Because We Need To Talk About It

Walrus

Allow me to bitch for a minute. We had a very near fatal OD yesterday left my head a bit screwed as a female had fallen out on the side of the building hiding in the evergreens. I just noticed a shoe sticking out. Luckily someone else screamed cause I thought it was just a shoe. Didn’t see a person attached to it. Sounds weird but I see a lot of weird things.

So I hop the fence, heavy old wrought iron fence did something funky to my side to the point I still can’t suck in a full gasp of air. I start poppin narcan nasal spray into her and doing that uncomfortable chest rub thing I’m barely getting a response. Luckily paramedics had the injection so that started bringing her back. Fortunately she is ok. I know this girl don’t work so the next day(today) when she returned from the ER I asked her where she got money. She sold her food stamps at one of the local bodegas.

In the US or a lot of it food stamps are called SNAP I know what it stands for but too annoyed to spell it out. These bodegas give the snap recipients 25-50 cents on the dollar and take the tax payers money shove it in their pocket. It’s actually quite lucrative I talked to a guy who got busted for it he was raking I’m the cash.

Anyway I’m so sick of these bastards doing this I’m gathering intel as our residents aren’t that quiet and I’m going to start reporting these stores. I got one in the works already I kinda stupidly confronted them myself they acted like they were going for a gun so I politely took my leave. Ya actually that wasn’t smart on my part as some of this is organized crime and I do walk by the place getting my lunch. I’m just so sick of the overdoses and wasted life’s. On a positive note one other resident saw all the crap I had to do and asked me if I could help him get into rehab. I’ll have him in Tuesday hopefully depending on bed availability. This girl could have had a “free” I always remind them nothing is free it’s tax dollars and the money printer paying for it housing in probably a month. She just blew that. Anyway I’m really considering getting work at a convenience store as I get jealous of the dude who rings up my coffee in the AM. He always seems so Zen like. I seem to have a headache at least two to three times a week. Maybe I’ll feel better if I take out a few of these tax scamming bodegas without getting a bullet I’m my head.

Thanks sorry to vent but this girl was blue I really thought we lost her. Shit I gotta remember what watch I was wearing yesterday I don’t know if I got it good with the fence. Another dumb thing I could have opened the gate and gone around instead of Starsky and Hutchin the damn thing but the screams got me going. May the times you live in be interesting I guess. And no I’m not a hero or saint ( although one of my nicknames is Jimmy the saint) that’s only because I have an our father and Hail Mary ritual. As a matter of fact I often drive home doubting my own sanity.

CBM1590

Hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best (or safest) to confront, but dang I love your passion and swagger. I’m just as guilty about confronting BS when I see it. Still doesn’t make it the smartest thing to do. Hat tip to you, good Sir!

ErichPryde

Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." -John Stuart Mill

Walrus

Gotta write this help cleanse it from my mind. I was doing an assessments on a nice young lady at work. She got asylum to the US from Liberia when Liberia was at war. I mentioned Abraham Lincoln’s links to Liberia to which she was surprised I knew the history (Liberia was a U.S. colony prior to Lincoln but anyway) since she was happy I knew about her country and had a smile when I spoke of it I thought we were in safe territory.

Out of my own curiosity I asked how things are in Liberia. Shit got dark quick and she told me she was gang raped when she was 8 years old during some warlord conflicts. She dropped her head and started crying. She wished not to speak on the subject further which I honored, I only had a half hour to spend with her you don’t want someone going deep into detail about the worst time in their life when you don’t have proper time to wrap things up make sure everyone is in a sturdy state of mind.

It was quite heartbreaking I hear a lot of sexual abuse and it’s all bad of course but her story was much more intense.

I had to dig a bit find a topic she liked to make the transition and religion was her thing. At first she told me she followed Islam but then told me she believes In Christ. I thought maybe there is an African sect that is like Muslims who believe in Christ it turns out she just didn’t have a full understanding of the religions.

What makes people be able to bounce back from such horrible events? By the end of our time together I had her laughing and she showed hope for the future. I needed paperwork from her which usually takes my clients months to get she had it to me in two days. She is very grateful to be in this country I bitch about a lot. The only thing she asked me for was a winter coat. I got upset our donations are bare and I’m just gonna buy her one today say it was donated.

Damn the stuff happening in the world really makes you wonder sometimes.

CBM1590

There’s a funeral today. Bright, bubbly 26 year old who was sandwiched between my two sons in age. He worked in his family’s successful business. I coached him when he was young. Great kid who was battling something none of us knew. He took his life this week when his life was just getting started. He clearly didn’t see another way out. I’m deeply saddened. Make sure all your family (and perhaps you) know that there is always an alternative and help. Prayers for the family.

Walrus

Revisiting this. Took a while but the store that was in my sight has a “no ebt” sign on the front door. I don’t know if it was my report to DSS that did it or something else but one small victory only 3,900 more stores in the city to go.