Umbrella #2: December 1, 2007

Al

Al looked to be in his mid to late fifties—white hair, white and gray beard, leathery skin. When I saw him, Al was standing in a stucco doorway of a closed business on 4^th Ave. Al was waiting for the free ticket bus that allows people to ride for free. He was wearing boots, a hunter-green aussie hat, denim jeans, a khaki polo shirt, and a green camouflage jacket with the initials JR marked on the inside. Al seemed well prepared for the weather. I asked him if he could use an umbrella. He said he already had one. I don’t remember where he said he was from.

When Al graduated from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to see the world. He never left the United States. After a few years, Al had completed his service time. He moved back in with his parents to go to college. With no rent to pay and veteran checks, Al had too much money and time on his hands. Instead of excelling in school, he ended up focusing heavily on women and drinking. Al has been on the street off and on since 1980, shortly after he flunked out of college. Living on the street, Al got into the drug scene. He began selling drugs, which provided him with a large income. He would have pockets full of money protected by a gun on his side. The availability of such larges amounts of cash soon became a problem for Al once again. Al began using crystal-meth heavily, but, in retrospect, he didn’t consider this to be his only issue. As Al said, “money means women” and, for Al, women meant a downward spiral to being broke and being homeless again.

A financial misunderstanding sparked the most recent cause for his homelessness. Al had decided to move out of his home in Missouri, purchase a place in Mexico and settle down. Al put a gentleman he knew in charge of his finances with the understanding that the gentleman would move the money into an account that Al could access from Mexico. When Al got to Mexico, the funds weren’t there. Al ended up hitchhiking all the way back to Missouri. When he got back to Missouri, he settled the dispute, not completely regaining the money he once had.

At this point, Al had grown accustom to street-life and decided to continue to travel. He found that he was able to live on the basics provided by street-life along with his Veteran’s healthcare and food stamps. Al said that there are about nine sandwich places in town where he can go and get a sandwich for free; he asked me if he wanted one because he had two sandwiches in his backpack. There are places where travelers can go to shower and get clean clothes. While the traveler is showering, their dirty clothes are taken and replaced with new clothes; their old clothes (including underwear) are washed and given to another traveler.

Although Al couldn’t tell me where he stays, he said it was near the mall. On occasions when Al drinks he will stay in the wash, but otherwise, the wash is too dangerous. But Al makes the exception when he drinks so that he can stay out of trouble. He just takes his bottle down to the wash and lays out down there so that he won’t bother anyone.

Roger Coffee

When I met Roger, he was selling stone jewelry along a rock wall near Epic Café (4^th Ave). Roger had long white and gray hair that went a little past his shoulders and probably a 5-inch beard. He was wearing a denim top hat that was about a foot tall. The hat had three buttons. The first button said “No War”. The second button said “Veterans for Peace”. Roger told me that he once had a button the said “Veterans against War”, but he didn’t like the conflict suggested in the phrase so he switched the button out to one that was for peace, rather than against war. The third button said “#1 Slave” which he took to mean that he was willing to do the jobs that others weren’t willing to do. There were other buttons—butterflies, a leaf, a paper flower (for Veterans funds)—on his hat that were given to his by various people.

Roger had spent 8 ½ months in Vietnam during the war; he was drafted. He was an engineer. They would send him to find safe routes for the troops. There were times that he had to swim across rivers and under bridges to make sure that it was safe. Roger said that Vietnam changed in effects of war on troops because of the improvements in travel. It used to be that soldiers would spend around three weeks on a ship before they would be back home. This time served as a ‘wined-down’ between battle and home. Roger commented that this is the same issue we are seeing with troops in the Iraq war. “You could be in Baghdad one day and in Hollywood the next.”

Roger sells stone jewelry, but he also juggles. He juggles with rubber balls and will switch between juggling them to bouncing them on the ground. Roger used to travel as part of the crew in the circus. He would help set up and tear down. The job paid minimum wage to start, but then they would only pay them for 40/hrs a week when, in reality, work them 70-90/hrs a week. Usually the crew and the performers do not associate with one another, but Roger became friends with two Middle Eastern sisters that were in the show. They were confused as to why Roger was on the crew since he had a talent. Although Roger didn’t perform juggling as a performance, he did switch to the performers side. I think he was some sort of announcer.

Roger Coffee is this traveler’s real name, but Coffee is also his ‘rainbow’ name. Every year, Roger attends the annual Rainbow Gathering. It started in the 1970s with ten people who met in the woods, got naked, smoked pot, and prayed for peace. The next year, every one invited ten more people and now, Roger said, the number of people who come is in the thirty thousands. This year, the Rainbow Gathering is going to be in Wyoming. Roger plans to ride his bicycle there. When you go to a Rainbow Gathering, you can expect at least one person to say to you, “Welcome Home.” More information can be found at welcomehome.org.

Roger must be in very good condition to do all of the activities that he enjoys. He bicycles everyday. Roger also plans to travel to one of the Northwest states (I forget which one) to visit a friend of his who is storing his kayak; he loves to kayak and sail.

Roger stays in a little spot near Ina. He takes the bus every night back home. On a normal day, Roger has enough time to ride the bus to 4^th, sell his jewelry and leave 4^th by around 5:30 so that he can get back to camp before dark. The think that stood out most about Roger was his kind heart. I can’t imagine Roger angry. Roger prided himself in being honest and providing for himself. He has things to offer in return for money; something people actually want. The stones that Roger uses to make his jewelry come from communities in developing nations that are trying to make a living, like Indonesia. Some of his stones come from a cooperative housing community (of about 20 people) in Peru. The people in the community all produce a good and the profits go to supporting the group.

On Saturday night, I ran into Stoney and Pugsy together on 4^th. Pugsy was playing his guitar and Stoney had made many flowers out of palm leaves and spread them out for people to buy. I could see Stoney’s umbrella sticking out of his backpack. I gave my umbrella to Pugsy. I mentioned that they had quite a bit of competition because of how many street performers were out. I pointed out where all the other performers were and what they were doing. One girl across the street was selling bracelets. Pugsy got excited and jumped up. “I’m gonna go talk to her!” I thought he was angry, thought I had just started a fight. But he planned to ask to join them. “We’re gonna make a hippie-road-block!” Apparently, travelers will sometimes gather in large groups so that passersby will have to walk through them and will be more inclined to give.