leadership

Currently listening to: Carnival – Natalie Merchant

Have I been blind have I been lost
Inside myself and my own mind
Hypnotized, mesmerized by what my eyes have seen?

I’ve already answered this in a previous post: ring leader

Instead, I’ll use a prompt from TCMC.

For me, I always wonder, What happened? What led to this? Everyone has a story, and it’s humbling to realize that we’re all just one decision away from a completely different life.

I’ll never forget an experience I had when I first moved to Dallas. An unhoused man approached me as I stood outside with my roommates, unloading a moving truck. He came running from the park across the street—a tall, lanky man, probably around six feet and 160 pounds, with brown hair and a Ranger baseball cap. His Texas drawl was unmistakable as he called out, “Y’all need help? I see y’all got a y’all haul and could use a hand.”  I nearly died when he called the U-Haul a “y’all haul”.  We’re definitely not in Chicago anymore…

He didn’t look particularly disheveled, but I caught the scent of alcohol on his breath. Before I could respond, he’d already climbed into the truck, grabbed a heavy box, and followed my male roommate up to the second floor.

Determined to help, he hurried back down and attempted to lift my female roommate’s dresser. It was far too heavy for him. Laughing, he yelled, “Hey, can y’all help me with this one?” I joined him on the other side of the dresser, and he glanced at me, grinning. “Pretty girls like you shouldn’t be lifting heavy things.”  Instead, he told my female roommate to grab the other side of the furniture.

My mouth dropped, and my face flushed. My roommate shot me a death glare that should have been my cue to keep a straight face, but I was doing my best not to burst out laughing.

As we went up and down the stairs, I asked him about his life and what had brought him to the park. He explained that he’d been an engineer with a stable career until he started having grand mal seizures. His doctor reported his condition to the DMV, and he lost his license. Without a way to drive, he struggled to get to work on time because public transit was not reliable and he eventually lost his job. Unemployed and unable to find another position, he was evicted from his apartment and ended up living in the park.

He teared up as he told me his story, and I murmured an apology for asking. His vulnerability was palpable.

With his help, we managed to move everything into the apartment in under three hours. I wasn’t sure what movers typically charged, but at the time, I had only $60 to my name. I decided to give him $40, a 12-pack of Corona, and six pimento cheese sandwiches. His face lit up as he thanked me. Grabbing the cash, drinks, and food, he jogged back to the park tables where his friends were waiting.

Later, from my apartment window, I saw him and his friends laughing and enjoying the food and drinks. For a brief moment, they seemed so full of joy, as if their troubles had been paused.

For the next few months, every time I walked to my car, he’d wave at me with the same enthusiasm Forrest Gump had for Lieutenant Dan. I couldn’t help but wave back with a smile.

But then winter came, and he disappeared. Concerned, I went to the park to see if he was okay, but I couldn’t find him. To this day, I wonder what happened to him and where his story took him next…