I was raised by the streets

I woke up this morning, and I stretched out on my King Sized bed. I rolled around for a while, then got up. Slowly went through my morning rituals, and toasted a pop tart. I drove to work in a haze, eyes lazy and heavy from the previous night. I sat at my desk as my secretary handed me hot chocolate, and I began to think that I have come a long way since growing up on the streets.

On the streets, I would have woken up from a fitfull sleep about 4am. I would have begun my usual routine of scrounging around for warm spots to rest my tired bones. Maybe I would have had to fight another vagrant for some scraps of food from a dumpster behind a Dunkin Doughnuts. I would have begun to scout around for a spot to panhandle. Expressway on ramps and off ramps make the best locations, because of the extra-long traffic lights. Cold days like these are the best because people feel bad as the cold does damage to your skin and face. The worse you look and feel, the more money you make. Profits can be driven up if you use the first dollar you make to empty a newspaper machine and sell copies as you panhandle.

Today, cold as it is, would have been a good day for me as a homeless man, until the end of the day. All the lazy homeless come out at night to prey on the harder-working homeless. Every day wasa rush to eat as much food as your profits would allow. You had to, what would you do with the left-over money? There is no First National bank for the homeless. Today, the thieves would have been waiting to attack you as the son was going down. Today,would have been very lucrative to be a miserable beggar.

I would have made about 300-400 dollars today, all small bills, and a cupfull of change. I would have given the change to the older beggars, as a way of "renting" the space for the next day. Beggars would recognize me, and allow me to remain in the area that has limited potential. My hope was that the cupfull bought protection from the thieves. Today, I would have been figthing for my life.

Life on the streets is hard, and so are the realities. Today, I would have been attacked, dragged under a bridge, and left to die alone, cold and penniless. The thought of making it today would have filled me with hope. I would have been eating regularly through the day in anticipation for the fight. I would have been carefull to read the paper, and recite endless words to myself over and over. Tonights fight, would be A SPELLING TEST TO THE DEATH. Thats how shit gets handled on the streets. You're either quick with the consanants, or you're dead. Today, I would have survived! Well, maybe I would have survived. Sometimes I still screw up the "I" before "E" rule.



JJ