Friday, September 07, 2007
Getting to know your neighborhood folks
Is it just me? Or do you all start to recognize your local homeless and other just plain odd folks around your home and work? Here a few of the people I have come to know through my commute to work and around my office downtown.
1. 67 Cents Guy - He is on the corner by my office and always asks if you can spare 67 cents
2. Big Guy in Baggy Gym Shorts, plaid shirt, and flip flops. Sadly, he probably just lacks regular meds to improve his state.
3. Touristy-Looking Couple Who Are Probably Not Tourists. Lady wears big floppy hat and sunglasses. Man wears baseball hat, sunglasses, and loud shirts. both are heavily laden with bags, suitcases, books, newspaper, handbags. They ride the bus downtown in the morning and I have seen them occasionally on the way home. UPDATE: these guys are can collectors and probably on the verge of being homeless.
4. Anthropologist Guy. As is often the case in Portland, he is probably just a product of our poor mental health system. At least he looks somewhat taken care of, though not very well. Always wears a hard pith helmet and stares inquisitively at different things on the bus. UPDATE: He lost his pith helmet! I only recognized him by the inquisitive look in his eyes!
5. Lt. Dan, only with no forearms (you know from Forrest Gump)
6. Crocheting Lady. Always crocheting an ugly fuzzy hat on the bus.
[sigh] I'm going to go count my blessings now.
1. 67 Cents Guy - He is on the corner by my office and always asks if you can spare 67 cents
2. Big Guy in Baggy Gym Shorts, plaid shirt, and flip flops. Sadly, he probably just lacks regular meds to improve his state.
3. Touristy-Looking Couple Who Are Probably Not Tourists. Lady wears big floppy hat and sunglasses. Man wears baseball hat, sunglasses, and loud shirts. both are heavily laden with bags, suitcases, books, newspaper, handbags. They ride the bus downtown in the morning and I have seen them occasionally on the way home. UPDATE: these guys are can collectors and probably on the verge of being homeless.
4. Anthropologist Guy. As is often the case in Portland, he is probably just a product of our poor mental health system. At least he looks somewhat taken care of, though not very well. Always wears a hard pith helmet and stares inquisitively at different things on the bus. UPDATE: He lost his pith helmet! I only recognized him by the inquisitive look in his eyes!
5. Lt. Dan, only with no forearms (you know from Forrest Gump)
6. Crocheting Lady. Always crocheting an ugly fuzzy hat on the bus.
[sigh] I'm going to go count my blessings now.
"I don't like people, only you and Daddy and Miles."
said the 4 year old girl who has to ride the bus every day and has people try to talk to her almost every day. I feel her pain.
