What motivate's me to writing this post ... is the many time's that I pointed out in this journal, how many veteran's of our's are living in the street's in our country. Something that I see as shameful and disgusting, even more, that places like the Salvation Army wont even give them a bunk for the night without payment in full first. This is the REALITY of our two faced society as well that lurk's behind the scenes ... not all ... but there is a segment. So ... I figured to write a short story of one of OUR HEROES that we love to talk about and welcome back home with open arm's ... at least until they get in a financial spot ... then they dont exist no more. Dale gave me permission to write this ... but requested to omit his last name.
Dale is a 40 year old man and veteran of the US Army, that is one of the over 5000 faceless folk's that live on the street's of Central Dallas. His story is typical blue collar America ... and you can find stories with similarities all across our nation.
Dale was born and raised in Cleveland, OH ... from a blue collar lower middle income home. He even was a high school graduate ... I myself never even attended a high school. Like many young American's including myself, couldnt wait to reach age, old enough to enlist ( I also want to point out I'm not a veteran, I failed my written exam at 17 for the Navy, when my retest date came up ... I was in Dade County Jail in Miami) After Dale graduated since he was already ROTC, he enlisted and was shipped off to Germany then the Middle East. After a few year's of service ... he came back to hook up with a high school sweetheart ... and they got married. They didnt have any children ... but were planning on it at some point ... Dale took up a trade as a welder, being hooked up by his dad who was also a welder but now deceased. His wife was a sales clerk for a large retailer ... together they made a decent wage. Then came a time when job's got a little tight ... and Dale said word on the street was "Texas" for job's and opportunities. He bought a Dallas newspaper ... and made some call's ... and hooked up a good sounding job offer within a week, good enough for him to spend to come here to just do an in person interview ... and the pay he said was much better. They hired him ... his wife quit her job ... they rented a U- Haul truck and moved to Dallas ... and she found work right afterward's here.
Thing's were fairly well ... they been here a few year's ... rented a small house, and planned on maybe buying one. Then his wife came down sick ... with pneumonia one day, it got so bad that she went into a coma for a period. He took off constantly from work to be at her side in the hospital. She got out and was still recovering and not working now ... and his insurance was limited. When she fully recovered ... she divorced him ... and left to go back to Ohio, to hook up with a guy she also knew since high school who Dale knew as well. Dale decided to stay in Texas on his own. He started drinking more frequently, and met a Texas gal ... who got him to try some heroin recreationally ... smoking "tar". Well ... he slowly became dependent ... then money started getting tight ... since he was getting her high too ... she didnt work. Then he lost his job for missing too much ... then the money ran out ... and she just went to find another guy to live with to get high.
One thing led to another ... Dale found a minimal wages job ... then couldnt no longer afford the small home ... and moved into a room in Central Dallas ... got to know a few of the neighborhood dope fiend's since he needed to establish connection's to feed the habit he acquired. His habit took everything besides his room rent now, and barely enough to pay for at least 4 "caps" a day ($10 capsules of heroin) he was now "running" (IV) in his arm's just to avoid getting "dope sick" (withdrawal/ comedown sickness). He had sold everything he had now to also feed his need. Then it came to the classic decision ... that most dope fiend's must eventually come to ... which is ... do I pay the rent ... or my next "bump" with my paycheck? And of course like most who fiend ... it was the "bump" he chose ... it's a "physical" thing. Dope sickness is one of the hardest sicknesses to have to go through (withdraw).
Dale now lost his room ... and was sleeping in a local squat (abandoned building) off of Lower East Dallas ... and now resorting to panhandling and shoplifting or other small crimes to support his habit, such as stealing copper, out of commercial air conditioning unit's, street light's or whatever. Soon he even lost the squat to stay, and couldnt go to the downtown shelter cause you have to check in and out at a certain time (he needed in/out quick access for his habit). He finally sought out trying to get treatment at the Salvation Army drug treatment center on Lower Hines Blvd in Central Dallas ... the wait period looked like a year ... it was so booked! Then when asking to stay for the night on a bunk in a large dorm type setting ... like a warehouse ... he was turned down ... because he couldnt pay $7.00 for it ... and sent back to the street ... he told them he was a veteran ... it didnt mean jack to them ... they just basically told him to take a hike. He ended up with a couple small time felony theft cases ... done about 6 month's in state jail ... then turned back to the street ... again ... homeless ... and having to face the dope world again.
Finally this week ... a local drug treatment center decided to take him in ... as a charity case ... to help him ... which I seen him off to. And hopefully the treatment will be successful, and following programme.
Good Luck Dale ..............
A dramatic story. It's obvious from reading it that the turning point was when Dave got suckered into trying heroin. Before that, he'd had some tough breaks but could have recovered. After that he was doomed, because he wasn't making his own decisions any more. The drug was making them for him.
ReplyDeleteClearly the drug laws did not help him -- heroin was already illegal when he used it, but that didn't stop it from happening.
The best thing we could do for people in this kind of situation would be to divert the money currently being wasted on drug-law enforcement into addiction treatment centers.
Thank You for your comment Mr.Infidel...which seem's to be quite accurate and on the money considering your not even a previous or current drug user yourself...I of coarse was a drug addict..so it is easy for me to see the picture.Unfortunately,because of our morality block's and phobia's etc...our society as a whole cannot even grasp in many cases what you are talking about...or at least...sure as hell dont want to as far as actual drug enforcement or even rehab plan's are concerned.
ReplyDeleteHave a good un Guy...........
I've always had compassion for the down & out as I've been homeless myself (as a teen). Drug addiction I've also have had experience with. I'll write a post about that. (I've been looking for a subject & that's one I haven't written about :)
ReplyDeleteI hope Dave can the resources to rise up out of the gutter, so to speak.
BTW, I'm guessing in your profile, a picture of you & your daughter?
ReplyDeleteI hear ya on the drug issue CC. This is something that I have battled much of my life actually...not just a teen.I havent posted much on it... is vecause I try not to think much about much of my past, and my story isnt much different than ton's of other's...kind of the classic same ole same ole I reckon.
ReplyDeleteYep....Ms.Rita...my daughter and I is correct.I'm not much of a fella that takes pictures I reckon of much of anything...but that is the least I figure I could do is at least...post one.
Another point to make here.The comment's here were from people who live on the West Coast in Oregon. Oregon like especially California have much more socialized programme's that are paid by their state government's. Texas is very different,and dont spend hardly anything on social services in comparison(% wise) as these state's. Texas rank's even at the bottom just on even money spent on public education...yet Texas has about 25 million people and is the 2nd most populated State to California. Seeking help in a place like Texas compared to California or even Oregon for instance is like different as day and night. And Texas help mostly goes for women and children, NOT men. When I was in Portland for a week back in 2007 for instance, I spent some time talking in detail with a gal (late 20's)who I met when she bumbed a smoke from me...and we had a long conversation on Portland's outreach to homeless and drug addict's...she was just released hour's before from the County Jail where she had done a few month's on cocaine charges and prostitution charges,and she didnt even have a permanent address,but had some place to go after release...because of the County. And I am very familiar with Los Angeles.The Federal Gvmt for instance will give a junkie $600/$700(average) a month from the social security funding, in California...the State also throw's in about the same amount, not as treatment but as living money...welfare you can say, yes...a junkie in California can actually get over a thousand a month...just for being a junkie...in Texas..the State wont give them nothing,only the Federal Gvmt here...so they get half here. Texas mentality is very different on thing's like this. They dont care if your a junkie here...tough shit...in other word's.
ReplyDelete