Directions To Mercy Street

By One

A socioeconomic viewpoint from a street survivor, in the San Francisco North Bay, where the greatest amount of disparity between economic classes exists in America. Struggling to survive without shelter, we chronicle the continuing journey through homelessness. The issue is taken to the political level and the experience becomes written works as Fast Eddie still searches for mercy and home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398460003

One

The author is ‘One’ person of Earth

Book preview

About the Author

The author is ‘One’ person of Earth

Dedication

Dedicated to ‘The Lower Socioeconomic Class’.

Copyright Information ©

One 2022

The right of One to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398459984 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398459991 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781398460003 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge Victor Chirkan for the photos, Kim Pettineo, for the cover concept. I would also like to acknowledge Austin Macauley Publishers for giving me a chance to publish this book.

Introduction

From Oxford Dictionary, the definition of home.

The place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.

A late breaking sun on this Northern California mid-summer day. The fog’s persistence is no match for the San Francisco North Bay brilliant summer sunshine, breaking through with authority for the final stop around this amazingly beautiful Earth.

The ‘Children of the Sun’ are last but not for the least, as they welcome it the most. They know what they are getting is the best of all its splendid, spectacular beauty, especially as it slowly settles into the Pacific. It is why they are here, part of why they came, and why they plan to stay.

As no pen will ever be mighty enough to describe this region of earth. No writer’s descriptive excellence or breathtakingly brilliant prose can give it due justice! Even high-tech software is overwhelmed by the enormous beauty of the landscape and could never properly duplicate it. More testament, that humans must begin to understand, we should not have messed with our home, our earth. Because anything that only takes a few minutes of our relevant time to display its awesome infinite power, should garner much more respect.

As for this morning, the cold night’s dew is all that remains and not for long, as the sun is much hotter, as these are the days of climate change. Even with the obvious climate change issues, The San Francisco North Bay area is as strong as the people are. There is nothing that could conceal its undisputed beauty. With pleasant views in all directions, it has been globally disclosed, revealed to the rest of the world. The population continues to grow, around the tasty landscape of grape vineyards’ rolling hills, horse ranches, and scenic mountains.

The secret is out, been passed around, more lanes on the freeways, more condos, where that ranch or the dairy once were. For the store managers and construction workers, homes in the valley, the hills and mountain tops for the wealthy. Yes indeed, just another day in paradise but once again, not for everyone and that is what this story is about, everyone.

One of the major concerns for many who live here continues to be the cost of living. Specifically, prices for housing, but increases in gas spending, and food are also squeezing family budgets, not to mention clothing. For the unemployable, lower incomes, disabled and the working blue-collar person, it is a challenge. If they have enough to pay the rent, it leaves them broke and directs them to a dumpster.

With no direction home, only discussions, debates and mostly arguments among the wealthy concerning whose back yard does not want poor people anywhere near them. For the poor, it is more directions to the dumpster and without any mercy. As more brand-new luxury town houses, mansions on the hills and beautiful homes built in gated communities are constructed, without regard for lower or moderate housing, many are left out on the street.

The beauty here is only as deep as any person’s skin can be and that is what this story is about, one people. Not just the inhabitants of Santa Rosa, not just Sonoma County or even just, San Francisco’s North Bay but the entire human race. Since it is this region that has the highest and the lowest, regarding the monetary class, it presents a unique testing ground for socio economic studies. The accounts of instances, moments and human experiences that take place here are not exclusive to this region. However, for better understanding, experiencing extreme poverty, with the disparity among the highest level of decadence, maximises the challenge of understanding and coexisting. It raises a multitude of questions concerning American society and the entire human experience.

The important questions people need to answer. How people treat one another? Who dictates the directions to a whole society? Who teaches by example, how to behave amongst one another? What divides us, and why? Have we collectively lost home? Does the entire human experience need to find a metaphorical address on Mercy Street, to restore hope and faith in our future preservation and find directions home for all of humanity?

Chapter 1

No Direction Home

Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of god. Aeschylus.

On Santa Rosa Avenue, a man with a backpack is resting on the side of the road; he is drinking water. He has been walking in the heat and is dehydrated. He is determined, this new day, to make his inspiring dream a reality. For him, every new day will provide him with the opportunity to get closer to his goal. A man who believes humans are on the verge of extinction. He can see through the lies, as he follows the money, he knows who his enemy is. He feels a sense of urgency, and he does his best to conceal it. He is learning more about patience, regarding everything. He tries to live up to what a man once called him ‘The Saint of Santa Rosa Avenue’ for returning a wallet.

He wants home, and he searches, but there are no directions to find. He feels the entire human experience has lost home, been directed to a dumpster. He knows the time is at hand but must be patient and resolved with his convictions, his purpose, and his ultimate solution. The directions, he was given, gave him no indication of where his destination was going to be until he arrived. Humanity is still unaware of the bad directions they have been getting and the destination that awaits. They have believed in their leaders, but their leaders have given in to greed and sold them out, to corporate lobbyists, a long time ago.

As he walks, he is listening to the music playing on his phone, pumped through his headset Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan. The man sings along with the chorus, it’s the recently first-time published author of Directions to the Dumpster, ‘Fast Eddie’. He had a manuscript become, what he thinks is, an important, socially significant published work. His home continues to be an elusive mirage, as he has been trying to promote his book, without any relative success and no directions to follow. He continues to survive without shelter on the street.

Since society’s violent failure, the near fatal attack on the Greyhound bus that was eight months ago, he has been understandably overwhelmed. He has accomplished a great deal and recovered from the physical wounds. He is trying his best to deal with new and evolving psychological challenges that society has also failed to take any responsibility for.

He wrote and published a novel. He has a new plan or idea for the solutions he needs to find, every day. He never gives up, never backs down, and he walks the talk. Self admittedly, he is a rolling stone. Although he has not gathered moss, he has accumulated an enormous number of issues. As he says, I have a plethora of issues. He hides them away, with his other ‘Atlas Syndrome’ concerns and sings along Like a Rolling Stone. ‘Fast Eddie’, he is like a rolling stone but with all that grief, the relentless darkness, bestows on him. In the bright and beautiful light of love, he remains resolved. Life is not how he planned it, nor did he choose it. The journey that is the development of a purpose is costly. Nonetheless, only the wisdom gained is the true priceless glory of greatness. Known only to himself, like everyone, is the eternal, real persona. The divine truth made knowledgeable to us, through a conscience. Choosing honesty, has gained him infinite wisdom and understanding regarding balance, especially between good and evil. For Eddie, it has been a humbling experience, but he feels he has been rewarded by it, and he is grateful.

His biggest disappointment is not being able to have a pulpit, venue or place to share his work for others to read. He hopes they might become enlightened to a better way, for the betterment of all of humanity. As the experience of one person of one people of one earth, all with an equal right to protest and protect through representation, their home.

Returning to the street, to the dumpster, surviving without shelter, has only gotten worse, for him personally and for the other ‘Invisible Americans’. That is the term Eddie has begun to use regarding the situation he and over one million other Americans are in. The number of Homeless people has doubled, the streets are filled with unsheltered people. At any grocery store, the homeless people can be seen inside garbage dumpsters. They hand food over the top to the waiting hands of other’s who survive without shelter. These are the ‘American Invisible People’.

This is capitalism’s destruction of humanity and nature on display, every day at any grocery store. As stores keep shelves stocked to be competitive, produce expires, and nature is wasted. Without regard, they fill the dumpster with food they knew would not be eaten when it was first placed on a shelf. People surviving on the street then dine out at the garbage receptacles over spilling with sustenance. Destroyed human beings, because they are hungry, and the dumpster is the only place where they can find food to survive.

They are invisible because they are the side effects of capitalism. The socio-economic results of capitalism create a social environment of economic class discrimination that far exceeds racism. Most importantly, they are not protected, have no rights, and therefore cannot seek justice. They are excluded from the list of groups afforded civil rights in The United States of America. For more accurate statistics, follow the money. Get the facts, not the colour, unless it is green, the colour of money, it does not matter, only Green Lives Matter, none other. The facts are clear, break it down by economic class and the picture is perfect; this is capitalism, always following the money.

Wealth has increased even more for the wealthy. Many of whom feel, wrongfully, that the people on the street choose to be there. They drive around everywhere in their expensive, environmentally controlled vehicles, spewing out toxic smoke and carbon emissions, contributing to climate change just for fun. From their mouth, just as toxic, lines drawn, battle cry for separation, without solution and without justice.

With an ignorant, uneducated, and completely preconceived notion, regarding people surviving unsheltered. At the same time, they accuse the homeless of always leaving a mess, while they are dumping their garbage at homeless camps. The wealthy make purchases without regarding price. The storekeepers continue to raise the price. As the wealthy pay, the items become luxuries to the poor. The disparity is frightening and the understanding or any willingness to coexist is hard to find.

Eddie has been working as hard as he can with Homeless Action. By contacting county and city officials, regarding homelessness, as well as promoting his book. He has written over one thousand press releases. Through phone calls and e-mails, he contacts the media, trying to promote Directions to the Dumpster. He walks; after several more bicycle thefts, he does not want another. In order to manage his time better, he makes phone calls as he walks on Santa Rosa Avenue.

He contacts the local public major media repeatedly. At KQED, they answer, Hello, KQED, newsroom.

Eddie always begins with pleasantries. Hi, how are you all doing there at KQED? He waits for a moment and hears no response. He tries again, Hi, is everyone okay? Can you hear me?

KQED, Yes, we are here. What can I do for you?

Eddie begins his pitch. "Yes, my name is Eddie Campagnola; I am promoting an important literary work Directions to the Dumpster."

KQED, What do you want?

Eddie, thinking, Don’t they know? I want their help promoting it, like with a story? He replies, It’s an important socially significant literary work. Can you do a feature story on it?

KQED, No! Why don’t you listen to our shows and call in and they might let you comment on the topic?

Eddie snapped back, Why do you insult me like that? This is an important literary work. He hears nothing and says, Hello, anyone there?

Without a reply, he looks down at his phone. The screen is black, and he does not know if it is his phone or if they hung up on him. His resources, if any, like the ‘Obama Phone’ cell phones, are subpar; using them is frustrating. To complain, falls on deaf ears, like so many other homeless issues. Eddie is being schooled by the media; the homeless, it is becoming increasingly obvious to Eddie, are invisible to everyone else, especially the media. The frustration is resulting in reactions that he would admit he was not proud of but would justify.

Worse than that, the media has taken sides. In the newspapers, every homeless news story he reads, has opinionated comments from everyone, except the homeless. He wonders, How is there no comment from a representative of the topics’ main subject matter? In one instance, at a homeless camp, about to be undergoing an unannounced moving day, a camera person for the Press Democrat, stuck their camera inside a tent and took photos. At the following Homeless Action meeting, Eddie enquired from the group, Was the photographer held accountable for their inappropriate action?

He was shocked when they responded in unison, They ran the picture!

Eddie has been active with Homeless Action, attending events, hearings, actions and demonstrations. He also, volunteers and conducts a continuous search for committing random acts of kindness. He has no matter of time management. He is unable to create a schedule, personally and professionally. His inability to attend and maintain a calendar is something he wants to overcome, desperately. He cannot achieve this because he is overwhelmed, has no resources and he is down and out. Like the song goes, nobody knows you when you are down and out, which means he has no help.

Without love and support, resources or help to do anything, the only thing he can do is write. He uses his time at the library computer promoting Directions to the Dumpster but is enjoying his other writing. Between writing posts on social media and press releases to major media, he is writing another book. He wants to title it Directions Home. Unfortunately, the only directions he continues to receive are directions to the dumpster.

On this mid-summer day, the rumours of removing the people camped along the downtown path became a reality. Eddie is reminded, once again, beauty is only skin-deep. Removing unsheltered people from a dwelling is an ugly display of humanity. As he heads down the path to talk with people and ask about the recent police activity, the authorities, at the request of politicians and against their will, must participate.

The removal is often referred to as ‘a sweep’. The metaphor used, is the same meaning as