Every city has one, you can't escape it even if you wish to. Homelessness - its not fun - its not safe - but it happens. Some are down right bench dwellers, some are couch hoppers, but not being able to afford a safe comfortable clean home is not an option for some people.
Not all homeless are homeles bcause of the lack of affordable housing. Some are homeless because the street is more appealing as a home then a building with four walls. Some even prefer the woods of Stanley Park, or the UBC Endowment lands. Some are homeless - young ones because of abuse at home and the street is actually safer - not by much in my opinion only - some are homeless because of the closure of Riverview Hospital for the Mentally Ill - so where did they think those people were gonna go anyway? If they could have stayed in the mainstream of society, they would not have been at Riverview - thanks all you politicians, you did good - NOT !!
Downtown East Side Vancouver is a community within a community. There's been tons of talk over the years on how to address the homelessness in this particular part of down town - yet for all the talk of this and that and all the affordable housing down there which is far and few between, no one stopped to ask the homeless what they wanted. No one stopped to look at WHY they are homeless - and in reality, they have a home, the streets.
There are lots of societies/organizations down there to supposedly help those in the Down Town East Side - yet they constantly struggle against each other for the few measley dollars the government at all levels hand out rather then come togther for the common good.
I see this every day when I go to work. and as much as I try to turn a blind eye to it, I just can't. Its not something I look forward to, but I can't help but notice the interaction of that community within a community. No doubt that community takes care of each other as best they can, but it can also be a mean task master - yes there are drug addicts, alchoholics, mentally ill, criminal elements in the DownTown East Side - I would not ranomly walk there an the few times I have had to, I've held my breath and could not wait to get back to my own comfort zone. Yet that is what is is for the folks in the DownTown East Side - its their comfort zone.
Its is no where that I would want to live - and I hope in my retirement years that I can avoid this.
I know I would not want to work in this area either being the big scardey cat that I am - but my daughter works in this area and with the homeless and has done so for years. Its a job that can burn you out .. she is holding strong. I really admire her commitement and courage. She certainly did not get it from me.
Maybe one day this will be changed, and not because it was moved from here to another place, I've heard talk of sending "them" all up to Prince George - well if they wanted to be there, they would have gone long before, right? Some imby with the NIMBY mentality no doubt.
I have this wonderful full of life big ole tom cat named Kartmen. He is my spider hunter, or at least when I was given him, that is what he was suppose to be. Turns out he runs from the bigger spiders faster then I can !!! Anyway my big beautiful black and white spider hunter is full of life and mischief as any cat would be.
Kartmen has always been my cat, forever. Even when my sister had him and I would visit, he would jump on my lap and curl up and go to sleep purring away - even my sister could not beleive it because she said he runs and hides from most people. Not me, unless we are playing tag lol.
He is my alarm clock and wakes me up faithfully every day, he knows not the meaning of weekends or sleep ins. He only knows that for the most part I am up at a certain hour and together we do my back, hip stretch exercises for my back and hips on the floor. Sometimes he joins me, other times, he ignores me. Most times, he plops down with his butt too close to my face ughhhh cats...
as you can see, he has white whiskers, and a white bib, what you don't see are his white paws, and underbelly which is soft as down. For the longest time any attempt to touch his underbelly resulted in a few scratches and believe me you, he has claws from hades !!!
He is full of life and recently we had a situation where he was acting unusual. I know my cat, and I know his personality and habits. He has never sprayed for the time that I have had him. So when he was imitating spraying, I looked it up an sure enough had to rush him to the vets because his dry food gave him crystals or so they say. 800.00 later he is much better, eating canned food only and has lost a lot of weight. He is do to go back to the vets next month, well actually I was suppose to take him before this but he seems ok to me except for the occassional throwing up of his treats ... lucky meee !!!
Here in the above pic is his bib and paws, his eyes are bright because he's been chasing his laser light, his favourite past time, and of course mine, its quite entertaining for both of us - oh what a boring life I lead lol .
I can get him galoping along the hall way chasing this laser light to and fro .. not sure who has more fun, he chasing it, or me giving him something to chase!
Sometimes, he wants to play when I don't have time, like when I am busy getting ready for work - at these times, when walking by he will attack my ankles and then run, expecting me to chase him. If I have time, we will play a few minutes of tag. He chases me and I chase him.
His newest domain is the balcony of our new digs, and it has taken him some time to get used to it. The first time he ventured out, someone came up the walk and he high tailed it off of there so fast, I shook my head and thought, yup that is my spiderhunter, runs from things faster then me! Eventually he ventured out again and now seldom runs back in. On occassion I have to remind him, to stickhis head back in out of the bars, sometimes I think he is judging distance to see if he can jump.
There was once a squirel that crawled up the side of the building to the left - I thought for sure Kartmen was going to go for him, but there was other stuff going on at the time.
This morning another cat appeared, I know because Kartmen came in with a deep meowing and then went back outside. What ever that cat was, it was long gone and eventually Kartmen calmed down.
I can't imagine life without Kartmen, but one day it will come, he's already old - ten years, his birthday is May 2, 2001 - his original name was Panther, but he responds to Kartmen better. He is already getting arthritice in his left back leg, I've noticed its tender at times when I brush him. I make sure I give him only grain free foods, and limit other things that could aggrevate the pain.
Our favourite time together is when we watch tv and we are both in the lazy girl chair, I am brushing him and he spreads across my lap and starts purring while I brush him. Of course occassionally I've jumped out of the lazy girl chair and sent him flying - like the night James Durbin was iliminated on American Idol - sorry Kartmen, I was so shocked by that...
So that's my spider hunter, the one who runs faster then me when it comes to big spiders ! Did I mention the pink pet stroller I have for him? He hates it but if he thinks I am carrying him to the vets with those claws he has another think coming. He is ok once we get going and he can sniff the air !!
Its now, its here, its large, lik my type, so I can see what I am writing. The knights of the internet realm are gone, maybe they went with Arthur and the round table, maybe they found a better gig - but the knights of the internet realm are gone.
Or maybe they are off on a quest to make things better in this vast area of being. Maybe they have left friends and family behind to make it better for the future, maybe they, the knights of the internet realm are chasing the dragon, chasing the wild boar, or is it they have just become bord and found a new place to hang.
I am caught in the realm of the internet .. its gaming, its provocative seduction gets me night after night. I am searching high and low for my knight of the internet realm, yet I never acheive that which I seek. I follow the rocker, I follow the country star, I follow but no one follows me, I am ok with that. I am one, one is the loneliest number on can ever do. I am ok with one.
Where or where are the knights of the internet realm? Maybe tonite, they are at an American Idol gig rocking with the best rocker there is ... maybe they have a reserved seat on their lazy boy chair .. maybe .. a lotta maybes.
So my quest will continue, to find the knights of the internet realm. I know I will find them, I know they will be fantastic, I know they will be honourable, I know - yes I know.
