There’s wrong, and then there’s horrifying.  This week, a homeless man named Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax rescued a woman attacked at 5:40 a.m. in Jamaica, Queens.  The assailant stabbed Tale-Yax several times in the chest and fled, as did the woman.  She did not even bother to call 911 and report the attack on the man who had just saved her life.

The surveillance video above shows Tale-Yax stumbling a few steps and pitching face-forward onto the pavement.  Within a minute of the attack, the first onlooker walks through the frame, turning briefly to look at Tale-Yax, lying in a pool of blood, and then continuing on his way.  He was the first of 25 passers-by who would do so.  Many leaned down to look at the dying man, one chillingly snapped a cell phone pic, and another bent down and shook the body checking for life.  All of these people then continued about their business without dialing 911.

It would be 1 hour and 45 minutes later when firefighters discovered his body.  The worst part?  They discovered it while responding to a 911 call for a completely different, non-life-threatening emergency in the area.  That’s right, not a single person ever bothered to report Tale-Yax bleeding out his life onto the pavement.

WHAT.  THE.  FUCK.  IS.  WRONG.  WITH.  PEOPLE?!?!?!

This is such a sad commentary on how little the life of a homeless (or even “apparently” homeless, as it is impossible to conclusively tell by appearances alone) person means nowadays.  This man was a hero, and even the victim he rescued cared nothing for his plight.  Did she even give him a second thought after she escaped, after she watched him take a knife to the heart for her?  I guess not.

This story is particularly difficult for me to handle.  I visited NYC a few years ago with my family, and again a couple of months ago for the Today Show.  I loved it there.  Despite all of the stories I had heard about jaded, rude New Yawkers, I was pleased to discover that the reports had been greatly exaggerated.  Yes, the pace of things was rushed beyond anything I had ever experienced living in SoCal, but my overall experience with the natives was that the gruff exteriors hid a heart of gold.  Every single person I met was more than happy to stop and give me directions, explain the subway system, take a photo for me, etc.

I just can’t wrap my head around that kind of dichotomy – that 25 people, most of whom would have gladly taken 5 minutes to tell me where the Z train goes…wouldn’t take 30 seconds to dial 911 for a dying man.  Would it have been the same for a woman?  A man in an expensive bankers’ suit?  A wounded dog or kitten?! Would they have walked around those bodies too?  Would they have snapped cell phone photos without once thinking to call for help?  I wish I could think that this attitude towards homeless individuals as non-entities, as somehow less than people, was the exception rather than the rule.  But 25 people in a row – that speaks otherwise.  How many more would there have been, if the firefighters hadn’t stumbled across the body?  How many people would it have taken, before a single one demonstrated a shred of conscience and humanity?

This is not only shameful; it’s outrageous.  These people know perfectly well who they are, and I hope it haunts them that they didn’t even lift the smallest finger for this hero.  After putting his own life on the line for a stranger, he deserved so much more than the disgusting treatment he received in his final hour.  Less compassion than would have been shown a wounded animal on the street.  Nice.  Real nice.

I’ve already mentioned that I’m collaborating with many other activists and contributors on World Homeless Day, coming to a city near you on 10/10/10.  One of the main organizers is a good friend of mine in Ireland and yes, I will be posting an interview with him eventually, but it’s looking like it’ll be pushed back a couple of weeks since he’s been so incredibly busy – representatives have been joining up from many countries globally, as well as representatives from nearly every U.S. state so far!  You can find more info at:

http://www.worldhomelessday.org/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=252124162444

There is fantastic news from Jim Niffen, a WHD rep in Kansas City, MO.  He just found out that at 10 a.m. on 10/10/10, to commemorate the first annual WHD, the city mayor will be present at the launch of a new donated facility Jim will be running – 47,000 square feet housing a clinic, several local agencies, barber shop and salon, computer lab, and donated clothing shops for homeless men and women.  The facility will cater to between 1,000-1,200 homeless people per day.  Think of the difference that will make for so many down-on-their-luck people in that metropolitan area alone.

Congratulations to Jim and Hope Faith Ministries (anybody in the KCMO area interested in helping out can contact them here), and thanks to Jon Glackin/Dominic Mapstone and associates for coming up with the WHD concept and putting it into practice.  All of your tireless organizing is really paying off – believe me folks, the Kansas City facility is only one of several amazing results so far of the campaign (and there’s still 6 months to go yet)!  A lot of very noteworthy and influential people are coming on board the project and this is helping to increase exposure greatly for the issue.  The amount of work these guys are putting in is incredible; I don’t know when they sleep!

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On a slight tangent, this really has nothing to do with homelessness, but it does have to do with civil rights issues in general, specifically one that affects several friends and a family member of mine:

The Lutheran church has voted without dissent to abolish all anti-gay policies, effective immediately. All members and their families – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer – are now considered absolutely equal in the eyes of the church and of their god, and are even allowed to serve as church leaders.  This is progressive.  I’m not Lutheran (or any religion), but regardless of whether I ascribe to any religious position or not, this is something I can get behind, and think all churches should get behind.  We can only hope.  This is an example of people of faith adhering to the spirit of what they preach, showing true love for their members without judgment, hypocrisy, or discrimination.

I’m a fan of that in any forum.

He said/You’re really an ugly girl/But I like the way you play/And I died/But I thanked him…

Something you don’t always realize the value of, whether you’re homeless or not, is friendship.  I’ve always been more of the “lone wolf” type, partly because of my crippling shyness, and partly because I just don’t always like/trust people due to an iffy past with them.

More and more, I’m figuring out just how many good people there are out there.  Recently, I’ve been trying to spend more time hanging out with others and opening up to them, and I’m seeing that they’re not all that bad!  One evening, after hanging out with some friends both old and new, I had to sit back and ask myself, “why don’t I do this more often?”

Sounds like the world’s dumbest and most boring epiphany, I know.  But perhaps you have no idea what it’s like to feel reviled and alone and evil for a few decades and then suddenly realize:  These people like me.  Or at least, they’re willing to give me a chance.  They don’t hate me.  They don’t think I’m stupid.  They actually seem to enjoy my company enough to invite me to hang out with them again.

Even people from high school, who I haven’t seen in about 8 years, have dropped back into my life recently to say hi and make overtures of friendship, and these are people I never even realized I made an impression on back then in the first place.  I guess you never know whose life you may touch for whatever reason, or why.  But it’s a good feeling, and it’s one that I need.  I’m grateful to those who have made such an effort to include me lately and bolster my spirits with fun nights out – whether that be at Dave ‘n Buster’s with some old WCC crew, or go-karting with Brigitte, or Las Vegas with Brandon, or roller derby with Amy and some new awesome people, or Olive Garden with Ben and Aubrey.  Even if at the end of it all, I go and hole myself up for a few days again in the trailer for some alone time and book writing, it’s good to feel like I can hold my own on the social front for once.  That’s something to strive for.  I don’t know if I’ll ever be a “people person”, but I hope so.  I think it will make me feel like a better person, that’s for sure.  Here’s a bunch of photos with the great people I’ve been hanging out with lately:

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Another thing I’m very pleased about when I see these pictures is my weight.  I haven’t been happy about my body for a long time, and living off cheap fast food while in the Walmart parking lot definitely wasn’t doing my figure any favors, among other factors, both medical and lifestyle.  I didn’t realize how badly I had ballooned until I saw myself on TV and burst into tears (yes, yes, I know the camera adds 10 lbs., but still.  I was looking pretty darn bad).  The sad thing is that I look back at old photos of me from 5 or 6 years ago and realize that I was actually very cute, had flawless porcelain skin and teeth, etc.  But I didn’t believe it at the time, because all I had ever been told over and over, since I was a child was that I was fat and ugly and pasty (and perhaps next to my waifish, tan, very conventionally pretty sister, that was true.)  Now I look at those photos and go “but I was a size 6!  I was fucking adorable, as chicks go!  I wasn’t Cindy Crawford, but I danced and exercised, and got flirted with and hit on nearly every freaking day, even if I was too naïve and innocent to realize it at the time!  Why couldn’t I have enjoyed it and had healthy self-esteem back then when it was actually warranted?” Also, the thought that I may again next year have to go back on TV to promote the book is a major motivating factor to get looking damn good, damn soon.

And yes, I know that it’s important to be happy and proud of yourself, and have good self esteem, regardless of your body type.  And I’m trying.  But, it would make me incredibly happy to feel like my outside matches my inside again.  So, over the past few months, I’ve been making major dietary and lifestyle changes (gave up Starbucks and fast food completely, for one thing, and haven’t looked back!) but I wasn’t seeing it reflected in the mirror because I guess when you have to live with yourself every day, it’s just not as noticeable.  A couple of people commented on the weight loss, but I assumed they were just being kind.  I didn’t figure it out until I started seeing photos of myself recently, in which my waistline and double chin are, slowly but surely, whittling down and receding.  This makes me super excited and has been fuelling the drive to get back to that size 6.  I’m down 6 pants sizes now since January (from a size 18 to a size 12), which is halfway to where I’d like to be.  It’s not as fast as the fruit/juice crash diet (I did this once and shed about 30 lbs. in a matter of weeks), but I know that it is far healthier and that the results will be far more permanent, because I’m making actual long-term, ongoing changes to my day-to-day routine instead of relying on a temporary fix.  I also know I wouldn’t have realized just how dramatic the results were, or been able to keep the new lifestyle up, without the support and encouragement of my friends.  So, thank you guys.

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Last, but not least, Jethro went to his new home in NorCal on Friday.  We had many, many adoption applications for him; thank you to all who applied, and to Sage and Tera from DPS for all of their hard work to find him the perfect home!  Here are some photos of him with his new mom, Robbie, who adores him and has renamed him “Logan”.  I may have misted up a bit when I had to hand him over to the transporter, but I know it’s for the best.  He will make Robbie and her children the best dog in the world.

Hi all,

As a couple of my readers suggested, I sent an application to Hoarders regarding Mr. Reyes.  Now, I don’t know if it’s too late to save his home or not, but from personal experience, I know that publicity can do wonders for such things…so, I would appreciate it if my readers would contact Hoarders as well!

Here is the form:  http://hoardersdocumentary.com/machform/view.php?id=3

If you don’t know the answer to a question (i.e., address, phone number, etc.) choose a response or list your own contact info – or mine – and then explain in the boxes below that while you do not know Mr. Reyes personally, you are a tGGtH reader, concerned for his welfare, and would like to see him helped – by Hoarders, if possible.  Perhaps if enough people write them, they’ll get involved.  Even though he’s already been evicted, there may yet be time for him to get his home back.  If not, perhaps an outpouring of support and publicity will garner assistance for him in some other way; perhaps somebody can arrange for an assisted living situation for him.

In any event, it took me about 5 minutes to fill out the form (when it asked for descriptions, etc., I copied text from the news article into the box and dropped the link there as well).  Please, please take a few minutes out of your day to submit a letter regarding this gentleman!  Perhaps we can make a positive difference in his life, one way or another.

Hoarding is a particular pet issue of mine, because my grandmother has been a chronic hoarder for decades…and sometimes I get dejected or depressed, and then I start to be a slob, and then I get paranoid about the tendency one day manifesting in me.  So I really feel for this man’s plight.  He should be spending his golden years in comfort and safety, not in a hazardous garbage dump of a house or out on the streets alone.

This story is local to me, and it’s very upsetting.

Guillermo Reyes is 78 years old and mentally ill.  His hoarding is a side effect of dementia.  Of course he refused treatment.  Many mentally ill people refuse treatment because – wait for it – they are mentally ill and don’t recognize that they have a problem.

This is a well-loved man who bought his house with cash in 1976.  It was his house, fully paid off.  Through this crazy, twisted series of events, he’s been evicted from his home and made homeless because he hasn’t eliminated the results of years of hoarding.  The entire neighborhood feels for him and is stepping up to help him, but the chances of him actually getting his home back are slim to none.

I understand that when hoarding becomes such an issue, to the point where it is a safety hazard to the owner and to the community, something must be done.  But surely putting a mentally ill, nearly 80-year-old, 30-year-resident out on the street is not the right thing to do.  Surely there must be another way.  Anybody have any input on this?  Possible alternative solutions?

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In personal news, I rescued a dog recently, and he needs a home – any takers in SoCal (or even NorCal could probably be arranged)?

I was leaving the gas station and this poor, skeletal boy circles near my car, looking confused and frightened.  It took some coaxing, and the help of another woman in the parking lot, to get him into the vehicle, but I felt I just couldn’t leave him in that condition.

Sage pulled over 30 ticks off him, hosed him down and gave him a flea bath, and he never flinched or made a peep.  Just stood stock still.  He’s a 1-year-old Yellow Lab/German Shepherd mix and he’s been sleeping in my trailer soundly and quietly throughout the night.  He does great with other dogs, children, and other animals (he hasn’t even shown any interest in the chickens or cats on the lot).  Not an aggressive bone in his body.  He’s fattening up nicely (maybe around 57-60 lbs.), and we used a free voucher to have him neutered.  I call him Jethro, because he looks like a dog named Jethro that should be lying at some old guy’s feet on a porch as he plays the banjo (the guy, not the dog).  He’s very low-key and loving, very much a “velcro” dog (wants to either be where you are, or else out playing with other dogs during the day).  He’s housebroken, knows “come here”, and is learning “sit” very quickly.  Rides well in the car and walks well on-leash.  We took him to an adoption event and he had several parties interested in him, but the three ladies who filled out applications were all told “no” by their husbands (who hadn’t seen or met him).  Go figure, right?

So, he still needs a home now, as I can’t keep him here long term.  However, I’d rather not take him to the Humane Society where they’ll stick him in a concrete cell for however long it takes to adopt him out.  He’s an absolute love and if I lived in a house and not a trailer, I’d absolutely keep him.  But with Fezzik and potential upcoming book promotion, etc., I know that wouldn’t be in his best interests.  Anybody out there want the greatest dog in the world?  This really is a fantastic boy!

If smaller dogs are your thing, Sage also has one other dog for placement at the moment.  His name is Ross (she found him in a Ross parking lot), he’s 2-3 years old, and from what we can tell, he is a mix of at least two of the following:  Rat Terrier, Boston Terrier, Chihuahua.  Which two he is, we’re having a little harder time figuring out.  But what is certain is that he’s adorable, with a big personality that belies his small (5-6 lbs.) stature.  He’s very much a cuddler and a clown, warms up quickly, loves everybody, and gets along with other dogs.  He’s also very quiet, not a barker at all, and has been crate trained and housebroken by his foster mom.

Both dogs available from Doggie Protective Services (DPS) in Palo Alto.  More info on Jethro and Ross, including video, at the following links:

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet3628198.html

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet3604108.html

If you’re interested, please contact Tera at rescuenoca@aol.com for an application!