Good Evening;
I'm sitting outside the First Watch Cafe on the bench in shorts and a tee shirt and I'm a little bit chilly, even somewhat cold every time the breeze picks up....AND I LOVE IT!!!!!...........lol!
I may have to put on the sweats that are not raggedly sheared above the knees tonight, or even slip inside the bag for a while. I could take this kind of weather for 80% of the year, no problem.
I'm getting caught up in the www.invisiblepeople.tv/blog/ just watching and listening to the stories from across the country.
Again, just mouse over and click to visit the site.
I have been taking notice of and meaning to write about some of the regular homeless people I see on the bus and the train, or in the Pikesville area almost daily. Particularly a couple who are suffering from some type or combination of mental illnesses, but who seem to be totally unaware that they are.
A lay diagnoses of personal observation and my own experiences as a baseline only, not a professional opinion, would be all that I offer.
One fellow I've seen for years in and around the area is Barry, who I think is about my age and who I've referred to as "Rainman", as in the movie of the same name. In part be cause he looks and sounds a little like Dustin Hoffman playing Raymond, and in part because of the similarity of his actions/symptoms. The repetitive sentences, the OCD movements, the lack of social skills beyond a certain range. He is also very smart, though I would not say a savant type, and his level is above that of the movie character in interacting with people...not way above, but above....lol. He sometimes goes into the city or where there is a holiday/ethnic/community festival going on and makes and sells balloon animals, and he is damn good at it. He also seems to hook up with women who are also 'not 100%' and who get a check of some sort, for a time and disappear for a while. It's as if they've reached a certain limit and can't deal with his incessant chatter....and so....seeya!
For most of last week and the week before he was sleeping at the library under the side portico, and on one occasion on the bench in front. He used to sleep under the loading dock of the Staples across from the gas station and on the same lot as the 'Dunkin' Dumpster'...(he was another donut diver)...until the office supply store moved out. I saw him when it was so hot out last week sleeping on the concrete on top of a unfolded cardboard box with his shoes off and in the open, and with his head and shoulders inside another still together cardboard box with the flaps torn off. He is normally somewhat paranoid, but was out like a light when I went past 3 times last week and called out his name meaning to offer him some of the extra pastries.....no response.
He used to be covered with bug bites last year from sleeping out under the loading dock, I know he has used the shower at Prologue, but will not use any other services. (As per his own words.). He also will not seek Medical Assistance or Foodstamps from D.S.S., and when he was given some sort of psych meds at the E.R. at the hospital refused to take them. Sometimes he used to travel with another homeless guy who also had some sort of M.I. issues, but who was taking his meds. I remember Barry getting all loud and out of control on the bus one day a few years ago when his buddy, (who is not around here anymore), suggested he should take meds. It got ugly and if they had not been getting off at the next stop....they WOULD have been getting off at the next stop.......lol.
I have not seen Barry around for a few days, I'm wondering whether his too visible choice of sleeping locales got him moved on or picked up.
Anyhow, this is all just me recording and reviewing what I've seen.
And I see that I need to recharge the battery, and that it is almost 1:00 am.,
so...I'm going sleep while the sleeping is good.
More maybe tomorrow on 2 other street 'seen' people from the area.
Later.............................Dave
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