Page 6
REPORTER REACHES OUT
TO HOMELESS WOMAN
Scott Mclntyre
Capital Times Reporter
Many times in my life I
have looked at the world
through my rose colored
glasses. With a low
toleration of people who, I
felt, would not help
themselves; often times I
shunned the very people that
needed my help the most.
Countless times I passed a
beggar on the streets without
a dime to spare. It was
through Louise Jubero that I
came to realize that good or
bad, we are nothing more
than products of
environment. Furthermore,
many of the nation's
homeless are there because
the need medical and mental
treatment, not just a warm
bed and a week's pay.
When Louise walked into
Dunkin' Donuts she looked
as if she was a preferred
customer at the Seven Dollar
Store. I watched from the
corner of my eye as she
fumbled through a lint filled
pocket for some coffee
money. "This should be rich"
I thought to myself.
My internal laughter did not
subside until I caught a
glimpse of her medical
identification bracelet and her
name.
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"Louise is a nice name", I
spoke rather directly.
"I was in the hospital"
Louise said
"What on earth tor'!" not
that I didn't know.
"Craft Disease" she replied
smugly.
"Huh?" feeling a little less
brilliant.
"Can't remember a f---ing
thing" she blurted out.
"Where am I?" was the
question that broke our
laughter.
I bought Louise a bowl of
soup and went outside ti the
phone to find her a place to
stay. After being passed
through six departments the
hospital kindly explained
Louise was not their
responsibility.
"Whose then?" was all I
could ask as I slammed the
phone down.
Louise kept a shirt, blanket
and pants in a shopping bag,
which she clutched very
tightly as she got in my car.
My cassette collection
wouldn't fit in that shopping
bag was all I could think as I
headed out of the lot.
Louise was a 12 year old
trapped in a women's body.
I really wanted to help.
sz;zz
Capitol
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---1 " on the bottom floor of the
Olmsted Building
Features
I started towards the
Bethesda Mission in
Harrisburg, this was the only
place I knew that helped the
homeless. If there are so
many shelters for the
homeless, why can't I name
more?
"I've been on the road for
about a year" Louise spoke
hesitantly.
,- T.
I.
"What about shelters?"
WASPy little me asked.
"Nice ones is filled and the
rest is jammed with rats and
sickos, I ain't no sicko"
Louise looked toward the
floor.
As I walked the steps of the
mission a maze of eyes and
empty comments opened my
mind just a little. Most of the
men seemed to be missing
more than hair from there
heads, not everyone but they
WITH 2 SPECIAL TOPPINGS AND A
2 LITER BOTTLE OF SODA
$12.22 PLUS TAX
needed more than Just a
spatula and an apron. But the
Bethesda Mission doesn't
accept women, so on we
trekked to the women's
mission.
The women's mission was
nondescript like faces in a
crowd. I may have missed it
if Louise hadn't been there
before. At last the story
comes to a happy ending, or
so I thought.
India, the director of the
women's mission met me at
the dead bolted security door.
Easy to find, to stay, hell you
can't even walk in without
permission. The shelter
houses battered women so
this is a good thing.
Louise began to pace
frantically as India and I
spoke.
"The shelter is filled, has
been for months," India
explained.
"What can I do with
Louise" as if she wasn't
human
"She has two days left at the
Warner," India said sadly.
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"What then?" I asked
"Unfortunately, the street is
where most end up." This
was not the answer I was
looking for.
"The Warner is a dump"
Louise cried as we headed
toward town.
At this point I fully
understood why so many
people are homeless. Nice
shelters are full; places like
the Warner are unfit for
human habitation, and people
like Louise do not have the
mental capacity to hold a
steady job.
Over and over in my head
"the Warner is a dump" all I
could think as I drove down
Herr Street.
The Warner smelled like
piss and cigarettes, there is no
nice way to say it. Louise sat
on the steps and stared at the
ground, no place like home
"The Warner is a dump"
was the last I heard from
Louise.
66 My face was numb,
It was mOe 25 degrees out,
there was snow on the
ground, and right in front of
my apartment door was a
bum wearing a Mets T-shirt
freezing to death, I stepped around n. and went
111, I thought, 'great, lust the ending I needed to an already lousy day' lust
then, this sick feeling come over me. Forget me, what about that guy? I went to
oset and pulled out a coat I haven't worn since college. I stood there, feel
ing dumb. Was he going to be mad 111 give him a hand-out? He's freezing to
death. I opened my door and handed him the clothes. He put them on and
stared at me. Then he walked away. It was weird but it was good. I'm not the
Salvation Army, but giving out a coat isn't all that hard",
0 POINTS OF LIGHT
DO SOMETHING GOOD. FEEL SOMETHING REAL
The Capital Times April 17, 1994
LOSER
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 5
How could a song that boasts "I'm
a loser baby so why don't you kill
me" become anthem? Well, in this
age of the "slacker" mentality it's
relatively easy. In fact, the song is
pretty cool as is the 4 song ep
entitled "Loser".
Beck combines "Beastie Boys"
style rap with overblown "grunge"
guitar and hilarious lyrics to create
this music. Beck also incorporates
a type of psychedelia into his
songs that is both innovative aid
different than alot of todays music.
"Alcohol" is an acoustic guitar
tune with droned vocals that sound
like one of the worst hangovers
ever to infest a saturated mind.
The tune remains pretty straight
forward until the ending when the
guitar feedback is introduced and
then some type of ritual drumming
on tin cans is incorporated.
"Fume" is by far the coolest song
on this release and is a bit like
something that Nirvana would be
capable of doing. The song is a
prolific recount of two guys
hanging out, buying donuts ad
inhaling nitrous oxide. The chorus
repeats a thunderous refrain "Ther's
a fume in this truck and I don't
know if we're deador what. What
the F***m
If this is any indication of how
the album "Mellow Gold" sounds,
then it is apparent that Beck is
experimenting with music aid
sounds that are in a class all by
themselves. I would probably not
recoznend this album to anyone
who is offended easily. But what
the hell, America? Isn't it time we
all loosened up?
This is Bart Darress's real-life story. He is one of the little answers
to the big problems facing every community in America. And
because there are more people than problems, things will get done.
All you hove to do is something. Do anything. To find out how,
call 1(800) 677-5515.