Overwhelmed

Cheers!

I would like to thank the Art Garfunkel look alike ( big hair and even bigger forehead) for taking the time to talk to me on the streets while panhandling, sometime in 2013. We discussed shooting a video and unlike many people he actually came back. He set up the equipment and said alright man, "talk" Granted it was pretty haphazard and I lacked passion in my delivery. Nonetheless, we did it, man. Thank you. And a big fuck off to the next 99% occupy trust fund kid who has the nerve to talk shit and create false generalizations about the integrity and empathy of all those who work in the financial district, in my city! Keep occupying your parents couch or better yet the cemetery where the family member rests, eternally. The one who set you up with that trust funds, so you can bitch about yiur country.

The video is spreading through the alumni's internet of Herkimer High School Classes of 1982-85 like .Mr. Smith spread through the Matrix and alumni from those years are emailing with concerns, offers of help, and love. Incredible. I never would have thought so many of you really gave a fuck.  

I will try to get replies out to you all as quickly as possible, but I want to take time and try to give these virtual conversations some humanity. Email is so impersonal.The internet has made it easy to hide from each other and ourselves. It is strange because with this blog I am trying to be very personal and personable and completely expose myself, for the first time, to you all and the world. 

Since the video was taped much has happened, I have started and am about to finish the 350 classroom training hours required to get my CASAC (Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor. I am no longer living on the streets. I live in transitional housing. Basically I am still categorized as homeless.  Homeless or not, I have a key to a building and a bed and that is all that matters. I'm still broke most of the time, but I get by. I am planing on finishing my masters in the fall, also, but that information is already in the blog somewhere.

Most importantly to me and do the government is that I have teeth. Wow! I am fucking scary looking without them fangs. The reason all my teeth were gone in the video is because NYU dental was fixing my mouth. When finally complete I will have a top denture and the complete bottom implanted.  I am not sure how the discussion goes in the private rooms of HRA, but maybe it is something like this:

           

     Alright, this calls himself Johnny. He has been homeless for 3+ years and he panhandles  at 100 Broadway and Pine, Downtown. I really think we should get this man some housing. The HRA worker then shows a photo of me panhandling and passes it around. The picture gets to his supervisor. 

     Wait a minute, wait just one minute! This guy has no teeth. He has to have teeth. He can't get housing, Not without teeth. Look at him what landlord would rent to this guy. Send him to NYU Dental. Give him the scholarship if need be. He has to have teeth.

Maybe the conversation went like that, but I am not complaining. I really needed teeth.

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