Good afternoon;

It's Monday and I am back here at the library, after skipping yesterday, it was so crowded that I could not get on a computer, and I also ended up in a long, interesting, and fun conversation for most of the day with my friend Michelle at the coffee shop. She is a professor at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art for you out of towners) and we talked about everything from homelessness to the movie Coraline, and if it was suitable for our 4 1/2 yearolds, to modelling for Life Drawing classes, to Starbucks giftcards, to the neighborhoods we lived/live in to just Stuff! It was one of those really comfortable conversations that stopped and started as we each drifted in and out of what we were reading and working on separately.

Yesterday morning Mike stopped in Starbucks after seeing me through the window, we chatted and he reached in his pocket and pulled out a couple of bucks and handed it to me, saying that since I took care of him, he'd take care of me when he had money, I told him it was not necessary and offered him a sandwich since I had a bag full of them and he declined, saying "Today it's all about you", well it was a nice boost at a time when my self esteem is at a low ebb, my depression is on an upswing and my finances rival Wall Street or Detroit.

I ran into him again last night as the coffee shop was closing, someone had given me a bit of background on him and it turns out we had lived in the same Jewish recovery house, although a few years apart, and knew some of the same people. As we gossiped about who we knew, a theme began to emerge, almost every person that we knew in common, at one point he had fought with, hit, or ( in his mind ), been persecuted by. I do not like or care for all of our mutual acquaintances, but I have never had cause to hit, or felt it necessary to defend or become physical with any of them, even though there was some cause for animosity at times. Mike is always telling me how the police stop and harass him, and he is constantly staying places where his presence is possibly a 4th degree burglary charge, or even a B & E. I seem to keep being placed in his path, and having to act as a voice of reason to him, case in point...he went into the restroom to wash up, was in there a lengthy but not unreasonable time, and someone came into the coffee shop and proceeded to attempt to use the bathroom, knocking on the door before trying the handle and finding it locked. A minute later, Mike emerged, and began asking me in a state of extreme agitation, if he had been in there too long, and why was the man beating on the door, ( he had not been ), was he trying to spy on Mike...etc. etc.., in a paranoiac rant at times. And I am wondering, should I avoid him at all costs, because, to the cops, because I am homeless, I will be guilty by association if I am around when he is next picked up or stopped ( and without going into details...there is a WHEN, not an IF in the future )? Or, do I continue to walk and talk with him at night, (this seems to be the time he generally looks me up or we cross paths), which is a time I try to avoid any semblance or perception of wrondoing or illegality, when he is most likely to be 'invited' into the back of a patrol car? I don't want to be callous but I've got my own issues, and as much as I feel the need to lend a sympathetic ear or some moral support if he is hurting....I am NOT getting locked up for/with/because of him...maybe if I just meet him at the coffee shop? But the problem with that is multiply confusing, ..he ( and other homeless in the area ) do not purchase any thing, and it is a business; mgmt. really does not wish to have it become a hangout for non-patrons; I come in there to escape/avoid the 'street and streetpeople', it is my sanctuary and island of normalcy. Plus some reasons I choose not to air on such a public forum ad the internet...privacy is non-existent, obviously. Where do I draw a line between being selfish and enlightened self-interest in this case, I wish to be a nice guy...but?

Okay, I debated about this one but...WTF!...as you may recall, Rachel and I came to the library Sunday the 15th of Feb. to see 'Abu The Flutemaker'...turns out there was a photo-journalist from the 'Owings Mills Times' present...and you guessed it, I am in the paper again..(Week of Feb. 19th Issue)...the picture is really, really , really, BAD!!!, of both of us, fuzzy, too dark, and poorly printed. Good thing it's not online HA, if you want to see me you'll have to find a copy of the newspaper...LOL

I'm going to go for now, my time is about up....anymore thoughts may be added tonight.........................Dave....