burningbush

I'm still homeless. Not much is changed except that I'm in a different program to help the homeless, addicted and mentally ill. Think "One flew over the cuckoo's nest". They purchase lithium in bulk and rubber stamp each chart with a diagnoses of "bi-polar". Since I am only able to visit the library at most once a week, post frequency has been almost nil. But fear not dear reader, thank's to the miracle of the blogger mobil app, you will once again enjoy my biting wordcraft... That is until misdiagnosis and lithium render me unable to form a coherent sentence.

Well I got a bicycle. Unfortunately the company I was hoping to work for is too slow. My old boss was very nice and semi-remembered me (Think Mr. Burns and Homer Simpson) Since the Triage Low Demand Shelter is only a 30 day program and I have not gotten a job, I have to leave soon and my choices are the Ft. Myers Rescue mission or St. Matthew's House in Naples Florida. I have chosen St. Matthew's House . I am currently no. 26 on their waiting list.  There are simply no resources for the poor and homeless. We are unseen and out of sight, out of mind. Invisible . Just something to think about as the unemployment rate continues to rise above 10% in Florida and the republicans won't budge on raising taxes. We spend and spend on 2 wars no one will talk about, while killing NASA by ending the Space shuttle program with no new mission other than deep space on the books. We spend more on the troops Air conditioning than the entire NASA budget . Our  prioritie...

I am once again at the Triage Low Demand Shelter. The struggle to overcome such adversity is overwhelming. I am having health problems but cannot get medical attention. I cannot get Medicaid unless I am disabled. I seem to have a nerve disorder that causes me to shake and not always have control of my arms. I have had a few job offers but the issue is there is no way to get to their location by bus. I no longer have a bicycle. I am penniless. I have 21 days to figure something out or I will be at the Fort Myers Rescue Mission. This situation sucks, but I am very grateful to the Salvation Army for providing me food and shelter albeit temporarily.   I may qualify for another program but it is again only a 30 day program. This would be so much easier if only I was an addict or an alcoholic.... Then I could get into a halfway house and get back on my feet.   Posting will be rare as I only have public access to PC’s and must spend most of time applying for jobs I have no way to ge...

Living at the Triage Low Demand Shelter is very much like jail or being in a crisis stabilization unit. Food and cigarettes are our top priority. We spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for the bus. Waiting for access to medical care. Waiting for next meal. Waiting for next smoke break. Waiting to go to bed. Lights out is 11 P.M. , and we are awakened promptly at 6:30 A.M.. I am usually already awake. I don’t sleep much. I snore and my roommates kick or shake my bunk bed so I will stop. This severely interferes with my R.E.M. sleep. Last night we had no air conditioning. The shelter is run by the Salvation Army but you wouldn’t know it. We are controlled by lazy sadists that are more like Roman soldiers than followers of Jesus Christ. Most of the black employees ( The homeless are mostly white) are fat, lazy and sadistic. Just lifting their arms to give you your phone, (We are only allowed our cell phones for 15 minutes at a time during smoke breaks) seems to wear them out. All...

In my adventure in homelessness I have been wishing I could videodocument all I have experienced. Obviously I cannot do this as it would infringe upon the rights of others. I have met some really interesting characters. The vet missing a foot. The prostitute from Boston (I'm not a howar I'm a prostitute!!) The high school alumni (Yes someone from Cypress Lake Senior High School class of '78 is also in the shelter with me. - Thank you Lee County Public School system) The crack whore. The Movie Star. The Rock Star. The formerly rich loving husband and wife. The Millionaire. The Vietnamese immigrant who does nails by day and plays classical piano by night. These are real people I have come to know and love. All are homeless. UPDATE: In my haste to post from the Public Library yesterday I negected some important Achtypes: The (literally) Starving Artist. The Athlete

The Buzzcocks  - I need It has been a long time since I last posted, Febuary in fact. Things are not going as I had hoped they would. I am currently homeless . It is not what you think. I have met many homeless Veterans. If you saw a pic of any of the people I have met you would never know they were homeless. They are the most positive people I have ever met. Many are suffering from alcohol and other addictions problems. I am not. I have been clean for five years. I need a job.   (Are you listening Mr. President???)  I wish someone (besides me) would write a article about all the formerly middle class Americans that are now homeless as a result of our dying economy. The "experts" are saying the economy is growing again because banks are lending. They have bad data. They are unaware of how many people are living off the grid.  For the first few days at the Triage low demand homeless shelter I slept on a cot. I had access to bad fo...