Knitting & the City

What started as a week of avoidance & denial which manifested as watching movies or television non-stop turned into the same amount of watching but with the added productivity of knitting scarves.  I'm knitting scarves for homeless people and if you want to participate I'm sure it will be appreciated.  I have tons of yarn, extra needles and instructions so even if you have no supplies and no knitting skills don't rule yourself out of the fun.

I've only had one homeless friend and he resided in New Haven for a while before eventually moving to Florida where the weather is more accommodating.  I don't know if he ever made it there, but I keep hoping he's safe and happy.  His name is Sean, this is us in 1998:

My girlfriend and I were in a cafe in NH and saw him sitting at another table.  We asked him to join us and that started our friendship.  We went to visit him often and even took him camping at Webb Mountain.  I had a major crush on him, hehe.  One day we showed up at the usual spot and he was gone.  We knew of his plans for Florida and that one day he wouldn't be around, but it was a major bummer anyway.  I never got the full story of why he left home but some small details remain:  he was from Rhode Island, he had a job for a short while at Au Bon Pain, he was robbed one night while sleeping on a rooftop, he loved Jim Morrison.  He completely changed my idea of what a homeless person might be.  I never felt threatened, he never asked for anything, he was just a guy who I enjoyed spending time with.

After that I started becoming more aware of others in his situation.  I never made another friend who was homeless but would occasionally give away my lunch or any change I had.  Once I was talking to a kid named Solo after a concert at Toad's Place.  He and his dog lived on the streets in NH. While leaning towards him to tell him something his dog bit my thigh.  That was a night to remember!  Luckily the dog was healthy and I didn't need stitches, just a few hours in the emergency room and a prescription for antibiotics that I never took.  His dog was just protecting him and I was glad he had that kind of support.

Anyway, I'm knitting.  If you want to knit, need supplies, instructions, etc. you know where to email me.  If you want to donate finished goods to the cause you can send them to me at PO Box 1824, Naugatuck, CT 06770 and I will hand them out.  If you want to come with me to distribute these gifts I'll be doing so in a few weeks and I'd love the company.  Let me know & thanks :)