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!”
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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.”