After walking for almost an hour we crossed paths with Trey. He was sitting towards the outside perimeter of a park in a chair with his backpack on the wall behind him. Trey wore a Spurs basketball jersey, a pair of athletic shorts, tennis shoes, and a hat on his head. His face was kind and welcoming as we approached him. He told us he could spot us from a mile away, for he had talked with another school on a street retreat the day before.
Trey had been homeless for five years. He had gotten into a bad situation with his wife’s brother and said that the whole family turned his back against him. Trey told us that he takes responsibility for his actions; however, he made it clear that he wasn’t going to let his brother-in-law make him feel powerless. He stood up for himself, and it cost him.
I could feel the pain that Trey carried with him. He had been abandoned by his family, his kids rarely spoke with him and there was little contact with any of his other family members. Trey said he didn’t have many friends around him in his day-to-day life. He told us that many people just walk on by him on the streets. He expressed that sometimes the other homeless people in the area will pick on him and try to take his things from him. I knew that this added to the feeling of abandonment felt by the loss of his family, and now to be ignored by the hundreds of people that walk by every single day? Trey needed recognition, something that he deserved entirely.
Then, we met Michael Johnson, a friend of Trey. He rode up on a snazzy bike with a cart attached to the back of it, pulling his things along, while wearing a bright red Bulls basketball jersey, white shorts, and flip flops, along with a pair of glasses. Michael was very different from Trey. He was very lively and optimistic. He got so excited when he saw my shirt that read “St. Michael’s Lacrosse” on it, he made it clear that he and Trey would both be expecting a shirt in the future. Michael had been homeless since ‘85. However, Michael expressed that he has chosen to remain homeless for many years. Once again family was a big part of Michael’s life. However, unlike Trey, Michael had immense support from his family that he contacted very often. I felt as if this could sometimes upset Trey, for his relationships were completely different from those of Michael.
Michael was more of a “celebrity” than Trey, as they put it. Trey told us that he felt safer and more respected when Michael was sleeping next to him in the park. Michael said that he felt as if Trey was their protector, due to his large stature. Both of them had values in the other, they looked out for each other and provided a companionship. No matter what differences we had with them or they with us, at the end of the day, we were able to step over those barriers and create a connection.
Reflections on Trey →