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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2015)
Vendors Street Roots • Nov. 13-19, 2015 and help youth, understand that there’s a lot of different choices out there.” . Unfortunately, he began having health issues with severe pain and started into a slow, downward spiral. He lost everything. “It’s taken me five years to even learn how to cope with the severity” of Crohn’s BY LEONORA KO STAFF W R IT E R disease, he said. “The last three years, I’ve been on and off the streets pretty emington has led an intense life in a consistently.” short time, from being a former gang Street Roots has been a healing member to speaking one-on-one with experience in dealing with the illness. spiritual leaders from around the world. “It’s my first actual job since I got sick,” “The really interesting thing,” Remington Remington said. “I’m still testing out getting said, “is that I have a great and wonderful up early and being consistent with going mother, who I love today. And I had a father out. It’s very painful actually to stand there who loved and cared for me a lot, too. selling a newspaper all day long. But I still Family-wise, I was taken care of very well. It do it anyways because was just at a young age, things came up in it’s teaching me rny life that pulled me into different how to override experiendés. some, I think, ■ ’ «. I “I became a (gang) prospect at the age of false belief 13,” Remington said. “Through the years, I systems that I had a lot of friends go to prison. I saw the once had about trouble that they were getting into, and my myself.... In companions said, ‘We really want to see you some sense, it’s do something more than end up with what’s going on with us. We give you permission to been away th a t! can be completely go on your own way.’” straight, clean and Throughout this time, Remington was attracted to a special spiritual community? The community included Tibetan Rinpoches, Hindu masters and Baptists. “I became fortunate and very blessed to get kind of sidetracked, learning about spirituality and different philosophies,” ‘ Remington said.'“I got to meet and receive teachings and talk and discuss. It really helped shift my young perspective and • expànd my rtiindinto seeing (more sober. (I have a focus) throughout the day and into the evening.” The newspaper also provides an opportunity to break down barriers. “People smile, you laugh, jokes happen,” Remington said. “I sell papers to the police officers. You know, let them see there are homeless people who have a Sense of humor - who have light and love inside Of their hearts. “What I really think is important is to understand there’s really no difference between someone you don’t know and yourself. Everyone strives to experience happiness, and nobody wants to suffer. J That’s one main thing that everyone has in common with one another. “And so there’s no difference inside between someone who’s homeless and someone that has it all.” Remington is slowly rebuilding his life. Recently he got off the streets by sharing rent with a buddy. As he gets a handle on his disease, he hopes to restart college, j “Street Roots has offered me a chance to see that I can really persevere through these difficulties,” Remington said. “I’m also thankful for my mom. She’s been my rock for a long time, through the hard times and the good times. And carrying the knowledge and wisdom (of the spiritual community), it’s been a blessing. L “I’m very, very lucky.” Page 6 Autum nal by Di Remington Sways prairie wheat the wagon wheels creak Vast blue horizons billowing white Cumulous clouds 8 In the sod’s shadow drip, drip, drip of dank earth heaviness Whining susurras of prairie winds Carry Laura Ingall Wilders pioneer mother voice... “One peppermint stick... one blue-speckled tin cup... it was the best Christmas ever!” Answers to puzzles on page 15 O__9 d__v V _3 1 S V S d V 3 d 3 0 0 S 1 S V 3 n i o i a iai v i y IAI 3 N 9 1 1 S V 1 N V » V aa | £ 1 s d V 1 3 9 d n Id I IAI 3 V 1 3 IAI I N 3 0 N V a] H 0 0 N i ¡h l 3 1 O X V d n □ s 3 1 V H s V a a 3 A O (O\H)(3 1 I Ì Â N I X 3 N 3 È \ ì\flo ( o N V S 3 H (s lAi n i ra r (X Ò \ ì ) V V I^ Ç ^ d y 4 o U i d Ì 0 Ñ) IAI Z (d ^ / d / é y á 3 x) À 1 a 0 =|X9)(X 0 d (0 /1 3) / Sì Ì >1 1 n xzS rO/É3 IAI O d H 3 J/N> A (v Ì ç Z d / i 3 i 3 i / o - i / ^ < o / a a' J '3; >^ 0 3 A V 0 v 0 Ì 09 s F i\i J V 3 è 3 r 3 V i 9 0 0 ^Z lX É ) 3 H S ) \ 3 V ^ a 3 M ( v / É lì Ì 9 Á Z ^ d ) 8 9 9 P 6 8 £ Z L 9 L 6 8 Y P 1- L 9 8 9 6 s PZ L Z i 8 6 e 9 P 6 S 1 P 8 L 9 8 9 Z i 8 Í. Z 9 T s 8 9 Z 6 L L 6 8 P 9 9 Z 8 Z, s 6 8 L Í 8 9 P t 8 L 9 8 Z 6 P 9 Those choices led to a full-time job, a house; a car and a fiancée. He began planning to attend college for a new career. “I wanted to become a counselor/ spiritual psychologist,” Remington said. “To work with youth that were growing up with a lot of gang activity and drugs. I really Wanted to give back something Out of Luck? F re e C o u n s e lin g f o r G a m b lin g P r o b le m s Call 503-239-5952 Ëæ » VENDOR WORK ADS Farmer Shaun: If you need gardening, clean-up or any general labor services call Farmer Shaun. 971-222-9938. c D Tr a P H O TO CO URTESY OF A R N O L D CASEY street Roots Vendor Arnold Casey shares a moment with one o f his customers a t his turf, outside Safeway at Southwest 10th Avenue and Jefferson Street. “This is one o f my regular customers, Charlie. He told me he was born in an igloo. H e’s 81 years old We are both from Alaska and that’s why we started talking. He comes to the store about twice a week and always talks with me. He went to the same high school as my auntie. Talking with him reminds me o f home.”
