I Feel the Burn

I joined a gym. A gym donated by the widow of McDonalds tycoon Kroc. It's run by the Salvation Army and it is on a block in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood. It's the greatest gym ever built. All brand new state of the art equipment, pool, game room with ping pong and pool tables and pinball machines. It has a computer lab with 40 computers donated by Hewlet Packard. It has a gym with basketball courts, and a climbing thing on the wall. Sadly, it isn't used by many people because of the hood. And many residents of the hood would rather spend the $20 a month fee on other things.

I love it. I did my first gym workout today. I rode on a bike machine for 30 minutes, worked on nautilus equipment that helped my legs, thighs, glutes, and ankles. Then I worked on my arms and they are so sore I can't lift them over my shoulders. I then tried the treadmill;l which I lasted about 15 minutes on before nausea set in. Excellent start to what may become a daily routine for me.

Now, I'm still going through some tough times but I am doing great. I feel the best I've felt in many many years. And things will be getting better each day as long as I stay focused on improving my life. I attend a meeting just about every weekday which is helping me remember where I came from and where I could be with one dumb decision.

Ok Patty, I know last time I did something regally great for someone, you mentioned to me to be silent about it and watch what happens. I can't let this one inside me.

On Saturday, I got a call from my girlfriend who explained a situation to me in which her friends daughter had run away and was seen on Haight St. in SF that morning. she sent me a picture of her and gave me the father of the girl's phone number. I spoke with him and told him I was riding up and down the AHaight but there weren't many of the usual runaway gutter punks that usually hang out in front of certain stores. But, I remembered there were having a bi monthly event, down at the Bill Graham Auditorium called Homeless Connect. It's a great event which steers homeless people to the services they might need. From medical, housing, employment, clothing, food, hygiene, legal help, even bus tickets for them to leave town.

I told the father that she would probably be desperate for some new clothes and food and he should park himself right at the entrance and he might find her. He had no idea this event was happening and his plan was to stay up on Haight St. and Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park all day. So he thanked me and gave me some info on what I should do if I ran across her. He said that since she had been reported as missing, I could tackle her and hold her until the police arrived/ I didn't like the sound of that. So I told him I would call him and then the police while following her. That way a crowd of onlookers wouldn't beat the crap out of me by mistaking me for some kind of pedophile.

I looked for her all day but didn't see her and felt bad for all of them. But on Sunday morning I got a call on my voicemail. It was the father. He expressed his gratitude to me and said they probably wouldn't have found her if I hadn't told him about Project Homeless Connect. He said he saw her at noon out front, and he got her. He said it was just in the nick of time because she was about to go on one of those buses with other hippies and travel around the country. There's a name for this type of adventure, but I don't recall what it is. I would call it, Got Lice?

He said she might have been gone for months or even years if they hadn't found her. She's only 14 and the thought of some jerk turning her on to some drugs made my stomach turn. I am just happy to be a part of something that helped a family. For now, they won't have to be heartsick or in constant wonder where their daughter is. That call from the dad gave me chills and a euphoria that no drug could compete with.

My new motto is "How Can I Help"

Art- Pink Angels Willem de Kooning

The Runaways- Heartbeat