PEOPLE WEAVING IN MY LIFE

I'm very grateful for meeting these wonderful people during my Homeless by Choice period. There is a story behind each encounter which I will try to summarize. 

Moses

One early morning I was sitting by the stadium on Venice Beach and here walks up to me this Raster offering me half a chocolate muffin. "I can't eat this man, do you want it?" he asked me. I wolfed it down. I hadn't had chocolate "anything" for weeks. 

Moses, sleeps in the stadium steps. I have it good sleeping in my Jeep. A few weeks passed and one morning I saw this white girl in her early twenties trying to walk away with some of Moses' stuff. I warned her to put his book down and leave. She just hung around stalking his stuff.  I told her again that unless she left the area I would call the cops on her. That made an impression on her and she left. Ten minutes later, Moses rides over on his bike. I told him what happened. He tracked her down and gave her a piece of his mind. We have not seen her again, and Moses and I have been buds ever since.

I brought him over some cherry and cream Danish pastries that someone gave me. He was in 7th heaven.

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Moses

Another Moses.  This kid drove halfway across LA within half an hour of my daughter's email to him, telling him that her dad was in a library and needed some food. Amazing human being! I will never forget this man. I had just received an email from my daughter, Deanne, that he would be on his way. He found me at the Venice Beach Library. I was stunned at the response time!

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Brent

Brent is a very low-key helpful man who has lived inside a small tent on Venice Beach for the past three years. His goal is to save enough to buy a camper/van. He takes care of his dog Sophie. 

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Emmet

This man is the epitome of dedication when it comes to working out. He is at Muscle Beach every morning, does 8 circuits of 3 exercises, and mixes in half an hour of sprints. His cousin Betty died the day after we met from breast cancer at age 52. 

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Felix

We met at the Venice Beach library. He hauls a 40 lb backpack everywhere and is writing a book. He chooses to be homeless. The trappings of materialism can't seduce him. He had a pending court case and needed to use a cellphone. For three days I made sure I was at the library so he could use my phone The good news is they dropped his case. He is one of the nicest human beings you could ever meet. He couldn't hurt a fly; very intelligent, with some acting background and a gift with words.  We catch up with each other often... never by design. Here he just finished doing some exercises on the rings. He reminds me a lot of my oldest son, Jonathan.

When he couldn't find me at the Venice library for a while (I was in the Marina Del Rey library where the WiFi reception is better) he told me he had missed me. It's nice to be missed.

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Henry

I just met Henry today on my street as he was parking his van which he shares with his girl. They have been living in their van for the past two years. No more pressures to make the rent. She is into homeopathy and event planning for the city.  That's the kind of van I want to upgrade to. All in due time.

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And if you think living in a van is just for folks who like to skimp or are down and out, check this major league baseball player who lives in his van:

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Mr. and Mrs. Sweetcheeks

Now, there's a couple that knows how to travel. They are from Barrie, Ontario and have been travelling across Europe, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada for the past 2 years, on bicycles. I bumped into them on the bike path of Venice Beach. Here is their blog.

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I'm parked in a dead end street where I don't have to move my car for street sweeping. The library is my office. The locals have gotten to know me and all is kosher. And if I was to close another deal tomorrow and make another big payday I would still be living here (upgraded to a van, of course). Since January 1, 2015 when my homeless period started my monthly expenses have averaged $147 per month.

This is what I wake up to every morning: