definitely in for a treat we have a really special man here who has touched
really special man here who has touched
really special man here who has touched the lives of thousands of San
the lives of thousands of San
the lives of thousands of San Franciscans
Franciscans
Franciscans and tourists alike so the first question
and tourists alike so the first question
and tourists alike so the first question I have for you today is tell us a little
I have for you today is tell us a little
I have for you today is tell us a little bit about your life from the 1980s
bit about your life from the 1980s
bit about your life from the 1980s through the year to 2010 well what I’ve
through the year to 2010 well what I’ve
through the year to 2010 well what I’ve been here in the city on figures and my
been here in the city on figures and my
been here in the city on figures and my whole life was about it’s been where the
whole life was about it’s been where the
whole life was about it’s been where the action is so if you’ve walked between
action is so if you’ve walked between
action is so if you’ve walked between Alma new Montgomery between 1980 and
Alma new Montgomery between 1980 and
Alma new Montgomery between 1980 and 2010 then you probably walk by my office
2010 then you probably walk by my office
2010 then you probably walk by my office although my office was on the street but
although my office was on the street but
although my office was on the street but I’m here to explain that homelessness is
I’m here to explain that homelessness is
I’m here to explain that homelessness is not identity it’s an experience that’s
not identity it’s an experience that’s
not identity it’s an experience that’s big that’s big thank you
big that’s big thank you
big that’s big thank you so tell us a bit about how you ended up
so tell us a bit about how you ended up
so tell us a bit about how you ended up on the streets
on the streets
on the streets what happened well before I was a
what happened well before I was a
what happened well before I was a musician I had a good job as a
musician I had a good job as a
musician I had a good job as a journeyman painter and also had a family
journeyman painter and also had a family
journeyman painter and also had a family bruh due to severe trauma substance
bruh due to severe trauma substance
bruh due to severe trauma substance abuses and health issues that were not
abuses and health issues that were not
abuses and health issues that were not properly addressed my life began to
properly addressed my life began to
properly addressed my life began to spiral down which many other homeless
spiral down which many other homeless
spiral down which many other homeless have these same experiences so yes what
have these same experiences so yes what
have these same experiences so yes what was it like on the streets for people
was it like on the streets for people
was it like on the streets for people well being on the streets being homeless
well being on the streets being homeless
well being on the streets being homeless can be very painful and very lonely
can be very painful and very lonely
can be very painful and very lonely that’s basically what I get it’s for the
that’s basically what I get it’s for the
that’s basically what I get it’s for the overwhelming consensus is that that is
overwhelming consensus is that that is
overwhelming consensus is that that is the main case is people get disconnected
the main case is people get disconnected
the main case is people get disconnected get alienated yeah you said something
get alienated yeah you said something
get alienated yeah you said something about the day to day just waking up oh
about the day to day just waking up oh
about the day to day just waking up oh yeah that people someone to that
yeah that people someone to that
yeah that people someone to that homeless people they will have the
homeless people they will have the
homeless people they will have the attitude and the view is that just the
attitude and the view is that just the
attitude and the view is that just the wake up is just another day to die so
wake up is just another day to die so
wake up is just another day to die so that really impacted me that a lot of
that really impacted me that a lot of
that really impacted me that a lot of people see the homeless as a category
people see the homeless as a category
people see the homeless as a category not as real people and some homeless
not as real people and some homeless
not as real people and some homeless feel that they are considered you know
feel that they are considered you know
feel that they are considered you know invisible you wrote a song called
invisible you wrote a song called
invisible you wrote a song called peekaboo that you performed earlier this
peekaboo that you performed earlier this
peekaboo that you performed earlier this great song right 40 years ago you
great song right 40 years ago you
great song right 40 years ago you composed that song and played it for the
composed that song and played it for the
composed that song and played it for the first time tonight tell us a little bit
first time tonight tell us a little bit
first time tonight tell us a little bit about the lyrics cuz the lyrics are
about the lyrics cuz the lyrics are
about the lyrics cuz the lyrics are interesting yes I wrote this song about
interesting yes I wrote this song about
interesting yes I wrote this song about 40 years ago I wrote it first for my
40 years ago I wrote it first for my
40 years ago I wrote it first for my daughter but it’s amazing that I had no
daughter but it’s amazing that I had no
daughter but it’s amazing that I had no idea that it would foreshadow some of
idea that it would foreshadow some of
idea that it would foreshadow some of the homeless experiences but it is
the homeless experiences but it is
the homeless experiences but it is peek-a-boo I see you peeping around the
peek-a-boo I see you peeping around the
peek-a-boo I see you peeping around the bin where have you really been because
bin where have you really been because
bin where have you really been because we’ve been watching you and we see
we’ve been watching you and we see
we’ve been watching you and we see everything you do so peekaboo that was
everything you do so peekaboo that was
everything you do so peekaboo that was that’s the first first yes so we may not
that’s the first first yes so we may not
that’s the first first yes so we may not see the homeless day-to-day but you see
see the homeless day-to-day but you see
see the homeless day-to-day but you see us yes exactly so what changed well what
us yes exactly so what changed well what
us yes exactly so what changed well what changed you were on the street what
changed you were on the street what
changed you were on the street what changed in terms of well it’s like I had
changed in terms of well it’s like I had
changed in terms of well it’s like I had a Eureka moment to where I thought well
a Eureka moment to where I thought well
a Eureka moment to where I thought well in order to survive on the streets and
in order to survive on the streets and
in order to survive on the streets and also to try to connect again is that I
also to try to connect again is that I
also to try to connect again is that I would go where the action is again in
would go where the action is again in
would go where the action is again in middle of the financial district and in
middle of the financial district and in
middle of the financial district and in the middle of new Montgomery Street and
the middle of new Montgomery Street and
the middle of new Montgomery Street and that’s where I showed up every day and
that’s where I showed up every day and
that’s where I showed up every day and which I ended up calling it the office
which I ended up calling it the office
which I ended up calling it the office in you had office hours right pardon
in you had office hours right pardon
in you had office hours right pardon you had office hours yes I did I
you had office hours yes I did I
you had office hours yes I did I understood and and that people when they
understood and and that people when they
understood and and that people when they first go to work it’s like oh I don’t
first go to work it’s like oh I don’t
first go to work it’s like oh I don’t you know I’m trying to focus to go to
you know I’m trying to focus to go to
you know I’m trying to focus to go to work you know and I like to connect with
work you know and I like to connect with
work you know and I like to connect with people in a two-way conversation so in
people in a two-way conversation so in
people in a two-way conversation so in doing lunch everybody’s got to get to
doing lunch everybody’s got to get to
doing lunch everybody’s got to get to lunch and go back to work
lunch and go back to work
lunch and go back to work so my office hours was like 4:30 to 6:00
so my office hours was like 4:30 to 6:00
so my office hours was like 4:30 to 6:00 that’s where that’s when everybody gets
that’s where that’s when everybody gets
that’s where that’s when everybody gets off work you’re happy you’re going home
off work you’re happy you’re going home
off work you’re happy you’re going home so you able to pause – in order for us
so you able to pause – in order for us
so you able to pause – in order for us to have a two-way conversation in order
to have a two-way conversation in order
to have a two-way conversation in order to engage and eventually those two-way
to engage and eventually those two-way
to engage and eventually those two-way conversations became real relationships
conversations became real relationships
conversations became real relationships yes and helped get you off the street
yes and helped get you off the street
yes and helped get you off the street yes that was that was the thing on new
yes that was that was the thing on new
yes that was that was the thing on new Montgomery and the time I was there over
Montgomery and the time I was there over
Montgomery and the time I was there over 20 years is that I built some really
20 years is that I built some really
20 years is that I built some really special relationships and together we
special relationships and together we
special relationships and together we worked in order to keep me off the
worked in order to keep me off the
worked in order to keep me off the street and also form some really good
street and also form some really good
street and also form some really good health insurance and just just being
health insurance and just just being
health insurance and just just being able to take care of myself it was very
able to take care of myself it was very
able to take care of myself it was very important and you’ve been clean and
important and you’ve been clean and
important and you’ve been clean and sober for how long yes I’ve been clean
sober for how long yes I’ve been clean
sober for how long yes I’ve been clean and sober for four years now
and sober for four years now
and sober for four years now [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
I also I also work as a house manager at
I also I also work as a house manager at a clean and sober house and I deal with
a clean and sober house and I deal with
a clean and sober house and I deal with homeless I’m a homeless advocate I deal
homeless I’m a homeless advocate I deal
homeless I’m a homeless advocate I deal with addicted and like I said I’d do
with addicted and like I said I’d do
with addicted and like I said I’d do that every day and I know how much they
that every day and I know how much they
that every day and I know how much they need our empathy our communication and
need our empathy our communication and
need our empathy our communication and I’ll support I know this thank you
I’ll support I know this thank you
I’ll support I know this thank you mm-hmm so please let’s think Moses for
mm-hmm so please let’s think Moses for
mm-hmm so please let’s think Moses for sharing a bit of his soul with us
sharing a bit of his soul with us
sharing a bit of his soul with us [Music]
”
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