Sunday, June 27, 2010

Stigma

There will always be a stigma in the minds of the unenlightened about homeless people.
I just painfully watched an episode of "Seinfeld" which cast a dark shadow on the stereotypical homeless guys in New York City.
Yes, it was somewhat humorous but it still irked my inner soul.
I endured all of the pangs one must encounter when trying to survive and overcome the factors which led to my bout with homelessness.
I encountered a skunk in my tent.
But I tried to display a sense of humor and nicknamed him Pepe LePew.
I spent 107 days incarcerated for something I didn't do but I was the prime suspect because I was that homeless guy.
Again I tried to cope by writing a tongue-in-cheek column and wrote with some sense of humor.
No, it wasn't a fun time in the Washington County Detention Center but I bonded with some dudes and made some friends for life who I will probably never see again.
That's the key to life, handling adversity with grace under pressure. That's the phrase that Ernest Hemingway penned to earmark and distinguish true American heroes.
You can either be a zero or a hero.
Now that I'm blessed with a new lease on life I'm dealing with a new agenda of adversity.
The communication gap between me and the Hispanics took on a very awkward moment yesterday when a potential new tenant walked into my office and desired information.
I processed her credit and criminal background check and received favorable news.
But I had no interpreter available so I went to my translator gizmo and handed her the message in Spanish.
I guess I need to take a course in Spanish to cope less forlornly.
It's a stigma to overcome.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Oxymoron

One of my favorite pastimes is trying to solve crossword puzzles.
Today's theme was oxymorons.
I found it humorous that it's oxymoronic to work at your home office.
For me it's my job and my home.
So I guess I'm an oxymoron.
Another humorous one "Good grief" from the mouth of Charlie Brown.
And another interesting one was "Pretty ugly."
Sometimes we blurt out oxymorons and don't realize it.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Teamwork

When you're down and confused and just don't know where to turn, sometimes it helps to swallow your pride and seek help from someone else on your team.
Yes, I may have a college degree and think I know it all.
But I'm a neophyte bookkeeper who doesn't have a great deal of knowledge in all of the finer points of balancing my books.
So I turned to the expert of all experts and she helped me.
I was blessed today to see her on the elevator at our corporate headquarters.
I thanked her for her support in the past and put in a good word for her with my boss.
She reiterated that my boss was a good man to work for.
So when I got back to my little cubby hole of an office I just relied on her skills and she pulled me out of a mini-jam.
She's an auditor with a conscience and a heart.
I praise the lords of teamwork.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Vuvuzelas

I've never been much of a soccer fan.
But the most annoying aspect of the World Cup has been the incessant blaring of the vuvuzelas.
And then the Florida Marlins handed out 15,000 of those ridiculous noise makers, not instruments, and according to Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon, "There's cool things and there's very uncool things. That's a noncool thing."
It's cool to enjoy great music, i.e. "Stairway to Heaven."
But it's uncool to try and duplicate the World Cup atmosphere at a major league baseball game.
Send the vuvuzelas back to Africa.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Free Agents?!

While watching the boob tube I ruminated about the term free agent.
When I was a young lad and an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan I felt chagrin when the Cardinals traded Curt Flood.
He reneged and took his case all the way to the Supreme Court.
He rebelled about being traded and declared that he was not a slave.
His case opened up the Pandora's box.
In my heyday of baseball fandom players belonged loyal to their home team.
They didn't pander themselves to the highest bidder.
So free agency is an oxymoron.
No one is free.
You pay big bucks to watch them play.
We used to attend St. Louis Cardinals baseball games and the ticket price was affordable.
I remember when I went to see the Fabulous Thunderbirds, ZZ Top and the Rolling Stones in the Cotton Bowl and we only paid $25 for the tickets.
Oh, the good ole days.
Where did they go?

Friday, June 18, 2010

Nice guys finish with class

Whenever adversity confronts us we must respond with class.
Character distinguishes the wannabes and the true gentlemen.
I was aghast when I watched the USA soccer team rally from a 2-0 deficit and tie and then be cheated out of a game-winning scenario.
We had two men being held and a third kick in the goal.
Nope. Some dopehead Dutchman official was blind or prejudiced or just dumbfounded.
He blew it and should be banned from ever calling a World Cup game.
It reminded me of the Arkansas-Florida football game.
Those officials were banned for a month.
This guy, whoever he thinks he is, should be banned for life.
So, I was proud of our Americanism when they interviewed him and he said it was the buffoon's (my language not his) first game and maybe he got caught up in the spectacle of it all.
Nevertheless, the officials at the World Cup need to review their policies and reprimand this malfeasance and tell the bozo to go back to wherever he heralds from and never come back again, don't pass go and go to Hades.
He's a poor excuse for an official.
Nice Guys Finish With Class!
But this is not a nice guy performance.
It's a disgrace to see prejudice on the part of such a hallowed gathering of the world's elite soccer performers.

Failure to communicate

So who said, "What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate" in the 1967 film "Cool Hand Luke"?
Punctuation wise I may be incorrect, but the answer is Strother Martin, The Captain, the imperious prison warden.
Luke, the reprobate inmate portrayed by Paul Newman later remarked, "What we've got here is a failure to communicate."
That famous line describes my frustration in not being able to communicate with some of my tenants who only speak Espanol.
Indeed, one of them skipped out and moved without paying rent.
And another one is playing dodge.
Now I've got to communicate my frustration to him.
So I'm going to seek a translation aid and let him know in no uncertain terms that he must pay to play (figure of speech) or extricate himself from his humble abode.
He's awaiting approval to move into a house.
But he keeps telling me through his church friends that he's moving to a Lindsey-owned house.
I don't care.
Every Lindsey-owned property is its own entity with separate bank accounts.
Oh, well, just another day in paradise.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Camping can be dangerous

Camping out ain't no fun when it's raining cats and dogs.
I endured the trauma drama of camping out, but never was it life threatening like Caddo Gap just dwelt with.
I can empathize with those who survived the horrible ordeal.
I had a friend call me from Michigan who had been watching CNN and its coverage of the ongoing tragedy.
It's spooky enough sleeping in a tent during a rainstorm, but we were atop Markham Hill and didn't have to worry about drowning.
Things did get rather damp, though.
We had a clothes line so we could dry out our clothes.
I still have buddies up there in Fayetteville and I hope they're okay.
Whenever it rains I praise the Lord for my newfound homestead.
I guess God wanted me to endure the trials and tribulations of camping so I could enlighten others.
I'm just very blessed now.
Pray for the relatives of the unfortunate Caddo Gap campers.
May they rest in peace.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Ugh!!!

Just when you thought you were going to have a boring day sparks fly from the mouth of an angry tenant.
Just another day in paradise becomes another day in Hades.
The police were called to attend to a domestic dispute between two tenants who prefer volatility to peace and contentment.
Now I have to file an incident report and probably evict my third tenant.
Ugh!!
Later on once I finalize the scenario I'll write about it.
But duty calls...

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Virtues

In William Bennett's popular tome "The Book of Virtues" he highlighted self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, friendship, work, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty and faith.
When coping with life's adversities we must be self-disciplined to not overact.
We must possess compassion for our fellow man's dignity.
We must maintain responsibility for every decision we make.
We must display friendship which evokes and kindles new friends.
We must have a great work ethic and strive for a perfect day every day.
We must display courage and perseverance.
Honesty is the best policy.
We must be loyal to our employers.
But always keeping the faith makes us live Christian lives.
I'm mulling over the possibility of changing the name of my blog to Coping With Life since I'm no longer homeless. But the website will still be nwacoping@blogspot.com.
Thanks for reading and please leave a comment if you desire to make a remark or issue your opinion.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Seven pearls of wisdom

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, who died Saturday at the age of 99 kept a card his father gave him when he graduated from grade school.
Seven Things To Do:
1. Be true to yourself.
2. Help others.
3. Make each day your masterpiece.
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessing every day.
Wooden's favorite passage from the Bible was 1 Corinthians 13.
Indeed. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
He once said, "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
And he also loved to quote from Luke 6:38: "Give and you will receive. You will be given much. The you give to others is the way God will give to you."
Some of the simplest things in life are also the greatest.
Charity requires giving to someone else less fortunate.
Altruistic love is living a perfect day by doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
But if you give something to someone they might pass it on to someone else in some extraordinary similar fashion.
I remember when a lady gave me some clothes at a church luncheon in Fayetteville.
I saw a man who took off his shirt and I offered him a nice sweatshirt I had received that day.
A few days later I gave a man a stocking cap I'd found.
I told him that was the second time I'd helped someone out.
He told me he was the dude who'd taken his shirt off.
That kindled a friendship that will be ever lasting.
No matter your circumstances you can help others out.
It might not be much but if your heart is in the right place and the spirit of giving is truthful then God will reward you some day for your charitable heart.
That's what has happened to me.
And now I must reciprocate and be charitable.
Here's a final one to remember John Wooden by:
"Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be grateful. Conceit is self-given; be careful."

Cobblestone

The Green Room meeting of the Cobblestone Project last night was very heart-warming and enlightening.
Hearts touching hearts would be the appropriate theme.
Some young ladies shared their stories about handing out bags to people they didn't know but cared to share.
They were anxious to seek guidance.
Just out of the goodness of their sweet hearts they've been dispensing good will bags to people in need.
Sometimes just one person caring can make one's self-esteem rise astronomically.
Because when you're down and out, you lose your self-worthiness.
And when someone shows they care it makes you feel like a person of genuine worthiness.
I remember when I just started this job I would go to McDonald's for breakfast.
There was a man with a slew of plastic bags with all of his belongs.
I asked him if he would like a sausage biscuit.
That kindly gesture perked him up.
Just showing someone you care can not only make your day but make him feel like the world isn't against him if he has one friend in the world.
I was asked to relate my story succinctly.
So I related how the Cobblestone Project and its caring and sharing hearts transformed my life.
I don't know where I'd be if the love displayed by the men I met at the Homelessness Awareness Rally hadn't adopted me as a friend.
I went from sleeping in a tent to an apartment manager.
I'm a true renaissance man thanks to the altruistic souls who dream big dreams and make them become participants in the missing support groups which is lacking in the lives of those hard luck victims who just fight for survival.
Thanks to all of those who've helped me.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Death of a legend

Who was the greatest coach in history?
That's a no brainer.
John Wooden. The Wizard of Westwood.
Here's some pearls of wisdom from Wooden:
"Talent is God-given; be humble.
Fame is man-given; be grateful.
Conceit is self-given; be careful."
"Make each day your masterpiece."
"Be quick, but don't hurry."
Humility is my chief and ever-lasting trait which I want to be remembered for. I was humbled by God during my homelessness period.
I spent time incarcerated for something I didn't do and I asked God for forgiveness for whatever I'd ever done to deserve this fate.
I made a pact that I would serve the Lord to the best of my ability with humility.
Fame is fleeting but be grateful every day for waking up and having the challenges of whatever to face and overcome.
Conceit will get you nowhere. That's a false sense of overconfidence.
Make each day better than the last one.
Hurry up and wait is one of my favorite sayings.
Because we're all in a hurry in our helter-skelter, fast-paced society.
But patience is next to Godliness.
No matter what the situation, patience will be a virtue you will learn to appreciate as you gracefully adapt to life's challenges.
John Wooden was the greatest coach because he was such a wise man who lived life with dignity, style and philosophical wisdom.
He lived 99 years just like my grandfather.
I treasure the memories I enjoyed at William A. Lanier's residence in Conway.
Likewise I admire and respect John Wooden's brilliant career and life.
God bless John Wooden. He's now back with his lovely wife who he so missed.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Support network

All God's children need someone they can lean on.
Lately I've been dealing with adversity, but not by myself like I used to.
I've got a lot of God's children supporting me.
God answers prayers through his networking of friends helping friends.
No matter where I go I meet people who interconnect their lives with me because of my positive attitude and friendly disposition.
I inherited that from my saints of parents who I eulogized in very sacred ceremonies.
I remember after my mother's funeral I heard someone say, "That was a very beautiful service."
I cried inner tears because I knew my mother was proud of me.
Likewise when I gave a eulogy at my father's funeral, the church was jam packed and I was a tad nervous but God was with me.
As we sat in the hearse after the funeral ceremony, rite, my brother said, "David, that was a very good eulogy you gave."
And I thought that was the end all and be all of me ever giving a public oration again.
Nada.
When one of my best friends of all time Berry Williams passed I went into a black funeral home in the Arkansas Delta and gave another emotional tribute to a friend.
I connected with people who didn't know me from the Congolese in Africa.
But they clapped at the end.
God speaks to us if we will just seek his guidance.
He cares and he appreciates our prayers of asking him for help.
There's a chain interlocking all of our lives.
It all starts and ends with God.
Yesterday when I was a little despondent about my having to evict some friends from this complex and then receiving the audit results, a man from our corporate headquarters who is in Quality Control came by to lend a sympathetic ear.
That was a message from God that if you do the right thing and say the right things, you will always have support from God's children.
Bless God and all of his interacting supportive friends.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Superman cape

I donned my Superman cape this morning at 6 a.m. and flew into the uncharted world of bookkeeping management.
I had a myriad of challenges to overcome.
I had to file three dispositions on tenants who departed.
I had to file a disposition on a tenant who skipped out and send it to Southwest Credit Bureau.
Then I had to clean out my books from May and convert them to June.
Whew!!
I'm working on my CPA (computer program in accounting).
I'm glad May is history because it caused me mass hysteria.
I lost two good friends who moved out for various reasons.
Another pair of friends are departing due to a domestic dispute.
Ugh!!
All's not well that ends ugly.
I just home I have a June swoon of good fortune because May was filled with misadventure after misadventure.
Just another day in Paradise.