OPINION

Unshakable Guilt

Written by Brad Schader
Published March 08, 2007

I giggled. I smirked. I thought of many jokes I had heard before and even created a few new ones. I am human, but so was the object of my laughter. He was homeless and shaggy. His hair was a matted, salt and pepper dread mange. His beard made him eligible for a ZZ Top fan club meeting, but I doubt he chose to have it. It, like his head, was colored salt and pepper only with a few other hues mixed in from who knows what.

The only sign of him having a face was this dirty protrusion coming from the center of the mess of hair that could probably count for a nose. Other than that, it just looked much like a dirty, used cotton-swab sitting on a pair of shoulders walking in the Miami afternoon sun.

His walk was more of a broken gate than an actual walk. His shorts allowed anyone watching to plainly see that arthritis had long since left him unable to straighten or bend his knees, leaving him hobbling along the sidewalk. They almost appeared not to be under his control as he passed by clutching an empty plastic 20-ounce water bottle, which appeared to be his sole possession.

As this man walked by, I came out of my office to have a cigarette break because my life is so hard and stressful. I had to stare at first because I was not positive I was looking at a man. He seemed almost like a bear in a dirty windbreaker. He was shaking his head back and forth as he walked towards me. Well, not towards me, but toward my direction.

I could hear muffled talking, which soon cleared up into a lively debate as he came closer. I looked around to see if I missed anyone else with him, but I didn't. He was one of those homeless people you hear about who are yelling at someone who isn't there. It was quite a heated debate, although I could not make out any English in his ramblings.

I giggled. I smirked. I thought of many jokes I had heard before and even created a few new ones. I wondered who his carrier was and how his reception was. Mine is quite horrid there. I wondered about some other homeless guy somewhere having the other half of that conversation.

page 1 | 2
I have been told by my friends that I am a politics junkie with a Ph.D. in Pop Culture, specializing in conspiracy and film. I have always felt that, much like we study old plays and poems, that the meaning of life can be found in movies and song lyrics. They are just the plays and poems of the day.
Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
Unshakable Guilt
Published: March 08, 2007
Type: Opinion
Section: Culture
Filed Under: Culture: Family and Relationships, Culture: Personal History, Culture: Society
Writer: Brad Schader
Brad Schader's BC Writer page
Brad Schader's personal site
Spread the Word
Like this article?
Email this
Submit to del.icio.us Save to del.icio.us
RSS Feeds
All RSS Feeds (240+)
Comments on this article
BC articles by Brad Schader
Culture: Family and Relationships
Culture: Personal History
Culture: Society
All Culture Articles
All Opinion articles
All BC articles
All BC Comments

Comments

#1 — March 14, 2007 @ 07:31AM — Ruvy in Jerusalem

Unfortunately, the mental hospitals did a major population dump in the late '70's anticipating a large number of "group home" settings to take in their patients.

It didn't happen.

The Reagan recession of the early eighties added legitimate folks and families to the lot, and we saw the beginning of an underclass in America. A permanent one.

I was part of that underclass for a time, combatting the bitterness that overcame me. I managed to get out of that underclass, but have never forgotten the time I spent in it. Now I see that same kind of underclass coming here to Israel, created by the same type of dog-eat-dog economics and selfishness that has gripped America for almost three decades.

Another sick export from the American paradise...

Brad, you do not have to be nuts to be homeless, as the homeless fellow in your essay was. Things can happen in your life to leave you stranded with nothing but a car and the sky for an address.

Something you should always bear in mind.

Want comments emailed to you? No spam, promise! Address:

Add your comment, speak your mind

(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/60685)

Personal attacks are not allowed. Please read our comment policy.





Remember Name/URL?

Please preview your comment!

Fresh
Articles
Fresh
Comments