A brick red envelope pinned into our community wine cork bulletin board accosted my attention. On it was a stamp with a dizzy fingerpaint yellow-beige-blue cacophony by Joan Mitchell. My address had already changed a dozen times but like a revolving door I was glad to be back inside Chicago finding heat. It said,
11/20/2010
Dear Chris,
Hello! How are things going in Chicago? How is the peace mission these days? We are well & healthy in Portland, enjoying the rain. Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving…D & M
Inspired, here are notes I took after a morning volunteering at the Portland Downtown Chapel where I first met M and later D.
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Today I worked the host position. The job means that I welcome the guests upstairs, offering the friendly face that we hope to make them feel at home. Flanked by Keya and Mary at the doorway, we welcomed over sixty guests today. One of them was Gail, dressed like an Eskimo with a long red jacket that had a hood of fur. She sparkled when she learned that I am a Jesuit [was], exclaiming that she knew Fred Mercy ever since she was nineteen. It was left unsaid that time was ages ago.
I would later ask her how she prayed. Immediately she through her hands in the air, leaned backward in her chair and looked up at heaven. Like Hannah, she prayed but as her mouth moved, I heard no words. She translated the message to God she had sent, a call to Grandfather, lord Jesus God. Her grandmother had taught her to pray by entering prayer in faith. “If I don’t begin in faith, it isn’t prayer” she said.
A nurse
In training, serving food she commented on a man’s hat. 10 minutes later he returns to her wearing a different hat. “Do you like this hat” she agrees agreeably. He gives her the first hat. She doesn’t want to make him feel based. He gives her a hug and kisses her cheek. But its okay, “I’m emotional” she began. It touched her deeply.
Chase
Interrupting me as a I announced names. “Am I on the list?” I ignore him (he wanted attention). He ignores my handshake when I call him.
Chris Harris
Remembers my name. Sticks with Ida on way out.
John
“Tomorrow’s level 13.” He has a chef’s accreditation to pass. I wish him luck and he says he hopes he has learned something over the years. Remarks in the sharing round: “I tell it was people, people were probably happy from not having service yesterday except shots. People ate alots,” he explains.
Andy
Sick, missed yesterday bc of it. Went to 2-mo. check up w/ son James. He takes a pass on sharing but said he’s glad to hear.
Jack
He and I speak in foreign languages, he in Italian to my Spanish. Tuesday volunteer. Played guitar with Andrew. Visits with Kristy, a returning volunteer from last year.
Fred asked for a cane today to aid his back trouble.
Julie had swollen shoulders from five shots she received yesterday. The advice another gave her was to ICE it.
Ibrahim
“Salaam Aleekum”
Only see him again once, handing a bag to the man I visit with today. “Here, you want this?”
Janice went to the doctor this morning.
Keya
Probably neither Indian nor Nepalese, but has polished oak skin, with tracing of silver in roots of her crows peak, a body of what they call ‘fine features’ and delicate fingers. She said nothing in reflection because: “I had nothing insightful to say.” A Tuesday volunteer.
Kristy
Returning volunteer from last year, connects with Jack. “I’m happy” [she] brought Joevin, who will head to boot camp in two weeks.
Mary
“I have a good memory” she says, admitting its okay I forgot her name. but she remembered mine.
Michael
wore a green nurse uniform retired from OHSU, and fatigues. The pants matched the camo of his doobie—night cap. Dark shades masked his eyes, but he seemed to speak with a smile of such radiance that his thoughts had the meaning of delight, whatever the incoherent association he made. For instance, he referred to “the wood,” but enigmatically signaled to something more: “W-O-O-D, take away the O.”
As I listened to him speak about knowledge, Daniel, Adam and Eve, “the war, the same war,” and a tree in the wood, the threads of thought weaved a rug of a mind trodden, frayed from life ruin, all a hole from the riddle of some mind-a-sorrow.
Theories according to Michael included the theorem of the roots. All coming from the great tree, they mingle the soil intertwining with other roots.
The theorem of the nonsense: a situation of the land before God’s teaching informed the dwellers.
The theorem of man: In his cosmology, the man must be named a she. Only what is God may be understood as he.
Theorem of the angel: it known as an angel has first led the world astray as a devil. Since it has past the stage of demonic force, it knows the strategy of the devil and can defeat it.
Nick
Left a plate of food to make a call to the bishop. When I looked the # up in the phone book he balked. Said he thought I would have a direct line
Norm Armstrong
Reeks. Asks for deodorant.
Oatmeal man
Full of cocoa and cookies, the oatmeal the man gives me a bite of ...
Perry
He said that hanging out around me he has wanted to thank me for so humbly taking on the way we do things.
He spoke of enjoying floating today, as long as it was around the elevator.
Thomas
He told me about needing a doctor yesterday. He has learned that he has a heart murmur since an incident in the Fall. At a routine visit, the doctor ordered an ambulance. He had to stay in the hospital “only” two days. In the future he may need a pacemaker.
I’ve been invited to lunch.
Thomas told me last week about the death of his puppy dog, well, she ran away. Two years ago, he said.
Int__stingly, he claimed that he never took medication in his life, owning kinship with Christian Scientism.
Woman
with Cry the Beloved Country
She said that last night she gave it to another woman at the shelter, who wanted to read it.
Joe Blake
Laundry voucher today
Gail
She knows Fred Mercy from the time she was 19. That would be quite a long time ago. She told of the time when she was the only woman that he would allow upstairs at Blanchet House. It was an exception so she could accompany her husband.
Speaking of the distances her people were accustomed to in the country of Alaska, she compared the proximity of a friend living fifteen miles away, to “putting on the machine for two minutes and arriving.” It would seem as close as walking three blocks to 3rd street.
Maria
A nurse in training in carol’s group, went up to man in a corner who retreats from the group socialization, opens him up. She told me some of the migrant camps in Hillsboro.
Ida
Leaves with Chris Harris today.
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