Bittersweet on the Street

I spotted a bright piece of orange peel and an empty pound bag wrapper of Goya chick peas on the sidewalk in front of my house. I recognized the debris as mine. 

It was trash day. I opened my bin and there was a weeks worth of trash mixed with coffee grounds banana peels and other household garbage. 

The homeless tin can man had just harvested my white kitchen trash bag so he could fill it with redeemable cans. I've seen him do this many times around the neighborhood on trash day. I was angry and heart broken at the same time.

***

Walking past the post office I ran into my pal Mike who has picked up cans for years. He looked good. He had on new brown dress shoes. We chatted for a while. He said, "When my meds ran out I began to hallucinate and hear voices." Luckily he's back on them again and he's feeling fine. "My neighbor wakes me singing gospel songs at midnight so I complained to my landlord. She asked me to please move out. So I am filling out an application to get into the Blackstone Apartments. I also want to work part time at the Senior Center," he said, pointing to it across the street. "The elderly love me and I love the elderly," he said. "And then I want to change my healthcare so I don't run out of meds and have to wait two weeks."

"I'm so glad you're advocating for yourself," I said.

"You have to!" he said.

"Not everyone knows how to do that. I've been trying to teach my neighbors who have been renting an apartment next door for years without a working stove or fridge, how to get help from Minimum Housing in City Hall."

"Helping makes you feel good about yourself," he said tapping his chest.

"I agree," I said, smiling. And then we bumped fists in solidarity.

***

Yesterday afternoon when I entered the Y locker room it smelled of vomit and body odor and rancid clothing all mixed together. I shut off my nose. Three homeless women were showering and had made piles of their clothes. I was sad and heartbroken.

 "Have a good evening," I said as I left to swim.

***

Today, on my early morning downtown walk a woman pointed out "The sun and the moon are in the sky at the same time!" She was looking up. Then she looked down and pet my dog, Romeo and told me about her sweet rescue dog also a Labrador mix. "I'm Polly and I work here at Bank of America. I've seen you through the window walking your dog many times."

I told her the rising sun was catching her hazel eyes illuminating them from the side.