i have a brand new prospective on the city. the last six years i've lived on a dirt road back in the woods, and i miss it. downtown Jacksonville really doesn't appeal to me. too much concrete, high rises, and asphalt for my liking. the sounds of birds singing in the morning, and crickets chirping at night are what my heart desires. i miss the sounds of the frogs croaking after the rain, and Mr. hoot owl calling out to his lover at night.
everything is different in the city. we only have one major chain grocery store downtown, and that's a Winn Dixie. it's so popular that they have a police sub station located at the front of the store. still there are always dragging somebody downtown for stealing, or attempting to steal. i guess if you make it, then you don't get caught.
i aready have a repertation on the streets here. i'm known as the old white haired good guy. the other day this black dude approached me give me a little trouble, and out of no where this black chick came and shoved that man saying, " leave him alone unless you want me to kick your ass. he's one of the good one out here. he stays pretty muck to himself, and don't mess with anybody." the man actually looked at me and apologized. now i know that skinny little black woman couldn't have put that much fear in him, but i still call her my angel every time i see her.
the only good thing about being homeless here is the fact that nobody is starving. actually, i see a lot of fat people, now i'm not talking about a few extra pounds, i'm talking about actually obese homeless walking the streets. now how in the world can you stay all that fat here when you walk to and fro ever place that feeds? the feeding spots are located several miles apart. maybe if you spend all day walking to every spot, and eat all that they give you,................i can't see that actually keeping the extra poundage on a person, but they do it somehow.
there is a place called hemming plaza here. it's a man made park full of really huge old oak tree's. it has a couple water fountains in it, and about a dozen bench's to sit on. there are some chess table located in it also. the pigeons are tame, because of the people that feed them. it's a really nice place to sit and think, or just watch people doing their thing. you can about see anything that you imagination can think of going on. the park is the central location that the homeless meet up, just to sit and check out the events of the day.
it's really kinda lonley out here on the streets. there is a lot of people out here, but i find few to talk with. most of them are always on some kind of mission. some of them just talk with you long enough to see what they can get from you. these i label as undesirables. i have no use for them. why would somebody ask me to give them anything where we are in the same boat? most of the people that i talk with i have seen around a lot. i'm always checking people out. watching what they do, and the others that they hang with. if i see them doing anything illeagal, or just being a pest, then i don't have any association with them.
i do have one man out here i consider to be my friend. his name is john, and that's his real name. i don't really know his last name, and it doesn't matter. john is good enough for me. john and i share the same view on a lot of things. yes,....................we have the same sickness in our heads!! other than that we are always sharing what we have with each other. the first time that we spoke something just clicked between us, and that's a good thing.
i really don't have much to offer y'all today. i wish that i had more. i'm gonna leave you with one thought.................................ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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