Thanksgiving Day

Hello everybody :)

I know it is kind of late, but I wanted to share with you something that happened on Thanksgiving Day.
Ok, so I woke up like at noon (yeah I do this often) dragged myself to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich (yeah I did brush my teeth first).  I totally had forgotten it was Thanksgiving Day.  I couldn't go home this year because it is too expensive.  I got a text from one of my friends and he invited my over to his house to eat dinner. His mama cooks real good.  Anyways, he lives all the way in San Rafael, so to get to his house in public transportation, in a holiday, took me 2 hours.

I was in the BART station in downtown Berkeley waiting and texting (yeah I get reception there).  Then there is an announcement that pets are not allowed in the BART unless they are in a leash, a cage, and/or are to help differently able people.  An old middle-aged man says to me, "If I have a pet, I am gonna take him whenever I want and in the BART." I said to him, "Yeah, ok." Then he continued, "Yeah, kids are worse anyways, all that crying, all that loud talking, eghh." I shared with him, "Oh yeah! I know! I don't like to hear kids crying and throwing fits in the BART. It is sad to hear them cry and a little bit annoying too." We both laughed.

- He then showed me bag and said, "I got a new sweater today"
- I said, "Cool, where you get it at?"
- "My friend gave it to me as a gift for Thanksgiving."
- "Oh ok. Your friend is nice."
- "Happy Thanksgiving. You going to eat with your family?"
- "Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving too. Naw, I am going to a friend's house.  His mom and him invited me to dinner. Have a good day."

Long pause.

- "I don't know what I am going to eat."
- I did not know what to reply to that.
- He quickly continued, "I am going to Oakland to find a place to stay there. I usually stay in Berkeley around the Library [the public library] but I try not to be around there when the kids are out of school." Sights and looks away.
- "Why?" His response to this was intense and opened my eyes to how homefree people are mistreated in the streets.  I did not know it was this bad.  Once in San Francisco, I defended a homefree guy from some girls that were yelling at him and being rude, but this particular man has suffered more disrespect.
- He goes, "Because there is no respect anymore.  I have gotten spit on 9 times.  And you know by who? All 9 times by middle-aged and young white women. They are just so mean to me.  Once this girl was with her parents.  I picked up a penny that fell when she was putting change in the meter and she told me, 'Give it back!!! give it back!!!' and then she spit on me. All for a stupid penny that doesn't even go in the meter! And the kids. Those kids are bullies. All of them, but the black ones bully me the most.  I try not to be out around here before school, during their lunch, and after school. When I am walking on the sidewalk and they are coming towards me, they push me. I move a side a little bit but they don't even move.  They take all the sidewalk space and even for wheelchair people they don't move.  They trip me when walking down the sidewalk. They punch me and yell at me." Inhales and exhales, and continues, "Anyways all the kids these days are so disrespectful. And they are the future? Thanks God I am old!"

I put all this in quotes because immediately after our conversation I typed it on my phone.

I said to him, "Sorry about this.  Nobody should experience such disrespect.  If that child was mine, the one that spit on you, I would of slapped her hard."

He smiled

I asked him, "Are you going to be ok today?"
He said, "Yeah, I have done this before.  I have gone without eating for 4 days straight. I will be fine."
I said, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
He responded, "Like what?"
"Well is it ok if I give you money for dinner?"
"Sure! I would like that."
I gave him some money and he gave me hug. We both got in the BART and continued talking.

We continued talking until he got out the train.  He graduated from Berkeley in the 60's (I did not record this. If I remember correctly though it was around this time).  He lost his home due to a foreclosure.  His dog died.  He walks around Berkeley with all his stuff, a backpack and the clothes he is wearing.  He just wishes that kids were raised better.  He said that he respects people and wishes people would respect him too.  He said that everything is messed up, "Kids raising kids and the economy is all bad."

I am thankful I met him and gained so much perspective from him.

- Yeriko S.

Have a good week everybody!