Today is veterans day and nothing governement is open to honor those who fight to preserve 'freedom'. Its more like those who die to keep the rich in power and make them richer. Somebody is playing us all for a fool.
The day started out real shitty. I slept well but woke up real depressed. Another pre sunrise day before the cops came and harrassed us; gotta make a move on early. So I did and because its Veterans Days nothing was open. I went and laid on a harbor bench and passed out until noon. I got up and had no idea what to do. I sat and watched the ocean and contemplated returning home. I was not really impressed with San Diego. Expensive, overcrowded and noisy. The weather was fine on some days but still. I made it here and that was my goal. As I was contemplating those facts I saw a backpakcer walk past me. He was an older dude with a blond ponytail and a blue LSU hat. He sat on a bench two down from mine. To test the waters, I asked if he could watch my pack while I skated; in reality I would be watching from far.
"How do you know you can trust me?"
"I guess I dont"
"How long are you going to be gone?"
"10 minutes?"
It'll be right there"
"Cool. Thank you. Whats your name?"
"Tobey"
"Alright then, I'll be back"
I bought some Oreos and shared. And started a conversation. Tobey called himself a free spirit. He was from 'nowhere' and lived 'everywhere'. He was a 'survivor' and former Army corps of engineers. He wired his own radio together and a light that supposedly goes on forever. I could tell he was definitely a resourceful man, not with his teeth though. The left side at his top pallette was missing, and from the right incisor on, he had teeth that were black from the gums, and became dark yellow at the tips. We had some good conversations, about politics, acid, travels and such. It was good to have a person to really talk to in this urban jungle, and I know and he had knowledge that was useful. I also needed a person to watch my shit when I had to use the internet. So we spent the most part of the rest of the day together watching each others back. And at 730 we headed to the corner of Union and A hoping to score some dinner from the people who come feed us. Instead I had the pleasure of meeting Ted. He reminded me of the old man in Home Alone.
"So how'd you end up on the streets?"
"Oh. haha. It was along sequence of events"'
"What was the initial event?"
"Proabably a divorce. She took about 75% of everything and my two kids. Lost my home in Santa MAria. I used to own a software company that cloned Windows. Had to shut that down. At peak, I had about 35 emplyees. Been homeless for two yeats now."
"God damn, that sucks. Im sorry"
Ted was a real cool. He had crazy stories; the adventures of a computer geek really, but gangsta style. Microsoft was pissed at what he was doing and they tried to steal his source code like they did so many times to others. Even said, that when he was in Seatlle they sent somebody to try and kill him. Instead the guy beat the shit out of him until two people with dogs came and saved him.
That night when no food showed up, he took a bag of food in his pack out and invited me and Tobey to anything we wanted in there. We had a delicous dinner of rock hard onion bagels and ham sandwiches. Those are the homeless of America, at least San Diego
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