Even if you can not see, there are. Every day, are at the traffic lights on the ramp from Interstate I-40 at 15-501. They argue that signs saying "Homeless, Stranded to help." They may occasionally look at them, but you are careful to avoid eye contact. They wonder if they really stuck and homeless. You wonder how much money you make. They wonder if they made a routine work, if someone offered. They wonder what kind of condition, circumstance,or character flaws, these men were stopped by the road begging for change on the slope. Occasionally take a quick look and see their faces free, far, high expression. They begin the same expression on the face of so many other beggars to stop highway in the area. They wonder what their lives really are.
Maybe you do not have any of this surprising, but many of us do. I did. I was curious I noticed two men who had been standing all day at 15-501Exit off I-40. One morning a few months ago (for reasons I still do not understand) I pulled up the ramp and a service road. I went into the underbrush, over a fence, beyond the ramp and the highway came to a beggar. When I mentioned the homeless, mentally I tried a couple of knives to explain my interest. Slowly went close enough to shake hands and introduce myself.
I said. "I noticed here for a long time Do you mind if I ask you somethingQuestions? "The homeless man said:" What kind of questions? "" I do not know yet, "I admitted." I had this idea, which describes a videotape, what do you do here. I think it would interest many people. "" I do not know anything about a videotape, but we will be happy to speak with you. I'm Charles. "
He looked at a group of trees about 30 meters from the ramp. There were two other homeless men sitting on boxes in what I later learned that their "pause area".Charles pointed at me and yelled over the noise of traffic to one of the other homeless men, "Talk to him!" He smiled at me and said: "His name is Bulldog can not talk you can talk, drive Bulldog, if you want ..."
Bulldog looked like a guy who had earned his nickname. He was a small, rugged, tattooed with long hair. He was sitting with another man who appeared on some kind of skin disease. I went and sat in the break and started with meBulldog. He told me he was a former Navy Seal. He said it was dead on the road since both his parents many years ago. He said that he and Charles worked, and had stopped on that same flight for nearly two years. I probably have been surprised that in the same place for so long. Bulldog said. "We are all here waiting for something is there waiting for Charles '. To get his license to Ralph is back here waitin' for herDisability claim to go through. All I'm here waitin 'for something. "I asked," What are you waiting for, Bulldog? "Bulldog watching the sky, raised his hands in the air and said:" I'm waiting 'to be taken by Jesus "
Charles eventually joined us in the area of rupture. Seemed to be a respected leader in the group. She said she had previously worked 13 years for a power plant in the area. He was married and had several children. Killed himselfsour a few years ago, when he lost his driver's license. It was a bit 'vague, as it happened, but he said that the loss of his driving caused a chain reaction of negative events that left him with no way to earn money.
I brought the idea to create a video to tell some of these stories. Bulldog has made it very clear that he was not interested. Charles said. "I do not know you well enough for something like that, but you can come here anytime to talk with us ifyou want. "His invitation led to a series of visits in the coming months. During these visits I learned a lot about his life. I grew up, like these guys.
Early discussions focused primarily on the mechanics of their work as beggars. Bulldog Charles and told me that "owning" the ramp to I-40 and 15-501. Sometimes their ramp to share with some other local, and they are happy, "layers" of misfits who are just passing through to share. I askedBulldog, if other beggars never challenged their property on the ramp. He looked at the trees on a long iron rod, and said he was not worried. He said it was "a kind of code of the West", the beggars are one another's property rights are respected. Charles and Bulldogs begin early enough to catch every morning at rush hour.
They take a long break of ten clock. He returned about three o'clock in the afternoon and evening rush job. They work in thirtyMinute rounds. One of them is on the ramp with a sign, while the other sits on a box in the break. They are a team, and work well together. Pool their income and expenditure share. They say they can about every ten minutes before twelve dollars a day to do, but I suspect that they are a bit 'more. Charles has analyzed the issue of loops and samples can predict which days are better than average. For example, he said, "are the Friday before the holidaysour better days. "
Charles and bulldog live together in a campsite in the woods near the highway. They do not reveal the location of the campsite, but they seem very proud. Each of them has a tent, sleeping bag and a bottle of propane. They live in this area all year round, regardless of temperature. They store water in containers and take "half bath" at the campsite each morning. The other "half bath", take in the bathroom at Wal-Mart. I am proud andSatisfaction in their ability to live independently in the woods. You rightly pointed out that "Not everyone can do it."
Finally, I learned that "regular" Charles and Bulldog, which often give them something to eat. Bulldog told me that once again, in the occupied zone, after having for a while ', and someone had left food on one of the boxes. On one occasion, while we were talking, we ate bread baked them this morning by a truck driver from aBakery. In fact, they seemed to have plenty of food. "What we really need," said Bulldogs, "Propane is the fuel and insect repellent to get rid of ticks."
Bulldog Charles and told me that every beggar in Durham, buy a license for twenty dollars from the city or a fine. In the permit, identity card bearing the beggars are at work. This requirement was relevant in an afternoon, when I was on the Interstate ramp during a visit by the police in Durham. A youngPolice officer parked his patrol car and approached the break area where I was sitting with four beggars. All except me got up quickly and showed his badge. When the police to see my permission to ask Charles said: "This guy is a kind of social worker, she's fine .." The policeman took the friendly innocent, but the false statement and left.
I believe that the police actually like the beggar on the ramp 15-501, and I can understand why. Another day, while I was visiting the ramp, a carThe intersection has started smoking under the hood. A young woman driving the car in panic and immediately called 911 on his cell phone. Charles approached the car and asked if he could help. The distraught woman said she thought that her car was engulfed in flames. Charles asked permission to look under the hood, where he saw a small leak in a pipe. He reassured the woman that her car was fine. Bulldog invited to help push the car off the road and the sidewalk. Within minutes, a policeCars and a fire truck were on the spot. Charles took over. He explained the circumstances, the officer on patrol and told him. "Everything is under control," Police and firefighters rushed to other things. When the man came the woman, Charles went on the situation in a way that the young woman is able to minimize embarrassment to overreact. Charles later told me that he and Bulldogs to handle situations as often "meet".
Charles, Bulldogs, andI met the other beggars are not ashamed to beg. The acceptance of begging challenges stereotypes and self-sufficiency at work, that most men are locked in our culture, whether we like it or not. I think Charles and Bulldogs have some clever rationalizations that have created to make themselves more comfortable with the begging. For example, Charles says: "At least they're not stealing the money, we would be more inclined to accept what people give us, like stealing .." Another rationalizationis supported by the permit, they are wearing. You say: "If there is something wrong with begging, because the city has a license to sell it?" One of his friends said: "I'm not proud of here with a sign, but I'm proud to live alone in the woods."
After two years at the same interstate ramp, Charles and Bulldog have formed some strong relationships outside the community of other beggars. The strongest of these relationships is aGroup of students at Duke University Divinity School. This handful of students have the 15-501 ministry that exists to serve the handful of beggars near the junction create 15-501. Every Sunday afternoon, the students have put up a small tent at the end of a residential street and conduct Christian services for beggars. Students once again served every Monday afternoon and a free meal. Students have very strong friendship with Charles and Bulldog, which seems to be based onmutual trust and respect. One of the students to help Charles get his license.
Charles and Bulldogs do not have homes, but I do not think they are homeless. They have a range of comfortable and the people who give them money and gives you the food very good. They also have a sense of independence, with the free spirits who will be able to build a house in the woods. In a sense, have no home. They have a real community.
I knowthink that they are stranded and need help. Charles put best when he said: .. "If someone drove a car and gave me a thousand dollars, would not be any difference I could get an apartment and pay the deposit and two months rent after this I would be back here, but I would have lost this ramp, and I lost my the field. "I think he is stuck on the interstate ramp, because he did not run the risk of going out and letting go of what little they had.
Your situationIt seems that many of us who go through their ramp. We have cars and live in houses, but many of us are still stuck in a situation or another. Some of us are stuck in painful relationships. Some of us are stuck in dead end jobs or routines without a brain. Some of us are stuck on the interstate ramps. Perhaps the underlying theme is our inability, our version of what little risk that we threaten to take.
Sparky, another member of the church begging 15-501, told me thatwas on I-40, with a plate since 1991. I asked, "How long are you going to do?" He said: "Only three years then I retired .." Countless other people seemed to get in the water waiting to board. Perhaps we can avoid eye contact with beggars, because they do not want to face what we have in common.
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