A Successful Mission

The mission to the Old Town abyss was successful.

How many Oregonians did it take to procure an ID for one Oregon homeless man? The ID he must have in order to qualify for housing?

Four. Matt, Mark, Jacob and Kate. It took three hours and two cars. It took the Doors' playing “LA Woman” and an apple turnover. It didn't require me to go full on Rockford but I had brought along the blazer in case the ruse was necessary.

I'll spare the reader what I observed in the abyss. I've written about it before but can't write about it anymore. To think that highly paid advocates for the homeless want to preserve the status quo is insane and inhumane. What you see down there will shatter your heart as an American like a crystal punch bowl dropped into an acid vat.

Mark didn't wear the Western shirt. So be it. That was a writer's conceit and it embarrass me in the aftermath of our success. I always have to remind myself: get out of the way of this story; lives are at stake and those lives don't need costumes for a better story.

Kate made the crucial difference in our mission. She was born to do this kind of work.

We celebrated at a pub in the neighborhood with a big lunch and IPAs. We pulled it off. Mark met us more than half the way. He reciprocated our effort and thanked me and Kate over and over. We held out the hand and he grasped it.

Onward. Housing next. Can we do it together?