HOMELESS VET DESERVES BETTER

Whatever the reason that retired MSG James Finney is homeless does not negate the fact that we as a society should owe him a debt that can not be paid.

Retired MSG James Finney gave 20 years honorable service to this country.

There is no doubt that there are issues at play that gave cause to retired MSG Finney finding himself living on the street and sleeping on a bus stop bench.

Retired MSG James Finney is neither an alcoholic or drug addict. Retired MSG James Finney has lived in Waikiki most of his time in Hawaii, and that period goes back some 25 years. Why is it that housing, with a little help and understanding, can not be found for retired MSG Finney in the community he feels a part of? Why is the only option to bunk down in a programme loaded with ex-servicemen who are unable to deal with life without drugs or alcohol. OR, to sleep in a homeless shelter totally unsuited to his needs.

Having come to know retired MSG James Finney, I know that he is not looking for a free ride, just a little help in getting into an affordable housing situation that he can cope with due to his medical proplems.

A LITTLE HELP AND UNDERSTANDING. Not $30,000.00.

I have no doubt that IHS and USVETS do some good in helping the homeless. The homeless that who get all of the attention.

Retired MSG James Finney gave much to this country. We, each and everyone of us, owe him help and support, in his hour of need.

Call me stupid but if we can not help a valued retired MSG, who can we help.

Retired MSG James Finney reminds me that he is not 'homeless', just housless. This is due to his belief that 'home' is where the 'heart' is. Retired MSG James Finney has a great heart, witnessed by his 20 years of honorable service to this country.

LAURA IS A LOT OF ALOHA

Laura's Massive ALOHA

Did one ever doubt that the old geezer knew folks who were 'larger than life'???

The snap featured is of my lovely friend Laura, sister to another person known to.  To say that there is a story to tell would be putting it mildly.

I first met Laura some years back when she was in hospital fighting a nasty infection.  Laura is a massive woman and required a very large hospital bed.  Although she had been in hospital for some time, Laura was quick with a laugh and seemed delighted to have met another new person.  I remember we chatted for some time and then I left, not to come upon her for a number of years.

Waikiki is a small place and it was only a matter of time before I would run into Laura again.  Laura is a wee bit crazy when driving herself round in her mobility chair and it was at one of her brother's famous 'yard sales' that we re-connected.  Laura has lived in a small flat just blocks off the beach for years.

What started out as a kindly gester to visit one trapped in a mobility chair and living alone, turned into on-going visits that were a source of cheer to both Laura and me self.  Truth be told, Laura can be quite entertaining.  Laura is well read, surfs the Internet on her mobile daily and loves to watch reality shows on the telly.  Add a rather colourful life lived and you have endless hours of chin wagging to do.

The snap of Laura on the beach is a bit dated.  Laura is so much larger today.  At 4'10", Laura weighs in at near 400 pounds today.

The old geezer has had his problems with weight.  Bloody hell, at the largest, it was over 400 pounds for my frame as well.  Fat, for the old geezer, came late in life, but it was still a huge burden to carry.  When the lamp came on to take off the fat, it was over time and due in large part to a complete change in the way groceries are viewed. 

Truth be told, Laura's weight repulsed and frightened me.  So unsure of being able to keep the same thing from happening to me again.  I said some rather unkind things to Laura about her weight.

The odd thing about friendship is that it either overcomes the negative and grows into something beautiful of withers up and dies as a weed.  My ever growing friendship with Laura has allowed me to accept Laura just as Laura is.  Most of my willingness to see Laura is a positive light is due in no small measure to the sort of person Laura is.

Plagued by multiple health problems, Laura has still continued to find beauty in her world and to add love to it.

Laura took in a rabbit that no one wanted.  The old geezer thinks the rabbit looks evil, with one dead pink eye looking at one.  Laura loves the rabbit and cares not a fig that the rabbit is odd looking.  Laura took in a guenia pig that no one wanted.  Then there is FEBE, her rather large and very weird dog.  FEBE has a tail that wags so hard that when one is hit with it, it feels like whiplash.

Then there are the cats.  6 living in the flat and one male cat that wanders the neighbourhood feeding from one and all.  Did I not mention in the past that I loathe cats?

Laura plans her day round the needs of her pets.  Feeding, watering and cleaning up after is a very complicated process that takes hours of her day.  It is Laura's labour of love that she performs without complaint each and every day.  Laura loves her animals and in turn the love Laura unconditionally.

I adore Laura.  Like the old geezer, Laura is not without baggage, can be rather hard to take at times.  At the end of the day, Laura has a heart full of joy.  She still wants desperately to believe that folks have value, even the ones that have shat on her in the past.

Laura lives on a small social security check.  A good part of that small check goes to feed and care for her 'family'.

Laura is very clever.  She knows that the weight is not healthy.  Like I said, Laura loves her groceries.  So comfy am I with my ability to deal with food, is no longer bothers me that Laura eats more than required.  Some think of the old geezer as an enabler.  I do go to market and get food for Laura.  If I did not, someone else would.

Whatever faults Laura has, does not negate the fact that Laura is a very loving person and tons of fun to be with.  Truth be told, Laura keeps the old geezer so amused and depression is not a constant companion of late.

Laura's brother is having another one of his 'yard sales' today.  Rather think the old geezer will have to go and see of there are any items of clothing for Laura.  You never know what you will find.  Gobsmacked I have been in the past to come on items Laura was able to transform into a serviceable MU MU.

There you have it.  Another look into the world of Robert and the different sorts of people one meets in the walk through life...

SAME DOOR - DIFFERENT 'ME'

Robert - October 2012

Robert - May 2013

Allow the old geezer to brag...

WE CAN NOT LET JAMES DIE

After weeks in hospital with a painfully swollen leg, my friend James is once again back out on the street, in a wheelchair and a whole lot worse for wear.

Loaded up with pain killers, medicine to fight infection and his blood pressure medication, James is finding it more and more difficult to get around and to find a comfortable spot on the bus stop bench to try and rest.  Truth be told, James is looking more fragile than ever.

The old geezer spent hours on Saturday trying to convince James that he needs to get into some sort of programme and end his life on the street.  He is now more at risk than ever before.  My fear is that James will die on that bench and no one will discover him until he has grown cold.

Whatever the mental condition of James, he is not an alcoholic or a drug abuser.  James' biggest problem is that he believes that he needs to care for another homeless person and if he leves the street, this homeless person will do himself in.  Fact of the matter is, this younger homeless person has tried to kill himself before, latest time was before Christmas last, almost did it, but lived and spent 40 days in hospital coming back from the grave.

James needs help now.  James is 70 years old and quickly sliding deeper and deeper into a high risk situation that could cause him to die.  The swollen leg is not improving.

This day, the old geezer stripped off the old bandage and applied lotion to the leg.  Peeled off lots of dead skin and re-applied a bandage to the leg.  Got James to take all of his medicine and made sure he had water and something to eat.

James promised that he would get to a store and purchase some socks for his feet, get some sort of footwear and other items he needs to cover some of his medical problems.  Like adult diapers.  James can not always get to a toilet and the diapers help him cope.

James is in need of some sort of respite, he can not continue to do without sleep and proper care.  James knows that my good friend Marc Alexander, with IHS, is aware of his condition and willing to work with him to get him some sort of help.  James is also aware that I have made Care-A-Van aware of his condition.  James is leary of authority, afraid to be placed in a situation where is is unable to get about.  However strong his dislike of authority, James is also aware that he can not continue as he is.  That the situation of his caring for another homeless person is not healthy for him.

If I have learned anything in doing good deeds, it is that you can not help everyone.  Some homeless are not reachable.  You have to try with the ones you feel can still be reached.  I believe James is still reachable, it will not be easy, but it can still be possible for James to become more safe than he is at present.

I am going to forward this post to Marc Alexander at IHS.  I am going to forward this post to Care-A-Van.  I will also forward this post to any number of other folks who do outreach to the homeless.  I will be padantic with members of the local newspaper and the mayor and a state senator.  This post will find its way to two sites that deal with the homeless condition.

I can not save the world.  I can stop and take the time to help one person, hoping that one person will find relief from suffering.  James is my friend.  James is also my responsibility as a member of society, the same society I am a part of.  His life matters.