(no subject)

[thoreau]

It was frankly - too quiet this morning on my walk with Miss Kate. at 7:30 am - no delivery trucks, no other people out on the sidewalks. Just me and Miss Kate in the new morning sunshine, her sniffing around me sipping loudly on my coffee. We played for a bit in the grass between the Opera House and Herbst - she runs these large circles and then comes charging at me - powernuzzling into my chest. The sun crested over city hall as we were playing and we both paused and looked back taking in the warmth. Then she bolted off for another circle. It is funny - she adores David - and gets all excited to greet him every morning when we come back and he's in bed still asleep. but - in these morning moments she's saying to me - "i'm so glad its just you and me" - and you can see how truly happy she is. Then we hooked her back up on the lead - and we headed around city hall and back towards the building. The blocks around the opera, city hall and civic center is the home to several groups of homeless - and a few of them (now that we've been living here seven months, omg!) know Miss Kate by name. One particular is "young man" - normally my greeting is "how are you this morning, young man?" Now I'm guessing he's at least 50 - but his scraggling beard and appearance may age him prematurely - but I get a big grin out of him everytime I say young man. Miss kate and I came upon his usual sleeping spot - and Miss Kate let out big loud hello bark. and thats when she and I realized that young man had a female guest with him. Now - every homeless person does not like dogs. I can imagine that some have had bad to very bad experiences. But Young Man greets Miss Kate and says "she's the prettiest little thing I've ever seen" and always gives her a pet. so when his guest showed herself from under the sea of tarps and sleeping bags, Miss Kate paused - and the guest recoiled. I'm sure she'd be woken up and - also - was scared of the dog. Young Man said good morning - and blushing at kate and me seeing him with company - he said "Cold night out last night." and with that - his guest relaxed and they both enjoyed a goood morning hello and lick from Miss Kate. I dropped them a few bucks for morning coffee - and Miss Kate and I headed home. San Francisco is one of those wierd cities - where the homeless seem to be everywhere. And I know how fortunate I am to live in the muffin penthouse and have a good solid job, a fun car, a great boyfriend and a loving, caring puppy dog. Do I care whether Young Man uses the fiver I gave him for coffee? honestly, no. but we live in the same neighborhood - and it was cold out last night. I think it is good to know the folks in your neighborhood - whether they are down the hall in another apartment - or sleeping in the alcove on the stairs at the theater.

Comments

[enhydrasf.livejournal.com]

this made me smile this morning. thank you.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You're a good man, my friend ...

I've always been surprised .. and a bit discomfited ... by the number of homeless in SF. Since, I first visited the city when I was 18, it's always been that way. Do you think the large numbers of homeless folks is due to the systems in place to help them in the Bay Area? The relatively mild climate? The reputation for tolerance?

When I played Sacramento back in the late 1990's, there was a camp along the river near my hotel where hundreds of homeless people lived. Panhandling in downtown Sacramento was aggressive and a bit threatening ... I've often thought that if I wound up in those circumstances, that California and its high cost of living, would not be the best place to survive, to find work and a place to live.

What are your thoughts on this?

HUGS!

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

oh I don't know Neil. Homelessness has always concerned me. The sense of falling off the grid accept to maybe - and I mean maybe - a case worker in an office. Many homeless don't want help - at least forced help. There was a homeless guy in thepark by the old apartment that told me that he'd had a high paced construction job - and that one day it hit him - that he needed a much simpler life. and now he lives in various parks in SF and other cities - and goes to food kitchens and shelters. he finds it a very uncomplicated way to live. I just try not to live in a bubble that removes them from my line of sight - ya know?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I just try not to live in a bubble that removes them from my line of sight - ya know?

Which is the reason I so appreciated this post from you. These folks are not invisible to you. They are not to me either. I am usually a paycheck or a healthcare crisis away from being part of this community. Unfortunately, the large numbers of homeless ... and immigrants .. and I'm not in any way equating the two ... are stretching the systems in place to help those in need, to break point. I've been reading about the budget woes in California. I think these groups are a cheap target for the less enlightened, for those looking for someone to blame.

[tatsf.livejournal.com]

Having worked with a lot of homeless clients in my old job of 17 yrs, and some in my current job, I can tell you that most truly appreciate the genuine humanity of the type of contact you describe Bob. Thank you for that, you're a good man.

[actorguy1.livejournal.com]

tears....

lovely. It is true that not everyone is in a situation that we might consider tragic. Everyone is different and hopefully some of that sentiment will be visible over the next four years.

Most of us are more lucky than we ever consider. I know I am just lucky that I actually met you and David and now I have a face to a place and a puppy in mind everytime I read your LJ.

Yep... that is lucky.

[paterson-si.livejournal.com]

hehehehe

I like that little, warm story.

[kbearblog.livejournal.com]

Thanks for spreading the love Robert!