Down and Nearly Outers: Three of Their Stories

I often wish I had a photographic memory in order to clearly recall all the folks I have talked to and their often complicated stories. Some days, like today, bring a nearly non-stop stream of people to the church who are looking to have a special pressing need met. By the evening time the faces and stories are beginning to blur a bit. For my own memory's sake, I'll give you a brief rundown on three of today's visitors.

The first guy, homeless--I can't remember his name just now--wanted something to eat. To be exact he wanted a jar of peanut butter and some canned goods if we had them. Ed got him a bagful of nutrition bars, a vitamin water and some other things. Craig came by to get his disabled buss pass refilled as I had told him Sunday we would. As we walked to the Transit Store together he told me how eight years ago he lost his job as a manager at a big furniture store (no longer is business, which you will see, may be poetic justice).

While seeing the doctor after a sudden episode of blurry vision, it was discovered he had glaucoma, and that it had goon undetected and untreated for many years. Craig had worked for them for years and many commendations for good work in his file. Soon after his boss finding out about his glaucoma Craig was transfered to a less-than-desirable store. Then he began getting written up for this and that. Finally on what amounted to a technicality, they fired him. He was dispirited and scrambling to stay afloat. Before long his state disability ran out. Soon his car was repossessed. It went downhill from there and he hasn't worked since. Craig was homeless off and on until recently getting on SSDI (Social Security Disability Income).

I asked about his family. His dad was never around and his mom died a few years back. He says he and his two brothers have never been close--not even in childhood--and now they never communicate. Craig talks of wanting to get into retail sales or perhaps, "open my own sporting goods store." With real frustration evident he says, "I hate not working. I'd give anything just to be able to go to work each day."

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Then there was Bill who came to San Diego about 6 months ago, he says, for cancer treatment. In the months since, he got hit by a car while skateboarding downtown and, about a month ago, got hit in the head with a baseball bat while sleeping and lost many of his teeth and had to have metal pins and wires put in his jaws. Now he has decided to go live with his sister in New Mexico. Ladle paid for a portion of his bus fare.

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Jane is in her late 50's and looks much older. I can see she is missing several of her bottom teeth and because of it the remaining teeth come up over her upper lip when she talks. Seems she has been homeless for quite some time. Jane has been in and out of several downtown hotels and it seems to me she has some metal or emotional issues. After a recent hospitalization to have her spleen removed, the hospital discharged her to an independent-living home in National City. Jane came to the church to get a change of clothes because, "last night they got into my suitcase when I went to the store and they took all my clothes." "Not only that, but they threaten me and are mean to me and I think they are going to kick me out or keep stealing my stuff so I'll leave." I get Jane a blouse; a nice from our clothes closet and she is very happy with it. She says she'll will come back Sunday when we have a clothing distribution program going and get some more things.

So it goes...