New Amazon Review

4 out of 5 stars ~ Touching story
By
John F on September 9, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition

This one is a heart-warming series of exchanges with people living or begging on the streets. Though the story seems like a fictional account, it is really quite factual in nature. The author has changed the names of people and places in order to protect their identity; otherwise the book is about real people with real problems like poverty, homelessness and unemployment.

“Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People” is a true story of a man who showed kindness and compassion to others and in the process found meaning in his own life and actions. The writer takes us along on his journey as he walks along the streets to work, helps out in a kitchen for the homeless and makes an effort to talk to those he comes in contact with. What impressed me was how objectively the book is written when it was easy to either judge the people the author met or just dismiss them as not his problem. It also opened my eyes to how much we take for granted when thousands of people across the world live in abject poverty and inhuman conditions. Worth a read.

Doctor Appointment – 8 September 2014

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8 September 2014

Hi Dennis, I saw the most amazing thing on Sunday. They moved an entire section of the bridge into place at 9:00 a.m. It was open for traffic at 11:00 a.m. They had graders, front end loaders and water trucks to  get the site ready. It looked at times like they were going to run into each other, but the operation was just like clockwork. The bridge section, that had been constructed nearby was put on rollers and over two hours it was slowly moved into place.

“I phoned my doctor’s office to make an appointment to get the requisition for my blood tests. The receptionist said, ‘The earliest I can get you in is Friday.’ I said, ‘That’s not good enough. I need to see the doctor today. He knows about my heart condition and I’m to take top priority.’ She said, ‘Nobody takes top priority. You’ll wait your turn like everybody else.’ I asked to speak with the doctor. He said, ‘come down this afternoon. We’ll make room for you.’

“My lady friend came with me for my blood test. The receptionist is a crusty old bitch. She asked, ‘Why is this person here?’ I said, ‘It’s none of your god damned business. She’s with me.’ The doctor heard the ruckus and came out. He said, ‘What’s the trouble here?’ I said, ‘Your receptionist is prying into my personal affairs and I won’t have it. Who I have with me is none of her concern.’ The doctor said, ‘I agree with that. Let’s get your blood test done and you can get out of here.’ Before I left I said to the receptionist, ‘Keep your fuckin’ nose out of other people’s business.’ She didn’t know what to say to that.

‘Apart from that the weekend was as usual. I came downtown on Saturday to have coffee with my friends. I bought a few groceries on my way home, then had a nap.

“This morning I forget to take my heart pills. I hope nothing happens because of that. I don’t know what happened that caused me to forget them. I guess, as long as I stay calm, nothing much can go wrong. If it does, my family knows what I want done. I don’t want any kind of church service like they arranged for Sparky. I want to be cremated and for everybody to have a drink and remember how I was. Nothing more, no grave stone, nothing.

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