Street roots
Oct. 12, 2012
Flesh and Blood
A walk, a talk with a new friend
By Andrea Shetzline
This disposable woman
Is a zoning problem
A disease vector
A factor in law enforcem ent
Expenditures
She is maybe not
Even really a woman
A runaway teen
A junkie
A transvestite
Certainly she is not
Your sister.
KAISA MCCROW
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
y morning with Street Roots
vendor Raymond felt more liké a
casual stroll through Southwest
Portland with a new pal than an interview.
Our walk started at the Street Roots office
at Northwest Second Avenue and Davis
Street and took us to Southwest Sixth
Avenue and Main, where Ray sells papers
M
Raymond Vaughan
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Fallen
Off
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Edge
some mornings. It was made longer by the
fact that we both became distracted in
conversation and briefly were lost.
Taking the long route didn’t bother
Raymond at all, he prefers walking anyway
and doesn’t take to staying in one spot all
day. And although neither of us had our eye
on Main, Raymond did keep an eye on
potential customers and sales he could
make as we traveled. This laid-back attitude
is more of Raymond’s style.
A lanky redhead standing well over 6 feet,
Raymond speaks with a mixed southern
drawl that supports his approachable and
friendly vibe. He has been selling Street
Roots for more than two months now, and
he likes it. He says it gives him something to
do, and he is impressed with how well
received the paper is in the community. He
describes himself as bashful, but by the end of
our conversation I think a more appropriate
adjective might be “humble.” He calls himself
“a hillbilly lost in the city” even though he
traverses the streets with comfort, and he has
a positive outlook about selling papers and
meeting people, preferring to be a source of
positive rather than negative energy. “I figure
attitude can rub off; Sometimes it takes just
one word to bring someone down. I don’t
want to be the one to cause that. I’d rather
uplift somebody.”
He also spoke of his “average” music
abilities, calling his command of the guitar,
harmonica and dulcimer just good enough to
“keep himself entertained.” With pride he
credits his late younger brother as the real
musician, and lists many of his musical
successes. This mediocre self-evaluation of his
own skills was dispelled later that day when a
Street Roots staffer raved about his
impromptu and spectacular harmonica playing
in the office recently.
While Raymond claims Missouri as his
home state, he was born in Ontario, Ore., and
grew up in a nomadic family that followed
work around the country. His dad was a truck
driver and heavy equipment operator and took
his family to Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas
and California over the years. “There were
times we would wake up and think we were
going to school and then there would be a
U-Haul truck,” says Raymond of the constant
moving. He didn’t think that he spent more
than four years in any given place.
His adult life took on a similar pattern when
he began dividing seasons between Kansas
City, Mo., and Portland, following work just
like his dad; but for Raymond, his industry
was roofing. Initially Portland was just a point
on the map, an opportunity to escape the
unwelcome heat of the Midwest and South,
but steady work in roofing kept bringing him
back. Over the years, the work has dried up.
“Ten, 12 years ago, the economy was
booming,” he said. “You could practically quit
one job and go across the street and get
another one. It just ain’t that way any more.”
The recession, coupled with a shattered knee
that still goes out on him and some ancient
felony charges, have made it increasingly
difficult for Raymond to find work.
His knee gives him trouble and makes it
difficult to stand still, so he walks; around
downtown mostly, but he also meanders
across the river and can be spotted selling at
Lloyd Center from time to time. “I don’t do it
to make big bucks at it, I do it to get the
supplies I need.”
“I’ve always worked,” he continues. “There
is nothing lazy about me. Now I’m down here
on the streets and I figure at least Street
Roots is something to do. Make a few dollars,
legally, without breaking m y pride. I ’m too
proud to steal and I’m too proud to
panhandle.” Ray has a strong sensibility
toward hard work, honesty and respect. It was
just the way he was raised. But he adds with a
little smirk, “It keeps me honest really,
because I’m a red head, I can get in trouble.”
Maybe it is the strength and stubbornness
of a true redhead, but Raymond seems to
know just who he is and what he stands for.
Raymond is available for labor or odd jobs.
While his knee may prevent him from
extensive labor, he can still put in a days
work. Whether you are looking for some
interesting conversation, a new copy of Street
Roots, or a worker for a project or job,
Raymond can be spotted between downtown
and the Lloyd district, providing a positive
word and walking gingerly about town.
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Will do housework, mowing lawns,
laundry, babysitting or house sitting.
Contact Laura through Street Roots
503-228-5657
CORRECTION
Street Roots strives for accuracy, but
we're human. So we also strive to correct
errors in our paper whenever possible.
Please report any errors to our managing
editor, Joanne Zuhl, at 503-228-5657, or
write to joanne@streetroots.org
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