Homelessness Street Stories

My Name is Richard. And I’m Homeless. Part VIII

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It is the beginning of the month again,
which means Richard has gotten his SSI check and is spending a chunk of the money on a few days’ worth $49.99 nights at the Motel 6 in Santa Ana.

He landed in the hospital ten days ago when his funds ran out (as they tend to do by about the 25th of every month), then he got robbed of most of his possessions including his medication, and his health took a dive without his meds. But the docs stablized Richard’s chronic congestive heart failure pretty quickly and, within a few days, he was back out on the street again, but—having had a stretch of time where there was no worry about where to sleep, decent food was provided, and his body got enough oxygen for a change—he was in good enough spirits, post release, to provide a week’s worth of intellectually spirited comments at WLA and at a couple of the other blogs he frequents.

Here at WitnessLA, we can’t do much to fix the problem of homelessness. But what we can do, at least with Richard’s help, is to begin to put a human face on the issue. With this idea in mind, in addition to his personal dispatches, I asked Richard to write a few stories about some of the people whom he knows.

The first such story is below:

(For previous chapters of My Name Is Richard, click HERE.)

THE STORY OF S: THE LADY AND THE DOG

I happened to catch a little CNN today while eating lunch today at McDonalds (Yes, some McDonald’s actually have televisions), and the story was a feel good piece about a homeless vet and his dog. The dog was sick so the vet took him to a veterinarian and left the doggie there with two notes. One was to the doc asking him to euthanize the dog ‘humanely’ as he had no money for treatment. The other was to the dog itself explaining how much the vet would miss the pooch and what a void was coming.

Well the Doc was moved by note 2, and treated the dog instead of euthanizing it. The dog got better and now vet and dog are reunited.

Like I said: a human interest story with a happy ending.

The CNN story got me to thinking of a friend of mine. Let’s call her ‘S’ (not her real initial). S is a person I’ve known for over a quarter century. When she works, she’s a paralegal/legal secretary and she’s a whiz at California Civil Procedure. She often knows more than the lawyers, a fact that has frequently gotten her into trouble when she balks at some order that she knows is incorrect. I’ve told to just do what her bosses say, that if they’re wrong, it’s their necks on the line. But she is just as likely to walk off the job instead. And when crossed, she drinks.


S is not a lovable drunk.
At times she gets very nasty. She has burned a lot of bridges.

(Did I mention that S was homeless?)

But, whatever her moods, S has one love of her life, a little Pekinese dog that is cute as a button. He is also quite a defender of S. At night he would sleep at the foot of where ever she had made her bed, and warn off intruders with a menacing growl (or as menacing as a 17-pound ball of fluff can manage).

Last January S. moved to LA because of the promise of a job. (She had been living in Orange County where I live.) As I said, S. often does get jobs. Homeless or not, she has style. In her younger years, she was a model and she is an expert at thrift shop clothing. During the period a few years ago that she lived in shelters in Santa Monica, I bet few people she saw would have ever guessed she was homeless. (How many homeless people do you know who looked good enough to get themselves let into the party that was thrown when the legendary Chasen’s restaurant finally closed its doors?)

When S. left for LA she was living out of her car, a 450 SL that she’d bought used some years back she had a job and was able to save some money. (When S. worked, she could make $30 an hour.) On her way to this job interview, she got stopped by the police for running a stop sign. Since her license was expired (Three DUIs will do that) , the police impounded the car. She had no money to get it out of impound and, although I told her she could find another solution, she just let it go. (S. does things like that.) This meant she and her doggie were now back to pounding the pavement.



Living on the street with a dog is not easy
and S. had visions of losing her pride and joy. But luck went her way when S. met a woman who runs an animal shelter who agreed to board the Peke. It worked out fine and the little doggie ruled the roost at the shelter, (after all he was bred to be the possession of the Emperor). S saw him on weekends.

But that’s only half the story. This animal shelter woman was also on the board of PATH – People Assisting the Homeless. (Maybe you’ve heard their ads on the radio with Anneette Benning narrating.) PATH, which is located over on a side street off of Pico Blvd, just west of the 405. It provides a one-stop service center for people transitioning out of homelessness.

(PATH specializes in those able to work, and infamilies and battered women, all categories that I don’t fit—in case that’s what you were wondering.)

The woman got S. into PATH and she became their prize pupil—their model of success. So instead of the usual one month, they let her stay almost three. In the meantime she laid off the booze and found work. As I said, when S. wants to be she’s damn impressive. With a good job, no housing costs and few other expenses, S. began to save again.

So, happy ending right?

Wrong. When, she left PATH after three months, and moved into a shared apartment, she soon got into disputes her roommates, which triggered her depression. When things go bad she gets depressed

And when she gets depressed she starts to drink. And…well I told you how she gets when she drinks. I said to her that she should keep saving and find a place of her own. But I think she likes the idea of someone around. Even if it doesn’t work out.

Underneath S. probably needs counseling. (Don’t we all?) And some medication. One of the points of contention between us was her instance that I seek professional help. I’m willing, I told her. But neither one of us has followed through. (She’s gone briefly, but has never followed the shrinks’ advice.)

So is she back on the street? I don’t know. I haven’t talked to S. in three months. I’ve emailed her but she doesn’t answer. She does that sometimes.

I miss S. But to tell the truth I miss that little doggie even more.

Here’s one more thing: In telling this story, I’ve thought it over. I’m going to sign up for counseling tomorrow.

Photo of woman with dog by Chubby Batem

18 Comments

  • Let’s see how society has failed this homeless woman.

    Per rlc: When she works, she’s a paralegal/legal secretary… She often (thinks she) knows more than the lawyers, a fact that has frequently gotten her into trouble when she balks at some order…. But she is just as likely to walk off the job…. And when crossed, she drinks. S is not a lovable drunk. She has burned a lot of bridges. …living out of her car, a 450 SL…. Since her license was expired (Three DUIs will do that), the police impounded the car. When, she left PATH…she soon got into disputes her roommates, which triggered her depression. And when she gets depressed she starts to drink.

    Okay, this is an attractive woman with a good education who has had multiple opportunities that she blows. Rather than saving, she bought a Mercedes 450 SL and didn’t sell it or trade-down for cash when when times got bad. She drinks and is irresponsible and breaks the law. She has been given chances and blows them with her temper and booze.

    There’s only so much society, government, churches, non-profit agencies, family, friends, and others can do with a nutcase like this.

    rlc came to this brilliant conclusion: Underneath S. probably needs counseling..

    No joke. But, she would blow that too.

    rlc, unless you’re a nutcase, too, and can’t help yourself, stay away from her.

  • This does reflect that many of the people who are homeless, at least those I’d met through PATH as a significant fundraiser through another church, have personality disorders which keep them where they are despite their intelligence.

    What might be seen as a feisty streak of independence in someone who’s otherwise managing to make ends meet becomes self-destructive obstinacy in someone who’s living way over their means and ends up destitute as a result. So often, the staff at PATH is frustrated because people don’t show for job interviews or dress appropriately, even when they’re given the clothes; or they can’t follow a host of other rules. One man from Africa who’d become a member of my church and whom I got into PATH’s residential program dropped out because he was offended by the entry-level jobs they’d located for him, so he flaked on interviews. When one of the female members of our congregation — a very pretty, single professional who had serious self-esteem issues dating from her own childhood/parent conflicts — got personally involved with him and let him move in with her, he refused to get a job because “men in African tribes don’t do that.” That may have been an unusual case, but his feeling he was “above” the rules and basic jobs that would at least put a roof over their heads isn’t.

    I truly understand how someone like ric probably only feels “himself” when he’s arguing with Woody and his peers here, or doing something mentally stimulating — and that it IS “beneath them” to take a menial clerical job or worse. But to someone on the outside, it’s hard to understand choosing to spend limited computer time that way instead of first putting in the time looking for a job. If ric has tried to find clerical/ data entry or other work that he could do, even if it doesn’t pay much, I’d be curious as to results. It may be that due to his health and age, and limited mobility and appearance, people won’t hire him — but Woody, at least, would be happy to know that ric is trying. (The ideal option for ric would be a similarly left-leaning “intellectual” writer, as they all have personal assistants to do research and correspondence. — ??? — Tried that?)

  • When one is unemployed, he has a full-time job, which is to look for work. Also, there is no such thing as a bad job, when that makes it possible to have a roof and meals. I don’t frown down on garbage men or even journalists, because work in honorable.

  • WBC i’ll be glad to show you my medical records sometime if you think I’m faking it. But why argue with you and Woody – you’re right. Just euthanize me. Im just another leech on society drawing a pricely $870 a month from SSI. I should show initiative and get a no bid government contract like Cheney’s former employers or, like the alcoholic and coke addled loser we call the president, get daddy’s people to make me whole after screwing up in every business I was ever in!

    You really have no clue do you?

  • “It may be that due to his health and age, and limited mobility and appearance, people won’t hire him — but Woody, at least, would be happy to know that ric is trying.”

    It’s been well established that Richard is in and out of the hospital with serious health problems. The fact is it’s a scandal that for a homeless person with a combination of a bad heart and chronic infections there’s no safety net – some very modest lodging with a few basic services, including counseling – and that someone with debilitating illness bounces between a hospital bed and the street where health conditions only worsen.

    On a more trivial level, “Reg”, at least, would be happy to know that Woody was capable of putting a lid on his lame, recycled diatribes and showing some humanity. Haven’t seen much evidence to date.

  • I would love to invite all the above commentors to my favorite local bar for cocktails (at my expense), it would be one hell of an entertaing/interesting get together. But I would have the bartender serve all drinks in soft styrofoam cups.

  • It may be that due to his health and age, and limited mobility and appearance, people won’t hire him — but Woody, at least, would be happy to know that ric is trying

    And of course, keeping Woody happy is our raison d’etre.

    I hasten to point out something Richard doesn’t make an issue of: he’s a veteran. People who have served the country deserve better treatment than this.

  • ric, when did I allege that you’re “faking it?” Just suggesting that since you’re spending your available time on the computer, inconveniently going to library, you might get p/t work for a writer as an ass’t — I’ve known less qualified people who have. St with use of a guest apt. But your totally misreading this shows the bitterness and mentl exhaustion that has set in, which understandably must color everything, and (to be expected) buddies’ reg and randy’s snarky comments compound it.

    Thanks for the non-invite, LR — I’ll take you up on it in the spirit intended. Since the participants live in other regions and states, and my clubs would never be on anyone’s route here, it’s safe to say we’ll never hazard a chance meeting. It WOULD be worth a ticket to see Woody and Reg/Randy forced together for an evening, though.

  • Look, we’ve all expressed our sorrow for rlc and encouraged him. However, nothing is changing and you guys like change. I’ve asked questions about his situation to help him in the recent past that were ignored. As a starter, why haven’t we been provided with some semblance of a resume’ so as to help us with ideas for his employment? It’s time to stop the pity party and time to start making some positive moves.

  • Since the participants live in other regions and states, and my clubs would never be on anyone’s route here, it’s safe to say we’ll never hazard a chance meeting

    As if my idea of fun is sitting in a joint with music playing so loudly you can’t hold a conversation, surrounded by the tragically hip.

  • Does anyone want to help Richard to find a means to support himself or are you just waiting on the Obama transformation of America into a Marxist country?

  • Heh heh. “Obama transformation of America into a Marxist country.” Woody, you’re hilarious.

    Anyway, Richard, I’ve been following your story and racking my brain about resources, and if you weren’t in Orange County, I could help more. I do know of a soup kitchen on 17th street in Costa Mesa, near the Goodwill; there’s also a transitional housing place on Wallace St. just west of there. The transitional housing is for families (I think) but they may be able to refer you to other spots.

    But I think you’ve probably got a better handle on OC resources than any of us; you know what you need and it’s probably just not available–some kind of subsidized housing, close to public transportation and medical care; maybe a part time job once your health is stable. Duh. If it was there you’d be taking advantage of it by now.

    Until you find that magical combination of services (which really doesn’t seem like much to ask, but until the Marxist transformation, may be impossible) keep writing and save as much of it as you can, and send it out for publication. It’s good stuff, in my opinion.

    And if I learn about anything in your area that might be of use to you, I’ll email it to Celeste. In the meantime, hang in there and let us know how you’re doing.

  • That soup kitchen is just down the road from the Park Library Branch.

    I think on more than one occasion I wrote – and Celeste printed here – that I’d love to get a job as a researcher and would work for barter – a room for the work. The SSI and MediCAl would be more than sufficient then.

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