Chris

Chris was a former regular a number of years ago. He stopped participating because he didn't like coming to the park. We also disagreed on the way certain things were being done. Even so, that didn't stop him from encouraging people he knew to begin to volunteer helping out with me at the park. Over time during conversations we had at the library, we'd become better friends.

Earlier this year, a mutual acquaintance had made the observation that Chris appeared to have given and had let himself go. He'd put on some serious weight, but claimed to be doing OK. I took him at his word.

I was stunned to hear that Chris passed away earlier this week. Apparently he'd required surgery for a hernia, but complications set in and the extended time under anesthesia sent Chris into a coma for almost two weeks. During that time he suffered two heart attacks and the doctors were able to revive him. However, he suffered a third heart attack this past Monday which proved fatal.

Chris wasn't the first and I expect that he won't be the last person I've encountered on the street to pass on, but this one feels different for reasons I have yet to identify.

Ritchie

We serve dinner weekly in a public park in Pasadena. There are people on the street who spend most of their time there. While they tend to come and go, I do know a few who've slept in the park for years. The point is that it didn't seem like much of a big deal when someone new recently began sleeping near the tables where we serve dinner. The first time I met her (I'll call her "Ritchie") she started screaming at me about my serving dinner, a series of F-bombs liberally strewn throughout the tirade, before she abruptly walked out of the park leaving her stuff there on the grass. While we seldom experience behavior like that, I really didn't give it much thought; I've learned not to use a single incident to form expectations of peoples' behavior, though to be fair, I didn't have much expectation of making any sort of real connection.

The following week, I noticed that a gentleman stood up when a woman approached the table where he was sitting. Ritchie happened to be within earshot when I commented on his chivalrous behavior and he said he'd been taught to stand in the presence of a lady. Ritchie asked what was the difference between a woman and a lady. I don't recall exactly how I answered, but it was something to effect of it being a combination of behavior and self respect.

This week, when I pulled up to park, Ritchie approached my car and asked if she could help carry stuff from my car to the picnic tables. After dinner was over and everyone else had left, she asked if I needed help carrying things back to the car. I told her it wasn't necessary and I suggested that she sit down and enjoy the cool breeze and relax for a bit.

We talked for about fifteen minutes. She's overheard me mention the possibility of getting referrals from the mother of two of my music students and asked me about that, and we talked about music for a bit. Apparently she likes to take songs and remix them with a techno rhythm track. She likes rock, wasn't so crazy about country music, but was beginning to appreciate it. I also found out that she was from West Virginia but her grandmother was from Tennessee.

Sometimes, you just never know.