Homeless Guy....

   As I have mentioned a couple of times previously, I was the manager of a 7Eleven in Orlando, Florida. It had its perk's and disadvantages, but one thing that always comes back to me was a particular gentleman that would come to the store every night.  As I remember it, his name was Richard and he had a dog.  I don't remember the dog's name, but I remember that Richard loved that dog.  Every night he would come into the store with the money he had obtained through out the day and buy his dog a can of dog food.  The dog was on a blanket in a grocery cart and Richard would push him every where they went.     

   The furry companion was a hound dog mix of some kind, but was just happy to ride around in the grocery cart.  He was well taken care of, and even though Richard looked like he had been dragged through hell and back, the dog was very clean and very healthy looking.  
   This was back in the early 90's and we made our own sandwiches every morning and threw away the ones that were headed out of date at night.  When I was on nights and Richard would come in with his dog, I would let him have a sandwich that was going to be thrown out anyway and he would talk about things as he consumed the sandwich of the evening.  Most of the time it was about how things were in Orlando, or his opinion on politics.  One night though, after months of buying cans of dog food and receiving free sandwiches, he told me how he got to the status he lived day in and day out.
   See, Richard was not always what you would call a transient, hobo, or bum.  He had not started out his life with goals to be a homeless street walker with his only companion being his dog.  As he told it, he actually was once a very popular person.  Someone of major influence in the day to day lives of those of the more wealthier crowds.  Not sure how many, but I would hope it took at least 5-10 yrs for Richard to get to the state he was in.  He told me that he actually had lived most of his life in New York, and even though it was expired, he still had his New York driver's license.  Even after seeing his drivers license and business card, his last name still escapes me just like the dog.  I do remember one thing that was on his business card that struck me at first.  Below his name, in smaller print, were the words 'Stock Broker'.  
   At a happier point in Richard's life, he had been a father and husband.  He   had loved and was loved, and it was taken away in a last breath.  His family and his mind were taken from him by a drunk driver.  In one horrible accident, the once proud and well situated young man lost everything, including his will to continue.  He gave up his house that was no longer a home, his job that no longer held its challenge, and his life that no longer had meaning.  From what he said, his only belongings he had were kept in a storage unit near by.  He had pictures of his family he kept in his pocket, but you couldn't tell what had happened if he didn't tell you.  All you could see from the outside was a dirty, crazy shell of a man that cared deeply for his four legged companion.
   Every once in a while I think of Richard and wonder if anyone ever missed him.  If anyone knew what became of him after the tragedy that drove him to a life on the streets, and as I sit here typing this out I wonder if he is still alive, or did he ever find peace....