Page 8
Community
Street Roots • Aug. 3-9, 2018
Street Roots • Aug. 3-9, 2018
Community
Page 9
Power
by Aileen McPherson
Mighty
Mouse
" I appreciate {Street Boots
readers) coming to get the pa
per, very much. And let them
know that it's nice to care
abont them as w ell as they
care abont m e ... once that
respect is there, they love us,
they appreciate ns. And that
matters. That matters a lo t to
BS>
lO B fa
Destroyers seek power through control,
Dominating, manipulating oppressions
By way of earning trust,
Lull you in with twisted lies draining,
Draining lives until only feral shells are left behind.
Creators seek power through change,
Many times destroying the old, rebuilding,
Strengthening, caring about actions of self
Affecting others’ well-being, seeking to uplift
Nurturing souls creating compassionate unity.
KAREN FLEMMING
What is Power? Knowledge
Road
R unner
Through thick and thin, Belinda
and Karen have stayed friends for
more than 20 years, and together
they’re starting over with a new
roof above their heads
To know the differences between the two,
Maintaining balance in mind and body,
Experiencing the whole before judgement’s made.
We are the controllers of our lives
Creators and Destroyers walking a fine line.
rr
j \
P H O T O S B Y D IE G O D IA Z
*
Karen Flemming, left, and Belinda Estermyer in their new apartment. The two, who have been struggling to fin d an apartment they could afford fo r months, including spending
months a t a shelter, moved into their new home last week. Below, the two tend to dishes. “There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for me, or I wouldn’t do fo r her, Karen said. “We’re that
close.”
BY MAYA COSEO
STAFF W R IT E R
aren Flemming, 59, met Belinda Estermyer
Beason, 62, at the Wisconsin-based hospital
they both worked at 22 years ago. Belinda
was new and Karen was the one who trained her.
They’ve been friends ever since, and they have a
relaxed dynamic found only among people who
have known each other a long time. They even
have nicknames for each other, “Mighty Mouse”
and “Road Runner.” Karen chose “Mighty Mouse”
as a nickname for Belinda because “she’s strong,
for how little she is, she’s very strong. That’s her
nickname, it’s Mighty Mouse.”
Belinda’s nickname for Karen refers to her quick
walking.
“I know it’s kind of bad to think of it this way,
but when she’s in a lot of pain, she walks. And
she’ll walk real fast, to get to where she’s going.
Then she can sit down, and she can relax,” Belinda
said.
Health issues started the friends’ troubles.
Karen worked for 40 years at a hospital until she
had two strokes. Then she was unable to work or
collect unemployment. Belinda took her in, but
Montana was their next stop because Karen’s
only two years later, heavy lifting caused her
cousin was there. They arrived to learn that the
shoulders to give o u t A doctor told Karen that a
cousin passed away. Karen’s family had not
warmer climate would be beneficial, so they moved
informed her out of fear of damaging her unstable
to Houston, Texas.
health.
Though they struggled and went to food pantries,
Without the aid of family, Belinda and Karen
they had a place to live in Houston.
were left to to rely on assistance. “No resources to
“And then when we lost the apartm ent The
help us in Montana. I mean, they had a great
flood,” said Karen, referring to the flooding of 2013.
shelter, but no resources to help, like case
“The levies broke down there, a few of them, and it
management and stuff like that. They just gave you
was high in water. We lost all of our stuff.”
a paper and told you to go see what you could find.
K
We were getting nowhere. So then somebody told
us about here - about Portland,” Karen said. Sure
enough, the night they arrived, the Salvation Army
found space for them in a shelter where they stayed
until they graduated to the dormitory.
Even then, things were not easy. Transferring
medical and financial records takes time, but was
paramount, as both are diabetic.
At this point, the pair met a long-time Street
Roots vendor who told them about the job. Neither
were interested at first, but desperation changed
their minds. Belinda reconsidered first, and
brought Karen along. “Come on, we’re going to
Street Roots, ” Belinda said. Both women still
sell the newspaper and enjoy the job.
Karen and Belinda emphasized the
importance of respect, hard work and
politeness. Also important to them was having
a community and people to rely on. The key to
maintaining their friendship, according to
Karen, is respecting the other person and
talking through disagreements. “Belinda’s like
the other half of me, she’s the bubbly type,
where I’m usually the quiet type, but my
customers are making me come out a little bit
more ... And I love her dearly, she’s like a sister
to me. And there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for
me, or I wouldn’t do for her. We’re that close,”
Karen said. For Belinda, having a community
means that there are more people watching out
for her friend. It works well for being a vendor,
too.
“They have gotten used to me being right
there on that com er - which is (Southwest)
Second and Oak. And that’s where you’ll find
me,” Belinda said.
Karen tends to move around, even going to
the last stop before the airport on public
transportation. Additionally, she wakes up at 5
а. m. so she can start selling the newspaper at
б, though she just changed her hours. One of
her ongoing projects is improving her sales
location.
“(Belinda’s) area is the nice area, mine is a
little more where I have to watch,” Karen said.
“But it is a good area, and getting it built up, it’s
gonna take time.” Through newspapers and
socialization, Karen hopes to help the process.
Another thing the two friends have in
common is the belief that kindness and hard
work are rewarding, and that diligence brings a
better life. They have worked to get where they
are, but are grateful for the help they’ve had. It
was a Street Roots customer, Sharon
Thompson, who turned their lives around. After
meeting Karen and Belinda, she talked to her
building manager, Catherine Magdalena, about
finding them a place. It paid off. The two
recently moved into their new apartment.
“I can’t thank Street Roots enough for what
they’ve done for us. We’re really blessed,”
Karen said.
Both women are also thankful for the other
aid they have received; their Salvation Army
case manager, Cherie Miller, and several local
businesses who gave them places to rest, use
the bathroom, grab a drink of water and watch
out for them.
But it was the Salvation Army, Karen said,
that “helped us with getting the apartment. So
that I could keep getting the medicine I need.”
Karen’s health has deteriorated since she has
been without a home. In addition to diabetes,
she has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
among other conditions. A permanent address
will allow her to have the surgeries she couldn’t
before. Permanent housing will also allow them
to explore their hobbies.
Karen wants to continue selling Street Roots
and making her area a safer space. She is also
interested in doing pottery. At the mention of
their new home, Belinda grew misty eyed,
clearly excited for the future. She is considering
taking weekends off from selling Street Roots
and volunteering at the Oregon Humane
Society.
Karen and Belinda want their experience to
be an example, showing that it is possible to
turn one’s life around through hard work and
respect for others, even in dire circumstances.
They focus on living with principle and dignity.
“I appreciate (Street Roots readers) coming to
get the paper, very much,” Karen said. “And let
them know that it’s nice to care about them as
well as they care about me ... once that respect
is there, they love us, they appreciate us. And
that matters. That matters a lot to me.”
Signs of the Times
by Brandon M.
The cat cleans her face
on the colorful quilt
by the fountain whose mortal
waters are spilt
The leaves on the tree
are sad with these times
no one noticing their efforts
to beautify our lives
The serpent is in exodus
from the boomtown
being driven into where
no one wants him around
The eagle agrees
to let him pass
because in this day and age
that’s the only hope he has