy work by voting down (or not even bringing up) your proposals to make jobs available for returning veterans. You have a rich trove from which to draw to remind Americans how the Republican party has preferred to prolong suffering in order to advance their own agenda. As earlier stated, Mr. President (and drawing upon your basketball talents), IT IS TIME TO THROW AN ELBOW.

A few Post Scripts today:

We note the passing of Senator Arlen Specter today at the age of 82 years. I realize that many of my Liberal/Progressive friends would be at odds with me, but I consider Arlen Specter to have been one of the best Republican Senators in recent History. There may be those who dislike him for his comments during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings, but I would suggest that they look at his part in denying Robert Bork a seat on that same court; truly, THAT was a momentous moment.

I can only say, "Well done, sir. Rest In Peace"

Condolences to his family and loved ones.

Seen on Facebook (h/t to A girl’s guide to taking over the world.)

What terrifies religious extremists like the Taliban are NOT American tanks or

bombs or bullets... it’s a girl with a book.

Also, on Facebook:

An anthropoligist proposed a game to children of an African tribe. He put a basket of fruit near a tree and told the kids that the first one to reach the fruit would win them all. When he told them to run, they all took each others hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying the fruits. When asked why they ran like that, as one could have taken all the fruit for oneself, they said, “Ubuntu, how can any of us be happy if all the others are sad?” ‘UBUNTU’ is a philosophy of African tribes that can be summed up as, “I am because we are.”

Feel free to post your comments. Civility is of highest preference

Time To Throw An Elbow, Mr. President

We all know the President's abilities on the basketball court. With that in mind..

This is it, Mr. President. If you do not put Mr. Romney away in this round, Democrats will not have the fire to get out and vote, and the Republicans will be on fire and voting in a replay of 2010.

Conversely, if you challenge Mr. Romney everytime he tries to shade the truth, fudge the numbers, or evade specificity, you can pull victory from the jaws of defeat. 

Challenge him on the deficit. The largest part of the deficit is extension of the Bush tax cuts, which were supposed to expire at the end of 2010. Remind people that the only reason the cuts got passed at the beginning was through the budget reconciliation process, and that, in turn was based on the fact that it was acknowledged that those cuts would result in a deficit. That deficit is here and is choking our economic vitality every day.

Challenge Mr. Romney on the economy. Remind Americans that when you assumed office, our economy was shedding jobs at the rate of 750 THOUSAND a month. You have turned that trend around, and, despite all of the partisan obstructionism from the Republicans, our economy has added over 5 million private sector jobs. Remind the public that Senator Mitch McConnell vowed to make you a one term President. Take off the gloves, Mr. President and call him out by name, since the video is available for anyone with eyes and ears.

(Mitch McConnell (one-term president) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-A09a_gHJc). 

Challenge Mr. Romney on the abortion issue. Be a staunch advocate for a woman’s right to choose her own reproductive destiny. Let those who oppose abortion choose not to have one; they have no right whatsoever to impose their morality on the rest of us who may or may not share their religious values. Remind him that our First Amendment gives us not only freedom of religion but freedom from the pernicious use of religious dogma to rule our private lives.

Don’t be afraid to challenge Mr. Romney on foreign policy. It was the Republican-controlled House of Representatives that refused to appropriate over $300 million to beef up security at our embassies worldwide. Remind people that whatever the President says to the press is virtually instantly blasted and magnified out in the public sphere and that it is imperative to have all of the facts before making any such statements. Mr. Romney should be aware of this, given his crass statements issued well before all the facts were verified in an area where information is almost impossible to obtain instantaneously. In like manner, you can challenge him regarding the middle east and how he would address the issues of Iran and Syria. 

Challenge him to SPECIFICALLY state what he would do differently. And, if he doesn’t, don’t allow him to spout platitudes and boilerplate in lieu of genuine policies, AND how he would go about implementating them (i.e. how he would enlist support among our allies) with a broad coalition of other nations.

Indeed, Mr. President, don’t allow Mr. Romney to do any evasion. Call him out whenever he tries (and you can be sure he will), just like Joe Biden did when he schooled Mr. Ryan last Thursday.

Do these things, Mr. President. Be fearless and staunch in standing up for principles that have served Democrats well ever since the party was formed. Smile often and sincerely. Speak simply and sincerely and to the people, via the camera. Do these things and you will have been elected President to a second term by the morning of November 7, 2012.

The Shirt

[The post you are about to read is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The part of “Mom” is played by my Mother. The part of “Dad” is played by my father]

You could tell from the feel of the material, the cut and the needlework, that the shirt was top quality. 

Celebrating my eighteenth birthday, Bethany gave it to me as my present. Mom was impressed (quite an achievement), Dad smiled warmly over the mashed potatoes; Bethany looked especially lovely that evening. We went out to the drive-in that night. At that time of year, nighttime temperatures were pleasant.

The pattern was very geometric, different squares, rectangles, lines and colors, grays and blues and fit my lean frame nicely.

Bethany and I were quite an item. She was the most beautiful girl I had known. Couldn’t believe that she had felt an attraction for me. Her laughter was so free, so natural - it had the quality that was musical; infectious, joyful.

By the time of my next birthday, however, we had broken up. The details escape memory, but I was heartsick. 

I treasured that shirt; deliberately did not wear it often so as to insure that it would not wear out. As long as I could wear it, part of the halcyon days of youth would stay with me. Years and addresses went by, as they are want.  And marriages. But the shirt remained.

Finally, somewhere in the mists of decades the shirt disappeared. And Bethany retreated further back in memory. 

Yet, anytime I would overhear the name “Bethany”, my heart would miss a beat. 

It’s now fifty years since we parted. Somewhere in the course of everyday, I saw a pattern that was enough like the pattern of the shirt that the memory triggered. And, predictably, my heart missed a beat.

For whatever reason, I went to the ‘Classmates.com’ website, and after only a few minutes, found Bethany’s link. Sent her a message along with my email, not knowing if she would respond or not. It wasn’t two days before Bethany’s name came up in my email. And, this time, my heart raced. Breath tightened in my chest. I clicked open the email to find that Bethany had remained in the Phoenix area and a light search of Google surrendered her address and phone. It took a full half day to work up the courage to call.

“Hello”? 

“Bethany? It’s me, from Scottsdale High”

Her voice hadn’t changed a whit, even though fifty years have passed. And, her laugh! Her laugh, as always, bright, free. My heart was racing by then. It’s been almost two weeks now. We email and phone as time is available. 

And fifty years are as only a week or two...