Crazy Charlie

Charlie was released near skid row .. he had just spent six weeks at county psychiatric with a ‘borderline personality disorder’ ..whatever that means. He started a ‘token exchange’ with the other patients on the ward. After that ..they no longer considered him ‘mental’ enough to be in the hospital. Now he was standing on the corner of Broadway and 5th .. on the southern edge of skid row just blocks from high-rise office buildings and Pershing Park. He took a deep breath and looked around .. he saw a lot of homeless people. He also saw some tents down by the warehouses. The voices in his head told him there was some karma that needed cleaning here. He took what money he had ..went to an army surplus store and bought a big dome tent ..some cots ..outdoor lights ..and a hot plate. He pitched this big old tent in skid row ..offered people a place to stay ..a little food and a cup of coffee. He said that anybody who was willing to listen to him was welcome to stay longer. He told them that they better start helping each other because no one else was coming to help them. Some stayed to listen. He was a compelling speaker. Pretty soon they were running a cooperative ..providing community services such as picking up trash and cleaning bathrooms in exchange for food and supplies from local business owners. Any excess was distributed to anyone willing to participate. More tents went up. Next they started a cooperative to help distressed people get connected with service providers ..those with drug problems found treatment ..mental cases got counseling ..criminals weren’t tolerated ..they were offered up to the police. Since then ..the business community and city officials have stopped trying to remove tent city ..they’re even sending more counselors and social workers to help in the co-ops. Crazy Charlie.