last night on skid row – the true story – The Bus Driver & The Police – Saved my life

(this is too, not too much of random thoughts as U will see)

Wednesday, June 5, 2013 @ 10:17:27

It was Tuesday evening, and it was a pretty decent evening at that – from a man who has been working on his negativity toward himself for some time, a man who at times does not want to be here. As a Marine Veteran, and everything I have been through, there is not much that scares me, maybe only one thing. We will get to that sometime, but my therapists tell me I have been exposed to too much violence. That said, I have been writing a book about that for sometime, it is just that it is an extremely difficult book to write for a myriad of reasons.

So yesterday, many good things happened to me, and it may have actually sunk in, I don’t know when, that I have many wonderful people who have been generous to and with me. People who want me to live, who are trying to help me to live, who know the suffering I have been through, including years of homelessness, and that is inclusive of being victimized for having mental health difficulties from trauma in the Marine Corps. Yes, that is part of the book I hope to write, but I am going to need to find a very powerful team for that too, because it is going to take professional people who know how to do research, like real investigative reporters, or forensics scientists who know how to dig and go back years to find who I have always been in relationship to my Honorable Service to These United States, to our People, and the by our People, it is inclusive of Peoples all around the world as well, who deserve the decency of the best life possible through fairness and the dignity and respect of who we are to be safeguarded when need be. It lends it self to a saying that life is precious.

So Last night, on the way back to skid row, the life I was given, was again, about to be physically exterminated. It is odd, because minutes before, I was in a heightened realization that many people are pulling for me. I had just talked to Lucy from an organization that wants me to do The “Love Triumphant” Art Show for them, the one I started in 2010, and it has been really slow in progressing with it, as it is difficult with no resources along with disabilities – for me to promote myself

10:37:15 (breakfast pause)

19:44:28

busy day doing nothing I need to do –

So, a woman named Lucy, she went to one of my shows, and now wants me to do one for her organization, as well as she talked to some studio’s or galleries I think, and that people are interested, and they may too wish to do something with my art! And before that, one of Pasadena City College (PCC)’s finest Ms. Cooper gave me some food, and other friends at Wellness Works moved me with their generosity as well. So at this time at night, I was feeling, that I am lucky to have so many wonderful friends who care about me.

But now it was dark, and I had just minutes earlier exited the Red Line (where I got on from the Gold Line – that I jumped on when I was in Pasadena on the streets of Holly and Arroyo Parkway, after being dropped off from one of the librarians at PCC. The Red Line, at Pershing square, typically when I get there, it is dark, this was no exception. It is also no exception to see weird or strange happenings all around, but more so when on the red line, and on the journey to the skid row closet I now stay in. I call it a closet, it is said to be a skid row low income room.

Also typical, is the nasty people who smoke on the way down to the train, or even just waiting around for the train, and exposing everyone to their second hand cancer… as if, well, I guess they don’t think! So up the first flight of steps, and then down a corridor and around a corner up another flight of steep stairs. These are longer than in the basement. I walk down the alley to try to avoid all the crack heads begging for money, crack heads who would gladly take from somebody else who stays on skid row, just to waste it on crack or other drugs. I don’t have spare money, I aways want to scream, I’M ON SKID ROW TOO!!!❗

So down the dark alley I go, sometimes there is people walking a dog or going down the alley as well. This night, there was a strikingly beautiful woman, she looked me over just as good as I looked her over! Once on 6^th, I stay on the north side and walk down a few more blocks to Spring and 6^th where I catch the 53. The bus door opens and I thank the bus driver, and make a comment, I can’t recall what. The bus is crowded, but I find a seat and sit until just before getting off on wall. What appears (to me) to be a crack head ( I often say that when I see people doing strange things typical of what I think a crack head would do ), he steps aside, says something confrontational, and as typical, I ignore it and walk on. I sensed him getting off right after me, and by the time he went across the street, just behind me, the bus driver started screaming. She was out of the door, and I thought I forgot something. Then she said, there is something in his hand.

The police were on the corner, and he got out and immediately told him to get on the wall. The man that made the derogatory statement was hesitating, then tow other Police arrived, as the other had already drawn on the man in a dirty brown plaid shirt made of heavy cotton. The man finally got against the wall, and the Police, all of them now yelling at the man to drop what was in his hand. The solid sound of an open and locked in place knife fell to the ground. It mad a metal clacking sound, and I was froze for a minute, as I realized, this man was walking right behind me, and he got ready to stab me all the way from the bus. The bus driver seen it, and may have heard him say something. She started screaming, and that is what saved me! That and the Police intervention.

When the Police where putting and keeping him on the wall with guns drawn, there were other trouble makers, is what I will call them, saying look at the police abusing this man (paraphrased). I said, they are not abusing him, he has a weapon, and I personally knew, if no intervention, I may have been dead, or he may have wound up dead, or either or both of us may have been fatally wounded or wounded!

Anyway, today, as I was thankful last night, I thank the Bus Driver, the woman of the 53 that was going down sixth around 11 last night, and I thank the Police Officers for their vigilance to take care of people with evil tendencies, or intentions!           THANK YOU!!!