Posts in category Homeless
A Year Later, Ted Williams Shows the Homeless Haters! (Vicki Lawrence)

I’m sure you remember him. Ted Williams. Nope, not the baseball guy. The “homeless man with the golden voice” guy.
Ever wonder how he is doing a year later? Me too.
A year ago he got his “big break” when a youtube video of him panhandling with his voice went viral.
Then here comes Vicki Lawrence. With her “parody” of Ted’s video.
This video really pissed me off. I got to share my thoughts with an AOL News reporter. You can read that HERE.
Next thing I know, the Dr. Phil show emails me….
That was one of the highlights of my life. Dr. Phil gave me a chance to say something to the world on a platform far bigger than I had ever dreamed. Though I didn’t get the chance to meet Ted, I did get the chance to defend him and many of my homeless friends. I still hope to meet him someday.
But now, a year later, I hope Vicki Lawrence (who backed out of facing me on the show and has remained silent) sees THIS video of Ted today.
Punk-ass Kid Punches Helpless Homeless Man
Some things really piss me off. This is one of them.
Teen Punches Homeless Man on Red Line While Friends Videotape the Attack: MyFoxCHICAGO.com
You know that feeling you get when you’re temper reaches boiling point? That feeling like your blood all just ran to your head, as your hands begin to tremble?
That’s what I get when I watch this.
I’m not sure what pisses me off the most. The fact that some kid punched this homeless dude for what appears to be no reason at all, or the fact that in a place as busy as this, only ONE person would bother to try and check on or help this guy.
Both are extremely disgusting, and indicative of the self-absorbed society we live in.
Shame on us. Shame on us as people.
Sometimes “eye for an eye” really seems like a great way to handle some folks’ actions.
I Killed a Cat
Well, kinda. Not really….but kinda.
Most that know me, know that I really don’t like cats. It’s only right that I go ahead and clear that up at the beginning of this post. I really, really don’t like cats.
It was pouring down rain a few days ago and I was on my way to run some errands, in no hurry mind you. When I came a across a tiny little kitten that was struggling and flopping as it tried to get across 4 lanes of traffic in the rain.
My heart said, “You need to get that cat and take it somewhere before it gets killed.”
My mind said, “You hate cats, let somebody else deal with it.”
I drove about another block and realized that I was NOT doing the right thing here. So I turned around and mashed on the gas to try and get back to this vulnerable kitten.
As I got back to it and was about to jump out and get it, I saw a car run over it. Needless to say, the kitten was killed instantly.
I wanted to throw up.
Why didn’t I just stop and do what was right the very second the opportunity was presented to me?
All of the emotions that I felt this past January when I should have checked back on a homeless neighbor and didn’t only to find that he froze to death a few days later, came rushing back over me. Yeah, you can read about that disastrous inaction on my part HERE.
The window we have to do what we know we need to is very small, and doesn’t last long. At all.
Hesitation and distraction can be the difference between life and death. For animals, and for humans.
I pray that one day I’m mature enough to do right for others, instinctively. Without hesitation. Without contemplation. Without blowing it, again.
I Really Want to Die…….Like George
I’m sure everybody has some ideal scenario in which they think they will exit this life. It never happens like we envision it, but it happens nonetheless.
A friend of mine said once, “I want to die empty, because I gave everything away.”
I loved that. But I wondered many times what that would actually look like. This week it became real to me when my very dear friend George died.
George died empty. George died with nothing. George leaves nothing behind, that we can touch anyway.
But what he did leave behind is a beautiful example of that statement.
I met George about 4-5 years ago when I took a position at the Union Rescue Mission. George basically served as the gatekeeper for the men’s homeless shelter. He was a staple. He had been there for MANY years. He began serving soon after he had come into the shelter himself, when it was on the north side of the river.
I grew fond of George very quickly as we would talk and he would share stories of his life and the previous years of the Mission. I really looked at him almost like he was grandpa. I guess in a way I kind of wished he was.
We had fun times and hard times. Head-butting and hugging. He was a stubborned old man so set in his ways that you just had to work around it sometimes. But he as faithful, and completely selfless.
He served the men in that shelter for well over a decade, I know. He did it for free. Seven days a week. 365 days a year. Whatever was needed, he was willing to take it on…or at least give it a serious shot!
All of this, without EVER expecting or even asking for anything in return. Nothing. He didn’t want anything. He just wanted to serve, and be a part of helping the dudes that came in that door.
We all knew that Wednesday would happen someday. We all knew that George would be there, working and serving, until his heart quit beating. That’s exactly what happened.
George died, and nobody even realized it. You won’t see him on the TV. Or in the paper. You won’t hear about it on the radio. For you, it will be like nothing even happened. Another nobody, who had nothing, goes on.
That’s just how George wanted to go. Quietly. Unnoticed. He just wanted to serve and take care of his friends until it was his time.
I can’t think of a more beautiful ending to a life. Going out with nothing, because you gave everything.

I’ve never known a more humble (and sometimes stubborned) old man than George, and I’m going to miss him every day. I pray that I will one day be mature enough to let go of everything, and give all I have until my “Wednesday” comes.
Much love, George. The impact you had on many men is immeasurable.
Please Stop Giving Things to ALL Other Humans!!!!
This has gone on long enough and the risk is just too high to continue giving things to people. It’s just not worth the risk anymore. Especially not in “this” economy.
The only thing we can do at this point is to just stop.
Stop giving Christmas gifts. Stop giving birthday gifts. Stop helping your kids with their first car. And certainly stop helping them pay for college!! Just stop it!!
Stop giving your teenagers lunch money. Stop giving people directions. Stop giving things to people! I can’t stress it enough!!
Because the risk is very high and chances are that those Christmas or birthday gifts may be sold, returned or even RE-GIFTED!!!
There’s a good chance that after you buy your kid a car, they’re going to break the speed limit with that gift! They could even get a ticket! And if we’re really honest, they’re probably gonna have sex in it!!! OMG!!!
And college? Don’t you know what happens there? I’m not going to help somebody pay for college if they’re gonna go to drinking parties and maybe even be exposed to marijuana or something like that! What if they tried it! I’m not contributing to that!
And that lunch money you’re giving your kids? Probably buying baseball cards or maybe even a buddy’s dad’s old Playboy magazine that buddy stole!! I’ll have no part of that. They can find a way to get food on their own!!
And for the sake of all that is good and holy, what about those HOMELESS people?!?!?!
What if God decided to never give me another blessing that He knew I would turn around and use for something I shouldn’t?? Or maybe He just suspected that I MIGHT use it for something I shouldn’t?
But He gives to me still. Abundantly. Knowing that with most of the blessings He has given me in my life I will turn around and break His heart with in some way or another. I’m glad He never stops giving. Never.
Who are we to determine the condition of someone’s heart when giving? How are we even justified in calling it a gift if we attach strings and conditions?
Jesus says to “give to anyone who asks.”
I don’t think He was joking.
And I don’t think He gave us a right to give based on our perception (or prediction) of one’s heart and/or actions.
“Give to anyone who asks.” – Jesus in Luke 6:30






