[Sca-cooks] OOP - Not sure how to react to this NYT article

[Ysabeau]

On my only visit to NYC, I was staying near my brother's house. I noticed a
line of people on the sidewalk...some wearing some really shabby clothing
and others looking like they were ready for a night on the town in leather
and fur coats. I asked my brother what they were doing and he said they were
lined up for the soup kitchen or to get a place in the shelter. It was at
the Jewish Synagogue across the street from Central Park...I thought they
were the best dressed street people I've ever seen! They had better clothing
than me! He told me that when you were getting cast-offs from some of the
richest people in the world, you are bound to dress better. I want to find
the Goodwill where they donate their clothing!

Another thing I remember from my trip, it was at Christmas time and it was
really really cold that year. I don't think the temps got above freezing the
whole time I was there. Anyway, I was walking down the street that is one
block over from Central Park (FAO Schwartz side) and was following this
little old woman. She was very dignified in her long fur coat and picking
her way carefully in the ice and snow. When we stopped for a light, I
noticed that her fur coat was bare in places, there were some holes, her
shoes were very worn and starting to come apart. Yet, she her attitude was
that she owned the street. I wonder now if it might have been the woman who
just had the major law suit about her son making her live on a pittance when
she has billions of dollars.

Here, I remember seeing this homeless guy all over my side of town. He was
memorable because he was in a wheelchair and missing a leg. He always wore
an old army jacket. He would be in the median and I always wondered how he
got there without being killed. Well, I read in the paper one day that he
had been killed by another homeless guy. I don't know about other towns, but
I wonder if Austin is the only one where we can identify our street people
(we have a cross-dresser who runs for Mayor every year named Leslie) either
by name or location.

Just random thoughts on homelessness...

Ysabeau


On 12/20/06, Philip Troy <philtroy at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> I'm not sure if this comes under the heading of, "Another Festivus
> miracle!", a comment on the local economy, or an indication of just
> how bizarre my home town is, but there's a very interesting article
> in this morning's New York Times food section about four-star soup
> kitchens:
>
>
> <snip>