October 21: Cat’s Cradle

So tonight I got to see my dude’s from Lovedrug open for Copeland at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC.

Carrboro is a cool town as far as NC goes. It seemed pretty West coast. Everybody was riding bikes and jogging and whatnot. There were a ton of cool thrift shops too. Plus I got to meet up with my buddy Hix who’s living down here in Raleigh.

Hix and I were leavin the show to grab a bite, and on our way we ran into this guy Mark. He was asking for some help, so we all sat down at the Crawdaddy’s Cajun Cafe’ for some jambalaya and got to talking. Unlike so many times when you run into somebody they’re just looking for a handout, but I really feel for this guy Mark. He joined the Army out of Highschool and was told that his service would count toward college credit, but when he got home none of the colleges he talked to would accept it, so his education was worth little in the workforce. He worked on cars for a while, but ended up relying on his Veteran Check to get by.

One month his medical expenses exceeded his insurance so he wasn’t able to cover rent so he lost his apartment. Without an address he had no way of collecting his Veteran’s check. He moved to Carrboro to find his sister, but when he couldn’t find her he ended up living on the streets and working for Advanced Auto during the day. To top it off, what little he had was stolen, and with no license, he has no way of getting any real help.

I don’t know the ins and outs of how the system works, but I’ve run into my fair share of people on the streets, and this guys was different. It just sucks that everything is so broken, that people who don’t deserve help abuse it and people who legitimately need a little boost have no way of getting it. All the loopholes become easy for someone to jump through when they aren’t in desperate need, but for those who are really trying to survive, waiting 3 days for paper work to go through just to get an ID could mean 3 days of sleeping in the woods outside of town.

Mark, I know you probably won’t read this, but I hope the best for you getting back on your feet. As for you guys, just think twice when you pass someone on the street. I know the stereotype, that someone who’s homeless is just lazy or a drug addict, and while that may be true for some, possibly even most, it’s not true everyone. And for these people, you can make a difference. I honestly believe that no government program will ever solve these issues. The only real way to make a difference is on the personal level. Each person’s story is so different there’s no way to pass a law or start a program that will ever meet people where they’re at, but you can. If you want to see the world become a different place don’t expect someone else to do it for you because the fact is that when you cross paths with someone, you become the most efficient and real source of change in their life.

Well, thanks for humoring me in my soap-boxy tangent. It was just fresh in my mind and thought it was worth sharing with ya’ll. Thanks again everybody for your support, and I hope to see ya’ll soon.

Remember NE Ohioans, Thursday night is the 2 for 1 deal at the Beachland Ballroom. You can’t beat it. Dolson with Peter Francis of Dispatch for only $6 a person with the flyer. That’s cheaper than a movie! Here’s the link to the flyer again in case you haven’t gotten it yet.