look homeward angels

August 29,2009
It was my last day in this city. I spent it as I have so many others. Hanging out at the park down town. Today I brought my camera along and took a photo of each of the places I go in a day. I'll add some of them to the gallery tomorrow night. Said goodbye to many new friends, but I will have to get accustomed to such things. There are many more cities before this journey ends and I am bound to form attachments in each of them.
It was very hot here today, the Popsicle we had for snack has given me a canchar sore on my tongue. I continued to eat it anyway... I'm gonna regret that decision lol. But the heat did give me a chance to do something I have wanted to do all summer. I went wading in the city hall fountain. I have a photo of that, which I will also post.
Tomorrow morning I am on a Greyhound back to Calgary to visit my family for a month. And yes, homeless people do visit family. Whenever one of my boys left the Calgary D.I. to go home for a visit, I always secretly hoped they would stay there. Calgary may have been a boom town but the cost of living ate up any gains from the higher wages.
And while I am on the subject of things homeless people do, most have cellphones; usually pay-as-you go, it is hard to get a contract with no fixed address. A lot have laptops and just as many have dvd players. Now remember I differentiate between street people and homeless. Street people use what money they have to feed their addictions (druggies & drunks) and the drop-outs stopped caring about material shit long ago, which is why they dropped out. The Homeless may not have much money but they can afford a few of the niceties we all enjoy. In a way I guess it reminds them that they will have a home again and keeps them anchored in the concept of belonging to civilized society.
So yes, I will be home for a month... I will wrap up some business. Hangout with my kids and several friends. Welcome a new baby. Prepare for the next leg of my journey. Most importantly, see about registering Angels of the Road as a charity; for the benefit of those 950 people following my journey who don't actually know me. Those who do know me, do not need legal assurance that every penny donated would be used for the project and anything left will be passed on to an appropriate charity. That is just who I am. It's a Buddhist thing, karma and all that. LOL