There is a man on the bus who speaks of toes. “You got any extra?” he asks me and every other person within earshot. He asks this every day, multiple times a day. I try to alert unwitting passengers with my eyes “don’t engage…DON’T ENGAGE!” because there’s a good chance any real answer will eventually lead to his other favorite topic, the fact that he ain’t no chicken, and loud, angry expletives regarding the man from his past who stole all his chickens. Bojangles is sometimes involved, as well as the no good court system, his no good doctor, and the corrupt government. Sometimes we talk about TV.
Sometimes, when the weather’s right, a man stands on the sidewalk opposite the tallest building in town and films the elevator that runs just inside the windows.
Every day I see a woman who reminds me of a wildflower, one who might be taken up by a windstorm and land on her feet without a scratch, she looks after the stray cats in town. She told me about the vet she used to see, the old building is along the route. She said the vet lost her hands to a couple of wild dogs who attacked her just outside the office, and had to give up the practice. She also said she was once supposed to help collect pieces of the Columbia space shuttle shortly after the tragedy, but was called away at the last minute for another volunteer mission. She’s said she isn’t a religious person, but an angel once appeared to her and she was afraid and pulled the bed covers over her head. The angel told her everything was o.k.
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We have folks who ride to stay out of the heat, to stay out of the cold, because churches aren’t open and shelters have limited hours, waiting for that magical 32 degrees to “finally be cold enough” to be open. The city removed the bus shelter at the library, sign and all, because someone was sleeping there. A couple weeks later someone was laid out on the concrete pad where it used to be. Meanwhile, the mayor explains publicly that the city government can’t do anything to end homelessness. The mayor builds luxury homes and his kids attend a private Christian school and his church is asking for $20mil to expand their “campus” but sure, nothing can be done. Best to focus on golf tournaments and shutting down the square for public worship nights.