The Life In Decatur

I was in the Army a grand total of two years and seventeen weeks.  I had the luxury of having an older brother who was already in the Army on recruiting duty and told me the exact things to ask for because, he told me, the recruiter would not volunteer that information.  I got in.  I got out. Training was intense, but aside from the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995, there was never any thought that I would be going anywhere further than Ft. Carson, Colorado. That morning for about an hour, we thought the world was coming to get us; that we were under attack and I was ready to go.  That was as close to combat as I ever got. My father was in the Navy, two of my brothers and one of my sisters went into the Navy also.  My oldest brother and I chose the Army.  So did his son and daughter. Spouses, nieces, nephews, cousins...suffice it to say, I come from a big military family. When people say, "Thank you for your service." it makes me ponder what ...

I will be living on the streets of Decatur, homeless for the next 30 days, taking an in-depth look at homelessness in this area, and revisiting places nearly a decade after having done this before. When I decided to come to this community, I wanted to see what was here in Decatur and what was missing; how to grow in this place.  It's a lot of work getting to know a place, however small and cozy.  There are new streets to learn and people to meet. I have decided to up the ante. While it is difficult to be homeless, there is actual work to be done.  When we look at how the average day is spent when you are on the street, the work is primarily logistical in the beginning.  Sleeping is one thing, but where do you go when the sun is up and you can no longer hide in corners? For many, it is part of a routine.  Once you get used to it, there is a pattern to packing up, a place to hide what you cannot carry with you, an awareness of where you can go and when. Fo...

Starting tomorrow, I will be living on the streets of Decatur, homeless for the next 30 days, taking an in-depth look at homelessness in this area, and revisiting places nearly a decade after having done this before. I will not mention any names, though I should mention names.  It's not that their business would be hurt or that even a basic understanding of the world would allow you to figure out who and what I am talking about, but I will not mention any names. Suffice it to say that there is a coffee shop chain that throws out three or five sandwiches every other night or so.  Outside this particular coffee shop are people who have not eaten all day. Those sandwiches have to go in the trash. These are the things that I will never understand.  The people who work at this particular coffee shop are good people and they would love to, at the end of the day, hand those sandwiches out to people who are right outside of the door who have not eaten all day.  Thos...

Coming to a new community can be difficult, and this is coming from someone who has moved around a lot.  Sometimes, though, you just find a good place to grow; the kind of place where everything you need is close if not in reach. Welcome to Decatur, a nest of little towns just outside of Atlanta.  Having lived so many places; so many big cities, it is easy to be instantaneously jaded.  I am very liberal, verging on bleeding heart liberal, and being in the south...well... The key to starting in any new place, growing in any new place is testing the soil and then developing a plan based on the results. I have long been a proponent of what I call Neo-Permaculture.  Permaculture itself relies on people acknowledging their environment and essentially adjusting themselves and the environment in retroactive ways.  Let's be honest, the best thing for the earth right now is to give up cars and return, as a whole back to nature.  Let's also be honest and realize ...