“When you die on the streets, the material part, whatever little there was, is held temporarily in a public place that is private. Then it is emptied onto an isolated island. It is entirely and absolutely gone.
With nothing to ground them, the memories dissipate, growing larger and more diffuse, expanding into nothingness. Only friends hold them. The memories, everything that was you, dies when they die."I recently read this quote in Chris Arnades Photography series of the homeless at Hunts Point, Bronx. It was titled: “death while homeless”. I don’t know about you, but this made me sad. It bought back memories of friends whom we’ve lost through the years. I don’t want to be morbid, but it inspired me to reflect and remember friends that I’ve shared a soup or two with, laughed around our truck and had deep conversations about life. People we’ve prayed with, served together and seen at some of the worst and best times. Since we go to Tompkins Square Park every week, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to have such rich relationships. So for this update, I wanted to honor and share memories of friends who have gone on but are not forgotten. People who have mattered and made an impact on my life from Tompkins Square Park, I hope you will join me in celebrating their lives.
Maximo: dearly loved comedian. If I could see him one more time, I would ask him to sing and play his guitar. He loved indulging us with his sweet Spanish tunes and rich voice. He never failed to make me laugh and affectionately called me “Terminator #2” because we would encourage him to read the Bible. When I first met him, he told me he was a backslider and that he knew God wanted his life. He had a hard time giving up the pleasures of this world, but when he was around us, it drew him back to his childhood days of singing praise songs to God. Maximo died in 2012 of cancer. Although I never saw him during his last days, he kept in touch with us while he was in the hospital and some of our team visited him just before he passed. I had a lot of fun times with Maximo. He never let us forget that one day he ate four cups of soup and bragged about adding his own hot sauce. Maximo was a dear friend of mine and when he passed he left a void in my heart, the park was never the same again. I miss him.
Jewels: what can I say about Jewels? I cannot believe it’s been over a year since he’s been gone. We had many sweet and funny times together. I will never forget the first time I met you and we sat down by the park entrance on the ground. You were sharing how much you love to cook and that you went to school for it. We used to have many talks about the food you love to cook. Then there was that other time when you and I sat down and you wanted to read the book of Joel because it was your namesake. Other times, we had talks about your life on the streets and the poems you wrote. You were such a creative individual. Even that picture, you walked around in December with a black Santa hat and your cane. You never ceased to amaze me with your ability to express. Jewels, you were truly a gem out on those streets and I miss you my friend, wish I got to hear you perform "80 Proof Tears" again.
Shorty: no one had a temper like Shorty
did. Yet deep down he was kind and looked out for those in the park, he even
helped us at the clothing table a few times. I never really got to know Shorty
except the few conversations we had about his military days. He died from some
sort of medical complication due to his drinking (doctors told him to cut back
but he never could). When he passed they had a little memorial at the park’s
chess tables. No one really knew Shorty’s real name or if he had any family
members but that didn’t matter. At the memorial they celebrated his life with memories and lit a cigarette for him, they were his family. Funny thing was, a few years after his
passing, I met his next door neighbor and we exchanged stories. Shorty was the
same no matter where he lived and his reputation preceded him. |
| This was where they found Liz's body |
Liz: last time I saw her was in August during Worship Warfare Week. We talked about getting into a place to get her life straight. She was on heroine but wanted off. She hated what it had done to her. We talked for a while, laying out options for change but the urges kept getting stronger. Finally in a desperate attempt, she found someone she could stay with for the night. I tried to stop her, even got angry at the man but in the end it was her choice. Although it pained me to see her go, I could not do anything. She walked away, letting me know how thankful she was that I cared and assured me that I will see her again. That was the last time I saw her. We went on break and I came back to news of her death Sept 10, 2011. She died sleeping on the streets, cause of death: unknown. Liz died in her 50’s with not much known about her past. Although I didn't have many encounters with her, the little time I did have, I keep in my heart and remind myself how temporary life really is. Ironically, they found her body the same place where Grace (another lady we had ministered to earlier that year - picture below this post) passed away while freezing to death earlier that winter.
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| Carol giving Grace a coat. Winter 2011 |
Thanks so much for reading this... you guys are just as much part of the work we do on the streets! Thank you for the impact you've had on these individuals and many more.
