The Man In The Street On the Seat

I was walking along California Avenue, Santa Monica. I stopped at a pedestrian light. There, to the left of the pole with the 'press button' sign, sat a man. He seemed so close. Very strange to have a park bench right next to the light, I was thinking. I felt a little uncomfortable and looked down at the man. He was maybe seventy years of age. His feet were a bit swollen. I could see between the slats of his sandals. He wore trousers, a nice shirt and a beige cardigan. He looked like he had come out for a morning walk and was taking a rest on the seat.

We caught each others eye. I smiled.

He said, "Do you relate and do you identify?" The walk sign buzzed me to cross the road. I was torn. I wanted to stay and say, "What? Do you really mean that? I will talk to you for hours about that stuff."

I was so amazed, so excited. It was so unexpected. I smiled again as I started to cross the street. I related through my smile but did not stop to identify. I have been thinking about that man for weeks. Was he for real? How could he ask such a question? Maybe he was a bit crazy. Maybe it was just a pleasantry belonging to that culture. Maybe he was jossing me. Maybe he was actually a homeless person, a street dweller.

Apart from this man I saw many people living on the streets throughout the Los Angeles district. I have been thinking about them all. That man showed me something very important. The homeless are the men and women who did once have an identity, the men and women who used to relate. Every time I see a street person now I think about how they must have once longed to relate and identify. They lost all relationship. They lost their identity. They found themselves with no connection to society. Now, at least I can give them a smile, relating and identifying one human to another.

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