“You’re always being watched.”
Tuesday 2023-08-15
The time has come to tell this.
Some years ago, Kenneth Cherry, a black man in his 30s or 40s, frequented the church a lot. Pastor hired him to do various jobs, such as painting the fellowship hall. They became fast friends. In the end, Kenny died of pancreatic cancer.
One time, he and I were inh the fellowship hall, talking about things that happen. For example, in a homeless shelter, someone may steal your socks or shoes while you sleep. He said, “You are always being watched” — by people who do not wish you well.
He also warned me to not be on these streets after dark.
About being watched: I may have told this story before. In my years of homelessness, I spent most nights at a certain mission where you had to leave out every morning and take all your belongings with you. But you got a bunk with a pillow, a blanket, and fresh linens every day. You could not count on getting the same bunk two days in a row.
This one day, I’d just come in, and sat on my bottom bunk, arranging my things as usual. As usual, I hid my cigarette pack inside my pillow case. Now this young white man, lying on a top bunk across the aisle, called to me and said I’d done him wrong.
I’d had no clue he was there.
He said I had let him see me hide my smokes; and now, if they came up missing, people would suspect him.
What’s he doing watching me?
What’s he doing attending to my smokes?
OK, so now, today, since the end of April of this year, I have my own place, a first floor apartment. I’m not allowed to smoke inside. So I spend a lot of time on the back steps.
I took an empty 12-ounce Pepsi can out there to use as an ash tray. I used a can opener to cut the lid off, so I don’t have to struggle to push butts down that little hole where the tab was. I kept this by the back stairs.
The evening of Friday 07/28, someone took it.
I replaced it.
The evening of Friday 08/04, someone took that.
OK. So, if I’m going to keep it out there, I have to find a place where it’s not visible from the alley. I got another can, and hid it behind the air conditioning unit that’s right beside the steps. Can’t see it from the alley.
Last night, someone took it.
This person had to come into my yard, and look around, to find it.
Oh. This time, they spilled the butts out on the ground before they took it.
So now I’ve got a beer bottle hiding behind the AC unit, to use as an ash tray. The disadvantage: after dark, I have to bring it out in the light, so I can see to put my butts in the narrow top opening.
But I also expect that, this time, the malcontent who wants to take a Pepsi can, will be non-plussed that it’s, instead, a beer bottle; and will smash it on the pavement.
It’s pretty rare that I get any comments from those who read this blog, so I mean to post this post also on FaceBook. But I’m asking.
The “woke” want to blame all human dysfunction on systemic racism.
How can systemic racism so rob someone of sense, so create neediness in a person, as to compel someone to do these things?
コメント