Rex Hohlbein 0:02

This podcast contains potentially sensitive topics including drug abuse, sex trafficking, domestic violence and other conditions of human suffering. Listener discretion is advised.

Speaker 1 0:22

Part of our old history you never know if there's a bear behind the tree. And that translates into greed, I think, fear and greed in each other's extension.

Speaker 2 0:42

The streets are unforgiving. They'll teach you a lot of good stuff. And they'll teach you a lot of shady stuff. But they are not forgiving.

Dizzy 0:55

Heroin aren't very sneaky. And now it's like it's insidious. Part of the reason I started using heroin more, because the speed sucked. The speed not at all enough.

Unknown Speaker 1:08

Sucks. Oh,

Dizzy 1:12

it's really weird to talk to you about this. It's really weird to talk seriously about to you about how I've wasted my life. It's just really weird.

Speaker 3 1:26

I mean, sort of phrase, it takes a village to raise a child. And we've just lost that. We're no longer people anymore. We're races were cultures where, you know, were segregated or separated from each others types of compassion.

Speaker 4 1:44

People don't think about the nuance and the gray between the black and white of a situation. It's just my bike was stolen. That must be a terrible person. I'm really angry. I'm going to call the police.

Rex Hohlbein 2:11

I'm Rex Holbein and welcome to you know me now, a podcast conversation that strives to amplify the unheard voices around us as a means for better addressing today's community issues. We do this out of respect for each and every person struggling. It's important that we stop dividing and start uniting. This begins by listening to each other, specifically listening to those that have been pushed away. For the past 12 years, I have met and spent time with 1000s of folks living homeless, countless life changing for me friendships were gained. I learned how destructive and baseless the dehumanizing effects of the negative stereotype are against ordinary people who are just like you and me. People who are trying to survive day to day without basic needs being met, people who are suffering through trauma often beginning early in childhood, people who have so often been simply thrown away. Why do we do this to each other? Why do we do this to ourselves? I don't believe it is because we lack compassion. Far from it. I think it's simpler and more reversible than that. In short, we are just not coming close enough to each other to feel the other person's worth. When we are across the street from someone who is different from us, or that challenges us, as in homelessness, our brains fill us with intellectual questions. What are they doing there? Why did they have all that garbage? Are they using drugs? Or maybe the most important question of all Am I save? However, when we take the time to cross the street to come closer, the intellectual questions are joined by emotional ones. Such as, are you okay? My name is Rex, what is yours? Or is there anything I can do to be of service to you? We need both our intellectual and emotional questions to gain the necessary full understanding of each person we interact with. In other words, we need to first connect. To do this, we need to come closer. We're beginning this podcast as a place for all of us to come closer. It is a place to better understand each other so that we can value each other more and ultimately take better care of each other. It would be naive to believe that we can rid our world of conflict. But we do believe that we can learn to resolve these moments of conflict in a peaceful loving manner through the process of seeing each other more fully. Each person who shares their story here will highlight what They feel as necessary to share. And for you to hear, the hope is that a conversation of respect, inquiry and compassion will follow. This type of engagement provides the necessary building blocks for equitable and long lasting solutions. We all have something to offer, and we all have something to receive, we won't find out what that is, unless we come closer and begin the conversation. What are we waiting for.

Lily 5:32

There are some things that happen in a person's life that change the way that you operate, and the way that you think. And even though I went through a horrifying experience, instead of having support, and nurturing, compassionate empathy from the people that should love me unconditionally. Instead, I was kicked out of my house by my mom, who told me that I was every, every disgusting thing that any woman would never want to be called.

Speaker 5 6:12

I wasn't always out here, I used to own a house, I was married, and all that good stuff, I've owned my own business, it's free service, there was there was something that was attractive to this life for a while. But that's all faded and gone.

Speaker 6 6:27

It's just, it's amazing. The power of community, when you can find a way to connect the people on the streets with the community. That's gold, it's done so much. For me, the life I'm living today is I couldn't imagine it. Five years ago, you know, when I was homeless, I could not imagine being here where I'm at today.

Unknown Speaker 6:48

I wouldn't miss the streets. But I don't know how to do it inside. I don't know, I don't know how to do inside. That's the biggest fear I have. I don't know how to be inside.

Rex 6:57

What's going through your head when you're getting dressed at Target, you're watching and observing. And you know, that you're kind of getting groomed to be sold.

Speaker 7 7:06

But I'm just trying to survive, I was they had the blinders on. Because we're just gonna keep moving forward, and you can't do anything, what's going on what's happening to us just keep going forward. It's like when you're climbing a ladder, and you can't look down. It kind of sucks. But I mean, a lot of money. 10 bucks, to hang out with me. 10 bucks a minute, 10 minutes minimum. You know, your brain is only in the moment, as much as it needs to be. You're going into a happy place that replaces just nothing.

Speaker 3 7:39

When I'm sitting there, and I'm like, fuck, I haven't eaten all day, but I'm like, tired of asking for food. And I'm like, Just Hi. You know, like, Hey, what's up? Like, how are you doing today? Like, have a nice day. What makes me happy? Is when I'm sitting out there on the streets. Was that hoping somebody today would hopefully acknowledge me? Not just acknowledged me as in like, here's a couple bucks, like, acknowledge me, like, see me for who I am? Why we're

Speaker 8 8:08

doing this, you know, is this right? Are we going to go to jail? Are we going to be taken away? You know, when are we going to eat? Just everything you can think of Mommy, when are we going to be in a bed? I couldn't I couldn't leave three kids alone so that I could go Panhandle with my husband, you know what I mean? So we would all be out there. All of us. Sitting on the side of the road. It was this hopeless, helpless, worst feeling of my life. You know, just having to expect other people to give me their hard earned money to take care of my family. I felt like, biggest piece of shit.

Speaker 9 8:49

It's something that's gonna happen. People are hungry. The entire premise of Les Mills was about stealing bread, because you're all great. And now we're back to the same thing. You know, we're living where we're dealing with people that are so marginalized, that that's it's a realistic option for them. That

Katlin 9:07

they're about to be kicking everybody out here about a week, or they're going to sleep in about a week. Yeah. It's kind of scary. Know where to go from here. We've been here for like eight months. Where do you think you'll go? I don't know. I thought they were gonna get housing, but I don't think they aren't. At least not for the people up here.

Rex 9:24

There's a lot of people up here.

Katlin 9:28

I think that's what the problem is. A lot of people don't understand just how many people there is at this point. Like, they can't just go out and give housing to all of those people. You know, the challenge that is, well

Rex 9:39

if they're going to give you housing, they would have to start base management as anybody reached out to you know,

Speaker 10 9:48

at the moment, I'm living in a fucking tent that is rat infested, and I'm addicted to a combination of drugs that would fucking kill If I didn't have, like literally like I could end up dead.

Speaker 8 10:05

Seattle's a little hypocritical as I say, I can remember coming and just closing my eyes and breathing it all in, you know and, and feeling this deep, just warm happiness. There was no judgments and no class system. No worries, man. I'm looking around now, you know, six years, seven years later almost. And that is such bullshit, that there's no worries, the city is so fucking full of worries. It is blind, if anything. And it's so full of hatred and bigotry and, and greed, just in total greed.

Kimberely 10:45

They need to pick up their things they need not leave needles around, they need to make sure that their surroundings are very proper and nice. And, you know, naked, containable, not gross and bringing a whole bunch of garbage away. I understand their views because they see that and that's the only thing they see. They don't see other reasons. They don't understand the reasons why. Find out the reasons what you don't know. So it's like I'm not homeless, because I am irresponsible or a needed drug addict. I understand there's a lot of people here that have mental issues, physical issues, struggles with things. people out here that gripe about stuff that, oh, I want my part that I was appalled when I seen these posts boards, saying that we're polluting the lake, we are destroying this is destroying that they're segregating us and not knowing the facts. And the reasons why these people are here. I'm here because I can't afford the rent. I can't afford the rent here. It's impossible. We even with two incomes, Hooters Ms. We still can't afford it. I mean, there's people here that work ailing go to their job, but they don't make enough to live in a home.

Rex Hohlbein 12:14

What you just heard was a sampling of voices from upcoming episodes. Tomas and I are excited for all the future conversations, this content will bring. In the meantime, while we continue to put this endeavor together. We invite you to join this community on our Facebook page. And to subscribe to this podcast wherever you get them. We also have a website@www.ru Nomi now.com where you can put a face to the voices you hear, and also read other stories of people we believe you'll want to get to know. I'll close by sharing a bit about my good friend Dinkus my gank think is grew up on the Olympic Peninsula and worked for years as a logger. Everything came to an end for him when a runaway log hit him in the middle of his back. He was medivac to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, died on the way brought back to life, had surgery and was then released to the streets with no job or housing. We became friends when he moved onto the bench along the Ship Canal below my architecture office in the Fremont neighborhood. He lived there for about two years before getting housing and then shortly after he passed away. His memorial celebration along the canal was attended by many who had been touched by Dinkus and his unique zest for life. One of his often repeated messages to those around him was if you aren't making one person smile a day. What are you doing