So I took a trip to Seattle to see He is We about a month ago. The show was wonderful, and absolutely perfect, and I got to meet Rachel Taylor.
However, I’m getting sidetracked.
The next day, I wanted to explore Seattle, because I had never done so before. I stopped at a parking lot, and was about to get out of my car, when I noticed out of the corner of my eye, someone glancing at my car.
I waited inside for a minute or two, when I finally looked at the kid, who appeared to be hunched over his backpack sleeping, with a few markers in his hand. I opened my door, and it startled him, as he jolted out of that position.
“Cool car,” he said, “Mind if I write something on it?” as he held out a Sharpie.
“No I don’t mind, but definitely use one of these,” and I tried to hand him one of the chalk markers in the back pocket of the car.
“That’s sick!” he said. “I’m Seth.”
I told him why I was up there in Seattle, and that I had been looking to explore the rest of the day that day. So I put the marker back, and we began to walk. And talk.
Seth had been homeless for a few years after making a couple wrong turns. But after being kicked out on the street at such a young age, who was there to guide? Who was there to support?
Meanwhile, he showed me place after place in all parts of Seattle. The Underground City. The pier. Pike’s Place. Pioneer Square. Fremont. The trolley. He took all this time out of his day to help me.
Yeah, you’re thinking, but as if he had anything better to do anyway.
That doesn’t matter. The fact of the matter is, he took time out of his day to show a stranger around town. We walked past Subway, and I was starving, so I asked him if he wanted something to eat. “Oh, man, no, you really don’t have to do that.” “Dude, I’d buy any of my other friend’s food. You’re a good guy. Of course I will.”
“You really don’t have to do that.”
Those words repeated in my mind. He didn’t want anything from this. He didn’t ask once for money. That wasn’t even on his mind.
What was on his mind?
Being a good person.
Saying thank you to everyone that he came across. Rushing ahead to hold doors open for others. Those things, seemed to be all that was on his mind.
I did tell him that I worked for a staffing company, and that I could help him with a job, but he said that someone had stolen his wallet about six months ago, and that had taken a toll on his
motivation to get his feet on the ground. And then it hit me.
It costs money to get a new ID. But to get money, you need a job. But to get a job, you need this ID. What is a person to do, other than to beg, or make money illegally? There is no help. There is no plan for them. There is no government-supplied foothold, nor is there a regard from anyone toward this dire need for one. The homeless need this comfort, the homeless need some sort of hope, and something to grasp onto. But there’s nothing.
As we rode on the trolley up to Capitol Hill, he opened up to me a bit more. “I don’t know why I ever took that first hit.”
That had been such a question on my mind. “I’m sorry?”
“I don’t know why I ever took that first hit. I knew it wouldn’t be good. But when you’re that depressed and someone tells you that this is a fix, you’re going to take it. And I took it. And it was a fix, until it wore off. And then you just need it more and more.”
He started to doze off again, like I had seen before. I realized that this kid probably hasn’t gotten much sleep recently, being that it’s been pretty chilly these past couple nights.
The trolley came to a stop, and it jolted him back to life again. As we walked and talked, we learned a bit more about each other, how we got to where we are now, and the people that meant the most to each of us.
After all this, this was a friend. This was a great friend, to whom I didn’t want to say goodbye.
We turned a corner, and I saw my car.
Jump back to the same instance where I was handing Seth a chalk marker, but four hours later. Four hours of becoming close friends, four hours of experiences, four hours of learning, empathy, and heart to hearts.
Four hours of friendship.
He wrote this on my rear-view mirror (we have an inside joke about RuPaul).
And then I suggested, “You should write your favorite quote.”
Without skipping a beat, he began writing.
“The path of the righteous man is beset on both sides by the inequities and tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who shepherds the sick and weak through the valley of darkness. For he is truly his brother’s keeper and finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
And then I really didn’t want to say goodbye.
I welcomed Seth into my car to drive him to the bus station. One last chat, one last drive. One last handshake, and he was off.
Seth. If you ever somehow get a phone, you have my number.
Until we meet again.
Don’t forget to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race.
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