Gabe Newman's Blog

Well folks, here I am sitting in another public library, in another town, only this time I arrived by bike.  It's my mission to visit all fifty states before election day.  I have my work cut out for me.  One problem I have encountered this morning is that My Space is blocked from these computers.  So, whereas I would typically blog there and repost here, if appropriate, I cannot even get to My Space this morning. 

One thing I've noticed about this small town, is I have yet to see anyone sleeping in the bushes, and sitting on the square looking 'po'.  As I pulled out of Athens, GA last week, I left behind a scene of many players and paupers, and I was again reminded of that eternal question, "Why?"

Rick, the stroke victim survivor, still sits there left to himself, his cigarettes, and his coffee, I am sure.  I only mention that in hopes that somebody will cover his story.  There isn't anybody in that town that doesn't already know his demise, but nobody steps up to give a place to live in what could very well be his last days.  He had a place, but that time ran its' course, and there he sits again waiting for his fellow downtrodden to join him at the table for what usually amounts to a certain download of information on pretty much any topic as it relates to Athens, GA.  He is a walking (or should I say "shuffling") encyclopedia of information on anything Athens, as he drags himself around doing as much for himself as he can with one side of his upper body still paralyzed.  He's just been left there to himself as the "community" who always greets him as they walk by do nothing to give him a little bit of comfort in what appear to be his last days.

Last night, I was fortunate enough to watch Extreme Makeover.  This a show I haven't watched in sometime, but exemplifies to me, what America is really all about.  The Community has lost its' sense of identity as we have seemingly left everything to do with anything humane and community oriented in the hands of the government.  Otherwise, why is he still sitting there?

I mean, there is hardly a soul in that town who doesn't know who that guy is and still he sits there as if counting the ticks and tocks of the clock.  And, then faith in community is restored when you see a show like EM!  There's no government  agency there to demolish a home and rebuild it.  There are only people from that community, and corporate America, pretty much.  What's wrong with that?  I can't think of a single thing wrong with that. 

CVS pharmacies and everyone altogether got up enough cash to not only pay off the mortgage on this new home built for a family with two kids in wheelchairs suffering from a disease I had never heard of called Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  Two girls, sisters, one eight and the other four, both have been trying to maneuveur a bi-level household to no avail for years.  Extreme... came in a leveled the place replacing it with a one level mansion of sorts with high end accents and a level floor running continuously throughout the house.  This is truly community in action, not Washington is distraction. 

Rick shuffles along jumping through beaureacratic hoop after hoop.  Of course, these hoops are local hoops, but still it seemsridiculous that a stroke survivor has to go through this.  He says, he has nobody who will take him in.  I didn't ask any questions after he made that statement to me, but I don't doubt it.  Word is that Rick never "wanted" to work.  He just wanted to drink coffee and smoke cigarettes and that's why he is where he is.

Regardless, it's a damned shame that you even witness this scene in America.  It doesn't really matter what the circumstances are at this point, and "how" he got to where he is.  The fact of the matter is that it's wrong for US to just leave him sitting there.  I hope that some member of the media will pick this up and do something about it.  At least call some attention to the situation and somebody put this 'man up' in peace for a minute.  Does he deserve it?  Has he earned it?  Is that really the question?  It's something called grace, and that's just what he needs. 

So, as the wheels of my Trek 1100 have burnt rubber for the time being on Athens, Rick is still there.  I'll get back around there eventually, and I hope by the next time I pay a visit to that town that somebody will have taken care of the situation whereas if I could I would.  Days on the square of Athens, might be one of the most pleasant of experiences, but for Rick, it's just another day at the office, and we all know how that can get to be.

For now, I will ride on to the next town.  We got a long way to go and a short time to get there, before November.  Somehow, and only by grace, I always end up finding a place to stay.  Maybe it's because I bathe regulary, and don't really look homeless so it gives me some sort of advantage over a shuffling stroke survivor, but I just know it's not right that he's still sitting there.  This is a call to the Community... not Washington.