Street Life is Hard
Posted By Dan on January 7, 2010
For about a year back in the middle of the last decade (wow, it feels odd writing that. But I’m talking about 2005) I worked at the Bank of America building downtown. There was a young homeless guy who stood a half-block south of the building on Kearny Street. He looked to be in his late twenties, with a long, brown beard and a decent set of clothes. He stood all day - almost never sitting down, asking for spare change in a quiet voice.
Now, my bicycle ride in the morning takes me along Kearny in the mornings. The same guy is still there after nearly five years, but he has changed. His beard is thinner and completely gray. His long hair is almost white, and his cheeks are sallow and pale. I know I’d seen him before today - he’s always there. But I never really noticed. Five years - that’s a long time to stay alive on the San Francisco streets, but it doesn’t look easy.
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