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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2009)
w 7 CKX.ÜBBÄTIÄTG A » B C Ä » E street roots Education * Dialogue* Independence M oving to Portland because o f its bike-friendly reputation, the Walshes brought, only what they could carry on their backs. For the fir st few months, they lived in a one-bedroom apartm ent in Beaverton, but the $535 rent proved too high a n d they were forced to leave. - In Melissa's own words would like to start out by thanking you Outside In Clinic. The doctors over there are working hard to try and help. I am guys, my readers, and patrons of the , disabled with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high- paper. Without you, my continued survival would be compromised* I’ve written functioning form of autism. There are a lot of misconceptions about this because people have asked me when being a *paper vendor. The stereotype is a and if I would be in the paper. I have chosen middle-age drunken guy who is too lazy to to self-publish in order to add “extra Value” do anything else. I am none of the above. I and make the papers uniquely mine. am 30, female, married, a renter, and my This time, I am publishing my story so husband used to be a nursing aide. The you can get to know me. doctors don’t allow him to work now. I have My name is Melissa Walsh. I have been homeless off and on since moving to an associate’s degree, and have tried to find •Portland in July. I used to have a house, but and keep work to no avail. I-have many interests and passions; I am my husband’s uncontrolled seizures led to job loss, which in turn led to foreclosure. We a yoga and tai chi practitioner. I study are currently seeking help for him at the philosophy, and I’m a semi-professional I knitter and spindler. The leaves are darkening on the trees, and there’s a change in the air. The transition to fall has begun already. I look putside my window as I read this, and the cloud cover is blanketing us with hues of grey. I wonder when the seasonal rains will return again, their solemn drops nourishing the earth for the preparation of the harvest. And all I can think of is wool. Wonder-ful, luscious and warm, wool ’h as helped many families through the cold months. Wpol is sturdy and strong and naturally water- repellent It is also expensive and the price is out of my reach. And yet I still dream of crafting warm sweaters for my husband and I. My life is mostly about subsistence, but somehow, I still believe in the power of the ancient tradition of knitting to make it feel a little better. When I knit, I feel more real, more human, somehow. I feel like I am doing something that makes a difference. Knitting is about hope, bringing comfort and warmth in every stitch. Even though I’m a Street Roots vendbr, I still believe in hard work and doing your best. Knitting engenders that. I am about quality, equity and freedom of expression. Knitting allows for that. Cheers to a job well done, — Melissa Walsh PHOTOS BY LEAH NASH L e ft: W ithout a car, Melissa and Sean rely on Public transportation and their bicycles. They estimate that their commute to sell '■ papers in downtown Portland is almost three hours one way: one hour by bike, one hour on the M ax and 30 m inutes on the bus. Here they are transporting food from a local food bank. L e ft, b e lo w : Melissa takes advantage o f Potluck in the Park, which serves free meals to about 300 to 400 people 52 Sundays per year a t O ’B ryant Square. With 1D5 percent o f people out o f work, Oregon currently has the third-highest unemployment'rate in the nation.
