Rex Hohlbein 0:01

This podcast contains potentially sensitive topics drug use, and strong language listener discretion is advised.

Ed 0:13

We drove up it was we're gonna meet at eight o'clock and took a long drive up and went into a mall parking lot. So it's lit, but it's still sorted, deserted and waited. The suspense was huge, huge. Is this really going to happen? Is he really going to show up? Is it going to be another delay? Are we going to all this trouble? For nothing? Is there going to be an argument at the last minute, so he sat and waited tic toc like some kind of prisoner exchange or something happening in a deserted parking lot. And then finally, the white pickup truck drove up 2030 yards away and stopped.

Rex Hohlbein 0:58

I'm Rex Holbein and welcome to you Nomi. Now a podcast conversation that strives to amplify the unheard voices in our community. For the past 13 years, I have been fortunate to meet and spend a great deal of time with 1000s of folks living homeless. Through those conversations and friendships. I learned how destructive and baseless the dehumanizing effects of the negative stereotype are against ordinary people, people who, quite frankly, are just like you and me. In these episodes, I want to remind all of our listeners that the folks who share here do so with a great deal of vulnerability and courage. They share a common hope that by giving all of us a window into their world, they're opening an increased level of awareness, understanding and connection within our own community. The idea or act of mutual aid has been around for a long time, for a very long time, perhaps in the simplest form, from the beginning of time. Mutual Aid is nothing more than people coming together in community to take care of each other, often addressing basic needs, and human rights that are not being met. The barriers or the reason for needs not being met and or rights not being afforded are often systemic and political. The people who get involved in mutual aid are motivated by the injustices and want to take part in direct action, which includes providing services advocating for needed systems change, and connections through friendship. In the United States, we see mutual aid groups forming as early as the late 1700s, often by minority groups being oppressed. Today, there has been a resurgence of participation in mutual aid. The COVID pandemic Black Lives Matter and homelessness are just a few examples illustrating that the societal systems used to service are not adequately meeting the needs of our community. For that reason, people are stepping forward to get involved. In this episode, you'll be hearing from Caitlin, a young woman struggling through addiction, homelessness and loss. When we first met Caitlyn, she was in her tent suffering from a great deal of physical and emotional pain. She had an abscess located at her lower butt cheek, which was swollen and badly infected. In fact, she was burning up with a high fever. Even worse for her. She was emotionally distraught over a stranger having taken prints her dog, her best friend, Caitlin, was at a serious low point, her need for housing, drug rehab, and therapy were unavailable, all dead ends, she was slipping through the cracks. When people are in their moment of deep struggle, we all have difficulty in knowing how best to be of service. It can feel insurmountable. Each person in need has different barriers with different complexities and different abilities. However, what is common to each person is the need for human connection. It begins there. And with this connection, the best path forward, one that is often hidden, begins to reveal itself. A small group of people formed a community and began to get to know Kailyn. From those friendships, a path forward for her emerged. Let's begin by getting to know Caitlin.

Katlin 4:45

My parents were never together. They were split up before I remember it really. My dad was a drug addict. My mom was hidden drug addict. Like I think the first memory I remember Is my dad taking me to the father daughter? dinner dance sleeping in like we stayed just long enough to take pictures. And then we took me store to store to store to buy through to February. I was like, maybe 910.

Rex Hohlbein 5:14

And where was that? Where were you born?

Katlin 5:17

I was born in Everett. Yeah.

Rex Hohlbein 5:20

Did you have brothers and sisters? Yeah. i

Katlin 5:23

At that time, I had one younger brother. He was two years younger than me. And I was pretty much, you know, like, the parent role. Since like, you know, the parents in my life kind of really didn't do their job. I remember like cooking bread, you know, cooking for me and my brother, you know, it gets, you know, like, I grew up fast. In a way I guess,

Rex Hohlbein 5:49

Caitlin's mother remarried, but her biological father continued to come in and out of her life during her childhood.

Katlin 5:56

And he was always coming in and out, you know, trying to do what he thought a dad should do, like, just for appearances, pretty much. But he was at the time, like, he was cooking myth. And so that's kind of what his life was. Yeah, that controlled him. Yeah. And then I remember, like, the last time before he ended up going to prison, like, we've got a phone call my dad, my biological dad had been sleeping in high on top of a train down in Everett, and the train started moving so he tried to get off of it in happened to get sucked up under it. And it cut off his his left leg and his right arm. And like he survived it, the guy that showed up like to work like half an hour early and found him or else he wouldn't have made it would have bled out. Yeah. But still, it didn't stop him from doing what he was doing.

Rex Hohlbein 6:49

Was your was your stepdad a positive influence?

Katlin 6:52

Yeah, he was he he was the only like, real like, structure and like discipline I had. My mom was the type that Oh, you're grounded. And then like later that, you know, that night drives me to a rave with my friends. You know? That my stepdad Yeah, he was the only one that really kept structure and like discipline in the house. When I was 13, I was in middle school, seventh grade, and I got my first girlfriend. You know, she was a little kid with like, fake piercings at the time, a little goth looking girl. You know, she was smoking weed. And I remember crying at night, like so scared for her that you know, for her smoking weed and begged her to get off the weed and, and then like my mom, they later that year, sent me to go stay with my aunt in Alabama. Because of me going down the wrong path, which was a big mistake. My aunt turned out to be an abusive physically and mentally abusive alcoholic. And so the only neighbor within like 30 Miles was the neighbor boy who was 17 years old and a heroin addict. So I tried. I tried heroin the first time when I was 12. I did that for about a half a month before getting shipped back up here. And obviously I didn't have connections to get that kind of drug. You know, I didn't have connections to get any kind of drug.

Rex Hohlbein 8:13

So did you did you finish high school? No,

Katlin 8:17

I dropped out in ninth grade. After going to Lynwood High School for like a couple of months I ended up getting kicked out of there for fighting. And then they put me in scriber Lake High alternative high school, and I was there for a little while and ended up getting kicked out of there. And they tried to put me in the Step Up Program, which was at scriber Lake High School. And after, like a couple of days ended up like dropping out and not going anymore. after that. I started raving like going to like raves, party raves. And, um, I'd started using ecstasy, and then shortly after, like, you know, within a couple of years after those started using like, meth and heroin, so, yeah, 15 I had gotten a boyfriend at my first rave and moved out with him. So like, yeah, all sorts of fun. We had our own apartment and everything and was the older Yeah, yeah, I was 15 He was like 18

Rex Hohlbein 9:15

Caitlin is aware that the deck was stacked against her growing up that the people in her life and the circumstances she faced made it difficult for her. At the same time, she is quick to take responsibility for her decisions. You know, I'm curious and maybe you don't know the answer to this at 12 There's no way I could have taken heroin. Do you think that your upbringing and being around drugs or was there some hurt or anger within there

Katlin 9:43

was childhood stuff that happened that kind of like paved the path for that I think you know, and I'm not saying by any means that you know, excuses what I did you know, because anybody can go through what I went through and fucking you know, decide and become a doctor. You know, burnin said I decided to be a drug addict. I was I got to a point where I was taking like 20 to like, you know, 4050 pills in a night where ecstasy work you probably already are aware of this state plays off the serotonin receptors. So like I was in like a constant like numbness like just like blah, you know, like, I could see that, you know, I wasn't going down the path that I wanted to go because like I remember being a kid in Flushing my mom's cigarettes, you know? And like, you know, saying that, you know, there's two things I'll never do. I'll never, you know, never do hair when it I'll never do math again. I didn't want to be like my dad. And by 15 I'd already done it both. I don't know, you got I got too involved in the world itself and the crowd itself. Even if I wanted to stop, you know, I'd gotten the boyfriend that I like I said I moved out with he was only doing next this year when I first met him at the rate that I met him that but and he was scared of needles when I first met him, but like ended up going to jail well after like six months of us being together and one of our mutual acquaintances got him to start shooting up. And so when I got out, he was shooting up heroin. And it was it was bad. It was all bad. You know, I was making a lot of money doing like drug runs and stuff. Like I was enough to have my own department at the Chilean Lake Apartments, which is nice apartments. You know, I had a lot of money back then. And that's another reason it was addicting. You know, I saw the power in it. You know, it's 15 years old, making more than, you know, probably more than a average attorney. It's insane to think about

Rex Hohlbein 11:45

the amount of money Caitlin was seeing completely blinded her. It was fueling an evermore expanding and chaotic lifestyle, one that was filled with illegal and personally destructive activities. Caitlyn became a frequent flyer at the local jails. She witnessed friends overdose and die. Her own addiction had spiraled out of control. In hindsight, she'll tell you that she was a lost kid playing an adult game. Caitlin's life found a turning point when she was serving a lengthy prison sentence due to a guilty robbery charge. Well, inside she took advantage of an education program.

Katlin 12:25

I think the pinnacle point of like what really set me on a track to growing up. And I grew up in prison, I got my my good enough degrees of a GED. And I remember taking like like, like a test, right? Like in each one like you'll do once a week. And every time I come back from the test, my teacher in there would ask me, How do you think I did? And I said, I failed, you're probably going to sign me up again for the next week. And I got high honors on three out of four of them. And I was only a few points away from the math one to get in high honors as well. Don't know, I know. I'm very smart. You know, my pictures up at the Edmonds Community College and the ED cap office for summer quarter. 2012 I pulled a student of the quarter, you know, I was I got a 4.0 GPA. I was the highest GPA and my entire class which was filled up like a lot of adults, you know, you know, I I've always had a, like a drive for knowledge. You know, if there's something to be learned, you know, I don't see a reason not to learn it. Yeah.

Rex Hohlbein 13:28

Where do you think that comes from? Is it part of just your genetic makeup? Or is it the fact that maybe the opportunities weren't there and you're reaching out for them?

Katlin 13:37

The opportunity was always there. I just was distracted with, you know, other shit, you know, that really wasted a lot of time, you know? And sometimes I get on this like thought, like, stuck in the sight of like, oh, man, I've wasted all right, you know, like, they use it. And, you know, now I've got so little time and I'm like, wait a minute, Caitlin. You're only 30

Rex Hohlbein 14:02

Caitlyn got out of prison at the still very young age of 23. And despite the advances she had made, she was released back into homelessness.

Katlin 14:11

I had a like a guest so sugar daddy at the time, like he was he was pretty much there for like when Jay ended up my ex ended up leaving and going over to Eastern Washington to go back to stay with his dad while he was passing away. Like I kind of was found myself after being so codependent and like, you know, with him every day to having nobody, you know, and like out there on the streets alone. You know, no dog, no friends, no family, you know? And I ended up getting reacquainted with a guy named Ron and he pretty much you know, we were staying at hotels and you know, he pretty much saved my life. Actually. He was there for To me, like a lot of ways, like getting me off the streets being there for me, you know, Gaby, your friggin Camaro for going to detox like, what? And then I made the mistake of going and picking up j over at his mom's. And bringing him back from Olympia. He got Ryan to relapse on crack, which he wasn't using the first like year. year I was with him. So

Rex Hohlbein 15:26

you get out, you're 23. Ron really helps you move forward. get you off the street. And when How long did that last?

Katlin 15:37

Until J beat him up a couple times. And then I ended up going in for emergency surgery because I had air trapped in an abscess on my arm. It was from muscling heroin and meth. But ya know, I was in the aftercare after having the surgery, right. And I was supposed to be there for a couple more days. And I had my my pit bull. Leo, who I'd had for a while that our apartment and everything. Well, I get a call while I'm in recovery, and in my room after the surgery, and Ron says that he has to go into the hospital because something's wrong with him. And this is right as COVID happened, you know? And I'm like, Well, what about the dogs? He's like, they're in the car. I don't I don't know. You know, so I ended up having to leave against medical advice, to go take care of the dogs and like I said, he was my source of income, you know, and so when he went into the hospital, I didn't know he wasn't going to come back. And so I for the first few days, I was able to keep, you know, get a room for me and the dog ended up re homing Sadie with a good friend of mine. And I had Leo with me but it was freezing cold out like I had a Econoline 350 van that I had bought while I was with him and so like I had all of our stuff from our apartment in that van. It got your parking at the Safeway and shoreline for like a few days. I ended up getting a warning I needed to move it and moved it. And then ended up going to Everett with a friend of mine with my dog. And I come back and my my VM was gone.

Rex Hohlbein 17:16

Right before Caitlin's van was towed and impounded. Her boyfriend Jay was arrested on a warrant. She was once again all alone with nothing except her dog Leo. During that time, while out walking, a van pulled up alongside of her and asked about her dog telling her how beautiful he was.

Katlin 17:37

You know, they roll the window down. They're like, Where'd you get the dog? And I was like, I started talking to him. And I was like, you know, I bought it from a friend. But I just lost my place. And I'm gonna have to rehome them. And they're like, Are you Are you serious? They ended up pulling into their rich 99 parking lot and, and they showed me pictures of their dog who had just passed away from cancer that looked identical to my dog. But I remember the little boy saying their old dog's name. And Leo looked up, and then like, jumped up into their car. I was just gonna give them the dog, you know, because I couldn't. He was so cool that night, you know, is so cool for him. Like he was a short haired Pitbull, you know, and he would kibra At night, you know? And so I got they, they agreed that they would take him and I like, when he jumped up in the car, and he looked back at me, like, you're ready to go, you know, it broke me. Like, I turned around, and I started like hyperventilating, crying, and the lady comes up to me, and she's like, Here, he has to be like, 650 bucks. And I was like, No, that's not the point of this, you know, and she's like, just take it, you need it. And then like, I started crying even more. Like she gives me another 100 bucks. And like, I remember looking at him, just waiting for me to get in the car with them. You know, it was heartbreaking. Like it really did break me like it. It really broke me.

Rex Hohlbein 18:58

It's also amazing how much unbelievable goodness and kindness right like that moment, right? Because that that money probably was pretty vital for you at that moment. Yeah,

Katlin 19:09

it was able to get the book tell for like two weeks. Yeah, it was nice. It was really nice. In a way like is like, I didn't want to take in the money for that. You know, because then people would be like, Oh, you sold your dog. You know, you know what I'm saying? Like, but the way she did it, it made it feel like that's not what it was, you know, during

Rex Hohlbein 19:30

her motel stay. Caitlyn realizes it's time to end the relationship with her partner Jay. She's had it. But as with many relationships, it's complicated. Running in the same world. He continues to come in and out of her life.

Katlin 19:46

I'd seen everything that he he takes taken from me I'd allowed him to take from me because when I first got out of prison, like I had him come move in with me and everything you know, like Get out of prison November 14 2014. And I met my ex gay, December 7, and he was my relapse on drugs,

Rex Hohlbein 20:10

leaving J was a big step forward for kaitland. At about the same time, the federal government began issuing their stimulus checks for the homeless. It was a huge moment of opportunity, potentially life altering, some made the most of it. others not so much. Caitlyn bought a car to live in. She needed shelter.

Katlin 20:31

We were originally staying in like shoreline area, but like they were big on like, you know, anti homeless, you know, like literally that if they they caught you sleepies anywhere in like Shortland they would tell you, Hey, you can't be here. You need to go to Seattle. And sometimes they even give you a ride to Seattle.

Rex Hohlbein 20:50

Along with the car. Caitlin also got a new dog a husky puppy that she named Prince. Do you want to take just two minutes to just talk about Prince? No, come back to me.

Katlin 21:00

Yeah, he's a fluff but he's a what the fluff but is named Sir prince to for robbing? Yeah, no, he's he's my everything. Honestly, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be alive today. Like I've gone through hell and back. And there's been a few times within the past year that like, like, I I'm serious, I would I would have ended up if it wasn't probably this dog. You helped you find your way back? Oh, yeah. Big time, you didn't give me a choice. You know, you just because you feel like your life stops doesn't mean that he doesn't have to go potty anymore and doesn't need food anymore. You know, it's easy for me to not, you know, take care of myself, but not so easy for me not to take care of him. He

Rex Hohlbein 21:44

is honestly one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen. I'm not just saying that. He's just stunningly beautiful.

Katlin 21:51

He knows it too. Good boy. And he's such a cuddler. And how did you get prints? So I got prints when we were getting the disaster relief funds. It was a mixture of that. And then the stimulus check money because they originally asked for 12 150. So 1250 for him. But we talked him down to 950. We found him on an ad on Craigslist. Once I got him, you know, like he was only six weeks old. And I had my BMW at the time. He's, he's amazing. Like you. Like I said six weeks old. He was already potty trained. He potty trained himself. Like I swear like he is so beyond smart. Like, it's blows my mind.

Rex Hohlbein 22:32

There'll be people listening to this that will say, this woman is homeless. And she's got a BMW and she's buying a $900 dog. What is with that?

Katlin 22:40

That's a good question. Like, I didn't want to buy the BMW, the my accent I was with. It was his idea. I'd found a ad for a truck, as well as like, a fifth wheel. It was a truck, flatbed truck and a fifth wheel for like 1100. And they ran. And I wanted that. But soon as the RV that my ex had bought with his money that had been stolen from us, he pretty much you know, like, you know, forced my hand and getting a BMW and trust me like I see. I can't even tell you how much we argued about it. Like, I was like, why do we need a fucking BMW dude. Like, we can't have a place to live. And he was all about it. He wanted the BMW wanted the BMW and the BMW.

Rex Hohlbein 23:32

You were thinking practicality. And he was thinking image. When

Katlin 23:36

the stimulus checks came, everybody I knew all bought dope. They became dope dealers for like, a couple of weeks before they all fell off. And I didn't want to do that. Like and I knew that that would that would that was what would happen. So I wanted to get something that I would be able to keep, you know, something meaningful in my life and reason to wake up in the morning. I never, never would have thought that I would have gotten something as amazing as him. I had no clue. I was probably I was thinking oh, great. I'm gonna be up for like, you know, potty training this, you know, in my car and in the tent is gonna be fun. But nope, I got blessed. I got literally blessed. As much as I love him, and I would never change the fact that I got him nor will I would ever give him away or sell him. I will never suggest anybody get a husky.

Speaker 1 24:33

Yeah, but you're also obviously a dog person. So getting a dog. It wasn't like, Oh, I'm lonely. I'm gonna get myself a dog. You actually, you actually had dogs and you were and your you knew what you're getting into in this sense. Maybe not with us. Yeah, exactly. But it's a relationship that's important to you. Yeah.

Rex Hohlbein 24:54

Caitlin's BMW car or I should say home didn't last long. She got mixed up In an unfortunate incident where it was totaled and eventually towed, she was back in a tent now living in Woodland Park, she was still heavily using street drugs. And her now ex boyfriend, Jay, who was living in the same camp area was a constant source of trouble. At about the same time, Caitlin had moved to the park, a small group of people formed a community to do outreach, volunteering aid work at the growing encampment, where Caitlin was staying, they would bring needed supplies, masks and food on a regular basis to the folks living there. And maybe more importantly, they were developing relationships. Two of those folks, Edie and Katie did not know Caitlyn at first, but their paths were about to cross in a big, big way. I sat down with each of them to better understand their outreach efforts and help tell the story of what was about to happen to Caitlin and Prince. I'm

Ed 25:59

a playwright. I've been self employed for some decades, at a very low income level. But sustainable, please meet Ed made time over the years to get involved with what we call social justice, things. Just been wrestling with issues of privilege. And so I think I have to say, despite growing up what I perceived as poor, I made a certain amount of privilege in my life. And that gives me time to spend on other things. I grew up in a house full of love. Sort of lower middle class, meaning holes in my shoes, but not going to bed hungry. And one of my parents, my dad was at some level street kid, dropped out of school in eighth grade and so forth, described himself as a house breaker and you know, forced to survive in a lot of ways. So there's a certain inherited empathy for people who are outside the system of privilege at the same time. And it is also true that that a lot of the past couple few decades, I've spent a lot of time working on issues around Palestine and Palestinian Liberation. And being part of that struggle, which is 10,000 miles away. But I've been over there a lot has enabled me to be in it and outside of it at the same time. And so it has helped me understand systemically what privilege is about, and to see myself in relation to my own world in a different way. And understand, not just that it's nice to be nice to people, but that there's there can be an inherited responsibility for responsibility and repair, and solidarity, for those that are privileged for those that are a privilege. So

Katie (MUTAL AID) 28:14

I am the oldest of three children. I grew up in California till I was eight. And then we moved up here. My dad is an airline pilot, please

Rex Hohlbein 28:23

meet Katie.

Katie (MUTAL AID) 28:24

I grew up middle class didn't go a day without food, or my basic needs being met. So you know, recognizing my privilege and a lot of privilege in that. That being said, mental illness was still pretty prevalent in my life, both immediate family and with my grandmother, both my sister and grandmother bipolar, that kind of shaped a lot of my growing up. And also my parents, you know, getting a divorce when I was 18. And fighting throughout the house growing up kind of put me in a position where I felt like I grew up a little quicker than other of my peers. And I ended up going to live in Bellingham to go to school, but I really went there to get away from my parents, so I wasn't really ready for that. Yeah, fly the coop know, that was maybe a bad financial decision, but a good life decision for me to kind of get out, get out of there and experience independence, and then moved back in with my parents after that went decided to shift and go to school for graphic design, and then moved in with my partner in Ballard and that's where I've lived for the past nine years, which is pretty unique, I think, to people my age and Seattle to have the same living situation for so long. It's allowed me to really like route down and know my neighbors, which is something that my mom always taught me to do is to introduce yourself to your neighbors and talk to people and you know, my mom would be bringing the quiche over Were and like watching people's kids, would I watch people's pets? Like, just very my mom was kind of very community oriented. And I think I maybe pick that up from her. And so I have the privilege of, you know, knowing my neighbors and feeling safe and my community. And then in 2020, before the pandemic, I got fired from a restaurant job, because the new manager thought I was going to take his job, because I had opened the restaurant and everyone was coming to me for questions instead of him. And, you know, I bought this, this Kia Sorento, and I was gonna live in it and travel to us. And then the pandemic hit, and I was like, Oh, maybe I won't do that. And I started furiously selling masks, I probably said like 5000 masks,

Rex Hohlbein 30:46

just on the side, just as a, just a kind thing to do. It was

Katie (MUTAL AID) 30:51

honestly, my pandemic mode was like, it was my routine, it was like get up in the morning. So masks, watch what's going on, read as much as I can about what's going on. And then realizing that many people were really struggling and realizing that our government was not supporting us. And these are all things that I like, knew before, but I hadn't experienced on a collective level. And I felt like, it was like the proof that I needed to be like, oh, yeah, this shirt is fucked. And we are not, we don't actually have real community. And that made me really think about how things could be different. And that, you know, we're not imagining, well enough, what things could look like. And I think there's a lot of like complacency. And like just being like, Oh, this is the way that it is.

Rex Hohlbein 31:45

Katie's life was about to take another turn, she got involved with the Capitol Hill occupied protest, or now famously known around the world as chop. She started a medic station on all a street that turned into a large safety hub for protesters. She coordinated help and support for the people on the front line where she herself was taking part. I

Katie (MUTAL AID) 32:07

noticed how unhoused people were being treated through the uprising, and notice their displacement due to the uprising. And that was a hard thing. Because I was like, I believe in us being here for this. But also people, human beings who were living in this park can no longer live here right now, taking over and taking over. And I felt like kind of colonial about it, I was like, This is not good. We need to do something to show up for the folks that are have been displaced from this. And that kind of started my foray into bringing food to people and just checking in with people. And I remember using the wiffle ball analogy a lot. If you think about a wiffle ball, and all the holes and like water shooting out of all the holes from the inside, like an unlimited amount of water, and you're just like, Okay, I gotta plug the holes, but you only have 10 fingers. So you have to, you know, think about, is it? Is it? Am I making an impact just going around here and there and here and there and giving people sandwiches. And I kind of felt like no, I kind of felt like, like, Yeah, wow, people are receiving this. And they're grateful. And they may have touched someone. And they have been like, Oh, this is awesome. And that that's good beings spread. And but it wasn't, I wasn't getting to the point where I was like, able to see the same people again, and get to know them. And I felt like that was a void. So I decided to just try to go to areas near my house, where there aren't house people, instead of just all over the city like I was before. And Woodland Park is where I met Rachel, who introduced me to Ed. And that's how I started coming on Sundays to woodland. And I really liked woodland because it was a consistent time that we all met. And I got to know the same folks who are living there.

Rex Hohlbein 34:00

So and it wouldn't you were you were joining in on mutual aid, basically, is that right?

Katie (MUTAL AID) 34:06

I mean, we are what we're trying to do as mutual aid. I think I think that true mutual aid is more reciprocal. I would struggle to say that we were in community with people there I would say we were but we weren't right because we're outsiders coming in with resources. So there's already this like power dynamic. Yes, it was. We were trying to be mutual aid. That was the that was the effort. i That's why I say mutual aid efforts when I talk about it because I don't want to claim that we're doing mutual aid in the same capacity as people who are like, like if you look at like Latino communities where people are truly watching out for each other, they're watching each other's kids, they're sending each other money. They're there. They're coming to going on strike with each other at their jobs like that's more reciprocal

Rex Hohlbein 34:56

mutual woven and the fabrics going both ways. Ways. Yeah,

Katie (MUTAL AID) 35:01

yeah, yeah, we

Ed 35:02

met a lot of people and I over time the the population shifted, and other other great folks came in and there sort of came a time where I was the last of the original crew but had been replaced by a lot of other people and other great organizers, Katie, whom you met as well, and, and so I, I had occasion to know a lot of people there by name and be one of the couple of us that could kind of map out to people. And I didn't know Caitlyn, I hadn't met Caitlyn, I heard about her from somebody else. I met Caitlyn, when there had already been attempts to separate her from her dog prince, who was kind of a puppy, by that point, kind of a big puppy. And

Rex Hohlbein 35:48

I'm gonna just jump in the first time that you'd heard about this, this was by a group of people that were cleaning up trying to clean up the park. And they were thinking that they were doing the right thing by wanting to take the dog. Yes,

Ed 36:01

there's a whole history of all kinds of people coming through the park and stealing dogs from unhoused people and giving them to the Humane Society, which then is like having your car towed, and you have to pay a fee to get the dog back, which means

Rex Hohlbein 36:17

it's out of out of bounds that can

Ed 36:19

be well, a lot of people struggle. It's like your child, or what I saw people who have no money who struggle to assemble $300 to get their dog back in ways.

Katie (MUTAL AID) 36:28

When I first met her, she was having some pretty significant physical health issues. And like many unhoused people not really trusting, going to medical settings, hospitals or clinics, and struggling with her substance use and her mental health, and her relationships and just kind of general survival as well. She's always been someone who's incredibly fiery and knows, like, Isn't, is not afraid to say what she thinks. And I think that's really beautiful, given everything that she's been through, but that she hasn't been silenced, you know, that she still has her voice. Because I see a lot of people that don't. And it's pretty hard to get that back. Not impossible, but it's a journey. And she still has that and still has her fight. And so I think when I met her, I saw that in her I think Edie Zod and her to her dog was taken in a time when she was not able to take care of herself very well. And she needed her dog like to support her. And that was like her dog was her rock and that time and unfortunately, someone with power and money tricked her

Katlin 37:46

I ended up having a really bad abscess and getting a I was going septic which with blood poisoning, when really expect people to know what it's like but we you are going toxic. My temperature was 1015 and then it spiked to 1027 I was becoming delirious. And I'd gone to go to the emergency room and I'd been enough dope to make sure that I was okay while I was there. You know, while we get into the emergency room and they call me get go back to the where they take your vitals and I asked Jay for my stuff and he hands me almost nothing. And so needless to say we start arguing like we get kicked out of the hospital. And so I was so sick that like I made it to the exit slash entrance of Northwest Hospital and I laid down right there. And I laid there for like over a day I couldn't I couldn't I was too sick I couldn't make it to not specify and not dope sick mind you. I was sick sick from the I was dying, like I was literally dying was that I was going septic was the TV or whatever it's called blood poisoning.

Rex Hohlbein 38:53

Kirtland spends the night on the sidewalk in front of the entry gate to the hospital.

Katlin 38:58

Early the next morning, when the chiropractor ends up, pulling out, he pulls out it goes drives by us and then stops, turns around and comes back and parks like you know near us and exits his car and comes over and starts talking to me

Rex Hohlbein 39:13

just to jump in here and clarify. We've elected not to use the name or location of the person Caitlyn refers to as the chiropractor. We're doing this out of respect for him,

Katlin 39:24

you know, let him know what was going on with me health wise for the most part, you know, not really telling him why, you know, he's like, You don't talk to me for a few minutes. And then, you know, mentions about how cute Prince was and, you know, then touch asks me if I'd be willing to sell him to where I respond. Absolutely not. This is like he's like, my child is my everything. You know, I asked them if they have you know, it's like a kid when you sell your kid you know, usually I'll respond. You know, that's that question because that's how you felt about exactly, no you He asked me where I live. And I say I said, near Green Lake, I didn't specify where to send your Green Lake. He asked me about a phone number, which I did. But I said no, but if you want, I'll take your number. And if I ever do change my mind about Princeton, you know, I'll give you a call. Well, he asked me if I was hungry, and I said, Yes, sorta, you know, so he ends up giving me his number. And then he leaves and comes back with some Chick fil A, some, like chicken nuggets for me and prints and then like a drink and whatnot. And then he asked me, again, if I'm okay, and then he ends up leaving.

Rex Hohlbein 40:36

Despite Caitlin being at the hospital, she doesn't get seen by a doctor or get the needed help. She heads back to Woodland Park, her fever has gotten worse remaining over 102 degrees. At some point, to maybe three days after meeting the chiropractor in front of the hospital, Kaitlyn hears her name being called at the edge of the encampment. And

Katlin 40:59

that's when I hear my name. Someone says Caitlyn, and I look up. And that's where I see the chiropractor, and he's there. He's got his girlfriend with him. And these two dogs is two pitbulls, which, at the time, like I said, with malaria, I didn't realize it was in the middle of the night, like it. And I didn't put two and two together. Why is he? How strange How did he find me in the first place, but he's like, I had to come find you. But you know, I thought about it a long time. And I felt like if I didn't find you, and something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with that. And so he shows me the the online website worth his picture shows where he that he's like actually works there and whatnot. I wasn't intending on letting him watch him right at that point. But once we got to the car, like I said, it was all a blur, kind of because like how out a bit I was we get to his truck. And that's when like getting this license plate number. And that's when I realized that they are talking about watching right then. And I knew that my mom wasn't going to be able to come take him for another two days. And I wasn't going to make it that long. Like I can in my jewelry, I could tell that much, you know, because I'd had gone septic before and I almost died before. So they ended up taking prints and we exchanged numbers and whatnot. And I let them know that I'll be in there for a maximum of a couple of days, you know

Rex Hohlbein 42:21

Kailen heads to the hospital and is immediately admitted. The doctors performed surgery in the early morning and she spends the day in recovery.

Katlin 42:30

They wanted me to stay another night I had the gauze in the wound it was too painful to do let them take out so like I ended up leaving against medical advice because I didn't want to be in there for another night and be away from prints for longer. So I get out it was like little after 11 I message you know the chiropractor and ask hey, I'm at the hospital. I'm okay now and my mental health not doing so great. I

Rex Hohlbein 42:52

really need my prints back. Caitlin waits for a return text.

Katlin 42:55

He doesn't respond which I understand you know, it was like late so I thought you know that's probably why you know, he works a nine to five you know, well then the next morning early in the morning he pretty much he messaged me back saying glad to hear you okay, you know, I I work late my my job doesn't allow me too much free time. I get off it such and such I think he said seven or something like that. Let's make arrangements to get you your dog back with his words. Get you your dog back.

Rex Hohlbein 43:29

The exact wording of the text from the chiropractor was, quote, okay, well, anytime tomorrow evening, I'm free to bring your dog back to you. I'll give you a call when I'm off from work and have quote, We know this because Edie helped Caitlin recover the phone data from Caitlin's broken phone via a Freedom of Information Act request. There is also something else that Caitlin noticed that gave her pause while looking over her hospital discharge paperwork. She noticed the time she was admitted to the hospital. And

Katlin 44:00

it was like two o'clock in the morning, almost three o'clock in the morning. Which I was like, wait, I went straight from giving the dog to watch queue come straight here. So why were they there at that time of night it like after one o'clock in the morning in the middle of night with his two big pit bulls when they didn't even know where I lived for sure. And so I was starting to panic. And that's that's when it kind of set in, you know, I thought that I had gotten, you know, everything that I needed. There's no way that square bear is gonna, you know, break the law and steal my dog, you know,

Rex Hohlbein 44:34

joke's on me. The next day, Caitlyn waits to hear back from the chiropractor, per his text that he would call went off work.

Katlin 44:42

So 730 hits nothing. 830 hits nothing. Nine O'Clock hits and I message him I was like so it's up, but I don't remember exactly how I said it. But I contact him see, you know, going on. No response.

Rex Hohlbein 44:53

Four days go by. Caitlin's anxiety is through the roof

Katlin 44:57

and finally he messages me back and Pretty much a long line says that he doesn't know what I'm talking about. I gave him my dog saris I made decisions while under the influence, and pretty much started making fun and poking, you know, fun at me for how high it was. I've never seen anybody that high. So

Rex Hohlbein 45:18

he just like just flipped the switch when you became a different person. And his theory changed. Yep.

Katlin 45:25

I don't understand where he was mentally. But I don't honestly, I don't think I'll ever know if he really did think I gave him the dog or not. I know for a fact he knew it was my intent to get my dog back. And he just used that he used You took advantage of the situation, you know, when he saw me with a white little fluffy, adorable husky puppy at the entrance of the hospital that day. He from that day one wanted the dog. At

Rex Hohlbein 45:52

this point, Kaitlyn contacts the police for help. It's an act of desperation on her part, keep in mind that those in the homeless community rarely reach out to the police due to the friction that exists between living without basic needs being met. And enforcement of our laws.

Katlin 46:09

I called Seattle police. I talked to them for like, I talked to them for like 40 minutes telling them everything. And then after like talking to them and telling them the whole story. They told me Oh, it's wrong jurisdiction, you know, you need to call. And I talked to him. And I feel like I finally was getting somewhere. And at the very end of you know, telling them everything, they'd be like, wrong jurisdiction, you need to call either because the guy worked for them. That's the only address I had for him. But he lived it. And I handed him over to watch him in Seattle. So I was like, I spent probably close to six hours getting bounced back and forth to like place to place to place and it was like, so hopeless feeling, you know, because every time I'd feel like I was really getting an officer to listen to me and actually, you know, like, understood what was going on. And he believed me. You know, there was one specific officer that was a dog owner. And like, he really, you know, he really said that he really was going to help, you know, and then at the very end, he's like, I'm sorry, this is out of our district jurisdiction. And I could tell he cared, and he wanted to help, but like, I don't know, it really concreted the feelings of like, you know, when you're out here on the streets, you don't call the police. You know, that's, that's it's really looked down upon to call the police. You know, even if someone's getting brutally beat, it's still looked down upon they call the police.

Rex Hohlbein 47:39

With the power balance, tipped completely in favor of the chiropractor, and getting nowhere with the police. Caitlin decides to reach out for help to the mutual aid group that has been visiting the park regularly.

Katie (MUTAL AID) 47:50

She could have at that time just given up. She could have said, Oh, this is just this just happens. It's just another shitty thing to happen to me. And like many people do and said she was very much like, No, this is not right. And she asked for help. And I felt good that she was able that she asked us for help. And that she trusted us enough to ask for help. And that we wouldn't do what was done to her and judge her like, Oh, she's not able to take care of the dog. When she asked for help. It was not for us to swoop in and you know, do everything for her is that she wanted help with her mission of getting the dog back and wanted to consult with us on how that might be possible. And then trusted us trusted the methods that we propose to her. So I thought that was really cool that it really did feel like we were working with her on that, as opposed to for her. She

Ed 48:48

was messed up. Absolutely. And and it was very hard. And it was hard for her not to lose her temper and get angry about things and her cell phone kept breaking. And I watched her get mad at her already cracked cell phone and fling it down on the ground and think that's why your cell phone breaks all the time, you know. So it was it was hard for me to know what to do. But I got the story that somebody had offered to watch her dog and was now refusing to give it back. And so I thought well, the least I can do if you'll tell me how to reach him is call him up. And my first thought was, well, I think I had several mixed thoughts. Not all of which I'm proud of but but one thought was was to the one that prevailed was to call up and and say hi. I think there's been a misunderstanding. I appreciate that. You could meet Caitlin and think that she was incapable of taking care of this beautiful dog. But you don't understand that she has a community both In the park, have other people and from outside the park that are looking out for her that are trying to help. And so we also are concerned about people's pets. And my we know, Caitlin, we know Prince. And so let's let's, let's just figure this out and assure you that that Caitlin will be able to take good care of this dog. And that we're we're here as well looking out for Princess welfare as well as Caitlyn. So I was I was hoping that could be the thought I'm less proud of is some version of Do you know who you're talking to? You know, and that he would say, oh, a white guy who lives inside a house? Ah, well, this is different, you know. So I think that was mixed in there. But mainly it was to say, I assume you've misunderstood and out of concern for this creature. You've made this choice. You don't have to make this choice, and you're causing a lot of suffering. Let's

Rex Hohlbein 50:59

talk and good reason. Once that person heard that there was actually a support network, yes, surrounded Caitlin and Prince, that he would see the logic and the correctness of Yeah, letting the dog come back to me. Yes.

Ed 51:14

And got the text back in response of, I don't know who you are, I don't want to talk to you. I've been advised only to talk to legal entities and so forth. So at that point, somewhere in there, I'd reached out to you, and you and I talked and you essentially did a version of the same thing of trying to call up and assume the best assume that we can talk and figure this out. Personally, I kept trying to say this because all options were on the table at that point, including police and legal action. And I want to say let's not do that. Hi, Hi, friend. Let's not do that. Let's solve this another way. And he didn't go there. He wasn't happy. Yeah.

Rex Hohlbein 51:58

And I did get to talk to him. But ultimately met the same wall that you that you found, after several email and phone call exchanges, all of which were met with pushback. The team of volunteers at Woodland Park gathered to brainstorm next steps for helping Caitlin get prints

Ed 52:17

back. Several people on the team on our Woodland Park team had a similar thought which was seasol, Seattle solidarity, this organization that for years and years has done hyper local campaigns very particularly against employers and landlords. If a landlord is not returning the money or is overcharging or an employer is mistreating somebody, we're going to gather a community to target that specific place, put a little pressure community pressure, they've been doing this, their success rate is astonishingly good. And they have a routine they first write a letter, and they gather a group to grow, go in and say hi, here's our letter, here's what our letter says We wish you would make a different choice about your actions. And who knows that person might say those community and do a different thing. And then they say, if not, we're going to escalate. And that can be some phone calls, that can be some emails that can be talking to somebody's boss, one of their principles was to be able to escalate, don't use up all of your steps all at once. Leave them a move, give them the opportunity to make the right choice human out of several people on our team said yeah, let's let's go all Cecil. And so I knew them a little bit had participated in some of their campaigns, and so called them up, called up seasol and said, Hey, can I come to a meeting? And I wasn't thinking to ask them to take this on as one of their campaigns, but rather saying, I think we want to organize something on your model. Can I consult with you? Can I get ideas from you? And they were very open to that and receptive that we then started to plan? What can we do? And one of the reasons this was appealing to me as a set of strategies is that it could be it wasn't like we had to plan a rally and try to get 1000 people in one place at one time, it was possible to reach out and have people participate individually. And so could we plan steps that we could escalate and how could we avoid involving police, judicial system and so forth? Demonstrate community, demonstrate this community of carrying around Caitlyn, that she's not alone. You're not going to be able to get away with this because she has no voice no community.

Rex Hohlbein 54:45

Yeah. And you know, I have to say, it's really a model that I wish our larger community in Seattle understood better because to keep taxing the resources of police and our judicial system. It's crazy making right like there's so many things That is like, it's like to two siblings getting in a fight and right away screaming, screaming mom, they don't need to write, they can actually learn to kind of work it out and don't bring mom or dad into it. And in a way, I think we just, we down on one one so fast, and we and we those words come out of our mouths, I'm going to sue you so fast, the community can actually go back and forth, and in a way that is smart about it. And I just find that so beautiful that there's another there's an alternative to calling the police. We

Ed 55:33

wanted alternatives to calling police getting the judicial system involved. Caitlin had already talked to police about it. And that was a very big deal for an enhanced person to involve police in anything. So that just represented how isolated how, how despairing that she felt about it and how clear it was. She had saved texts. Somewhere in here, you also met Caitlyn, and she was in enough physical distress that you called 911. And got her into the hospital, I believe.

Rex Hohlbein 56:02

Yes, she she was Sheila I mean, I asked her I said you the following recording is a short one minute snippet of the moment when I called 911. For Caitlin, we want to give a warning that this may be difficult for some of our listeners to hear. Caitlin was in a bad state. If you remember, she had left the hospital early against medical advice to work on getting prints back. She was now in her tent, dealing with a serious infection. And still without her the

Katlin 56:34

only thing the only thing that actually means anything. My infection it's all my lower like right butt cheek. But now my lymph nodes, the ones that are right in the V my my abdomen, your legs. Yeah. The one on the right side. Those ones are so swollen it I can't even walk. Like it hurts so bad in my whole hip. Isn't it? This one? All right here? Oh, yes, it's reading like really, really hot. So I can barely walk there. Really, really bad. So are you able to call 911? Or do you want me to call? I'm gonna call or you can call I don't care. Either way, I already know they're gonna admit me. So I guarantee X amount that surgery and they're gonna want to keep me there for at least a few days. Thank you. Seriously, I appreciate this.

Rex Hohlbein 57:30

As Caitlyn is dealing with her medical emergency, Edie in the Woodland Park team start implementing their strategy to recover prints. So

Ed 57:38

well, let's see, where were we in the unfolding story? Oh, she had called police. And so we had to recover some of these these texts, from public information requests from them so that we had the evidence of what he did the police were not interested in taking it up, it was too small potatoes. And as we feared her status as an unhoused person meant that she was not worth their time, based off of the seesaw model, the first thing we did was get a bunch of people to call up the chiropractor, and leave messages, some version of give the dog back. Is this the simple thing asking people not to engage. If they got the person on the phone, he would certainly know what dog they were talking about. Very particularly, don't threaten, don't insult. Don't, don't escalate, don't escalate in any way in any way, deliver your message and be gone. Did a round of those. He sometimes threatened people back and so forth. But we got a round of people to do that. We asked people to just call once, don't don't anybody call repeatedly, he's going to get repeated calls from different people were demonstrating that there's a bunch of people who care about it. We then did similar work to his workplace, the clinic and where he worked. Hi, you have a person here who has done an unfortunate thing. More we think you need to take some responsibility for that as his employer. We meanwhile, we're planning several steps ahead. And so one thing that seasol does, if there's a landlord if there's an employer is prepare a leaflet a flyer, so that in the neighborhood of the restaurant, they can put fliers up saying this restaurant mistreats its employees this landlord mistreats their tenants. So we've done since done that, you know, just to draft that and have that sort of thing available. That was a couple of steps down the road to start deploying that either around his workplace or anyplace else, but we're still doing it and we started to plan the next step. A different In order than Cecil would have done, because we were starting with the the community calling up and demonstrating there's a bunch of people who are going to say, give the dog back, then let's go visit the workplace and give what amounts to a demand letter. We've already talked to them. So we don't have to go into much detail. But so he prepared the flyer that would sort of summarize and say, you have what amounts to a dog thief working in your clinic. And I'm sure you don't want people to think that this is a place that hires dog thief. So what are you going to do about that? We five of us, were available to go visit the clinic and, and we put on our nice clothes, we didn't wear suits or anything like that. But we gathered and made a plan to go in and went in at a certain time and asked the receptionist, if we could talk to manager owner, whoever's in charge here today, fully expecting to have a conversation and then to go, Okay, thanks, bye, we'll take it under advisement. That was, that would have been the victory condition for the day. Instead, the manager came out having already called the police, and invited them to come and stop us from trespassing in the lobby of their clinic. And we argued about that a little bit, that's unfortunate, and started placing some of our leaflets around elsewhere in the lobby, at least and say, This is too bad. And and the manager said, Well, this is not our responsibility that has has nothing to do with us. And of course, we said, Yes, it does have to do with you, it's your responsibility is the it's your public facing presentation here as well. And we have no responsibility to be quiet about that. So we hope that you'll you'll negotiate and Talk Learn More, consider taking steps about this. The chiropractor himself, apparently learned about this, maybe at the end of a session, came walking out past us, I think, with intent to meet the police in the driveway and say, arrest these people. So there was there was some little conversation with him. My partner had a long listening session, my partner happens to be a world class listener. And so sort of heard him out ranting at her in the sort of in the stairwell and we walked out and stood in the stood in the parking lot. We said, Okay, we're not gaining anything by staying here and waiting for the police to come and kick us out. So let's go regroup in the parking lot. And here was the chiropractor standing some distance away. I think I regret not taking the chance to engage him more. Several of us wondered about this afterwards. We did a little bit but we didn't make the decision. Let's go talk. Let's hear let's This is our chance to listen. And I think we several of us felt we let that opportunity pass to hear to hear what his story was. We heard a little bit and it was unfortunate what we did here. But we could have listened more now. It was an opportunity. So we stood decided what to do. Some people didn't want to wait around for the police to show up. Ultimately, we did. They showed up they went in and talked to people in the clinic. Mission

Rex Hohlbein 1:03:31

accomplished. The fact that the police had to come to the clinic, and management and the practitioner all had to interrupt their day. The message was delivered. Yes,

Ed 1:03:45

absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. It was interesting that at that point, one of our teams said and and we acknowledged that all of us felt, wow, he's never going to be persuaded. He's never going to give that dog back. It's not going to happen. And I totally understood the feeling. But I, as a longtime follower of seasol, noticed that I was just often shocked at their victories, that the victory in this kind of campaign often looks impossible until it happens.

Katlin 1:04:23

I really didn't know how much was going on. All I know is that I was meeting up with Ed like a couple times a week, just touching base with him like and I'm gonna be honest, like when when he told me that, you know, they were doing this, like, you know, cutting a bunch of people call or that they showed up at the guy's workplace. I honestly didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. And it made me cry. Like, because like, you know, you just want to think, you know, no one's gonna just do that for me for nothing. You know, I think that right there too, was a pinnacle changing point on who I am. You know it really fundamentally so you know,

Rex Hohlbein 1:05:02

just to feel that many people caring? Yeah. Well, Ed, Katie, and others had mobilized putting their plan into action. Caitlin was growing more worried by the day, she was scared that her prince would not remember her. A whole series of doubts and fears were taking root.

Katlin 1:05:21

I really was, I was so scared that because it had been months had been like two, going on two and a half months, since he'd been gone, you know, and he was a puppy. They're very, they imprint on their first year, you know, big time, you know, and he was still like, you know, less than a year old. Inside of me, you know, I was somewhat thinking, Well, maybe he is better off with him in a home, you know, maybe, you know, and all those doubts start rushing Yeah. I don't care what anybody thinks. I've done everything from day one that I can do for this dog to be a way he needs as an odor. You know, even when it comes to like, you know, if I didn't have money to get us both food, he was fed, he was never not fed. If anything, this dog ate better than anybody at Greenlake. Honestly,

Ed 1:06:12

it was hard not to imagine having to go to Katelyn, and give up and say, No, we can't do it. There's nothing else we can do. It was hard not to think about that. And that that kept me up at night, just the possibility having stepped in. There's an implicit promise, regardless of what was actually said. So that was that was really unpleasant. And

Rex Hohlbein 1:06:36

I would even imagine that telling Caitlin, that would be harder than actually continuing, like continuing Oh, absolutely. Anything would be the easier path, actually, just to keep hounding Yes. Yes, yes. Then then they have to go back. And yes, break that news to Kailyn.

Ed 1:06:53

And she was meanwhile, totally with this plan. She was because it was more and more people fighting for her. She totally got that she was she was a trooper hanging in there, trusting that we were working, believing what we say about moving forward, and the clock was ticking with with friendly, loving prince who might be forgetting about her and bonding with a new person, when it was getting when weeks were turning into months about it. So gosh, would it be too late in some way. And I had no sense of that one way or the other? Well,

Rex Hohlbein 1:07:31

weeks, were turning into months, things were in fact happening. The phone calls were increasing, even several from out of the country. And flyers were put up in the neighborhoods surrounding the clinic where the chiropractor worked. And then suddenly, something shifted.

Ed 1:07:46

And then we got a message from somebody in where the clinic is, who is a peer counselor for homeless veterans, because he had been homeless himself. And he therefore was the person who had patronize this clinic and was recommending in the physician to recommend other people to go and use this clinic. He had seen one of our flyers, so it was enough for him to get in touch and say, this is an extremely messed up situation. How shall I help and wanted to learn a little bit more and strategize a little bit more?

Rex Hohlbein 1:08:24

So he called he got in touch with you guys before he got in touch with the chiropractor? Correct? Correct.

Ed 1:08:29

So that he could understand what was the right move in terms of any plans that we were making. So several things happened at once. A new round of calls started coming in a couple of people saying we'd love to listen to you if possible. And then this peer counselor sending a letter to the clinic saying this is absolutely unacceptable. It does reflect on your business. No legal or moral right to this. I'm going to tell my clients not to patronize your clinic, I'm going to talk to my friends in the local press on the local city council, and so forth. So those things all happened within within some days, the

Rex Hohlbein 1:09:16

river just crested the shore.

Ed 1:09:20

So that was happening at the same time. And suddenly he was he responded to my partner. He responded to Katie, the CO organizers that him saying, Yes, we can meet and you you and talk. Yes, we can read and talk. And can you help me get in touch with Caitlin asked several people he reached out to the peer counselor and said can you facilitate me getting in touch with this person? But it wasn't clear if he wanted to negotiate or justify himself his his language and all the texts he was sending was self justifying a lot. I'm doing the right thing here but I'm being misunderstood. But I'm tired of it and so forth was a Sunday night or something like that, that Caitlin got in touch with me and said, the chiropractor wants to get in touch and give prints back.

Katlin 1:10:15

And he messages me saying, Where do you want to meet up, you can have the dog back, just tell these people to stop. Like I have, we didn't know if he was just messing with me. I don't know, it blew my mind. And so I think that's when I called Edie I believe. And we made the arrangements was it that night or the next night, it was the next night I think, can meet up in at the mall to kick to get him returned to us. And I remember fucking being so scared that he wasn't going to remember me.

Ed 1:10:50

So I went over to meet Caitlin and one of her friends named Joe was going to join us for the ride, which was good, it was a fine thing. When we got in the car and wrote up, she showed me the text, showed me the text. So that I knew it was all true. And where she had said, Thank you, we'll meet you at such and such a time. And despite all of this, I know that you've probably bonded with prints and in the time, and it's probably going to be really hard for you to be separated from prints. And there is a dog park, near where I live. Which was the heroic Katelyn to me. And he had said, Thanks, but I would prefer to never see or hear from you again. And he said a number of other things. Just about this has changed my attitude toward homeless people. And it could have been beautiful and nobody understands me, what's his message, I've been totally misunderstood in this situation. It's just very interesting to be on the other side of, of the privilege wall and see what that looks like. We drove up it was we're gonna meet at eight o'clock and took a long drive up and went into a mall parking lot. So it's lit, but it's still sorted, deserted, and so forth. And waited. This suspense was huge, huge. Is this really going to happen? Is he really going to show up? Is it going to be another delay? Are we going to all this trouble? For nothing? Is there going to be an argument at the last minute? Is there going to be a tussle at the last minute what's going to happen here? For Caitlin the suspense was still is Prince going to recognize me as he possibly going to? Is it possible that he could have forgotten me? Is he going to not want to leave these new people? So much anxiety from all of us? And so okay, how can we avoid a tussle?

Katlin 1:12:51

Edit originally asked me to stay in the car. But you know, being me, I couldn't. If I said, buy the car, like he asked, I

Ed 1:12:59

was not announcing on the on the lists to my team, hey, he's giving the dog back or anything like that. It could still go wrong, it could still go wrong. So let's just wait until until it happens. So lots of suspense about that. Therefore, when we got there, and we were waiting, I suggested strongly. Let me go over to him. Why don't you to stay over here. So there's no outbreak of I don't know what I don't know what in the situation. So he sat and waited Tic Toc, like some kind of prisoner exchange or something happening in a deserted parking lot. And then finally the white pickup truck drove up 2030 yards away and stopped. And we sat and wondered, anything can happen here. So therefore, okay. Let's do our plan. I'll go over and and talk. And I walked over and it happened that the truck drove up so that the driver's side was away from us. So I walk around the truck to the other side not knowing quite what I would encounter. And stood looking through the window at the person who's we had seen each other's face before. So he had reason to to recognize me. And then he opened the door and had a leash on prints. So he handed me the leash and I said I prints hi buddy took prints out they closed the door. No words are spoken. They moved away slowly. I think I saw them kind of looking back very likely sad at at leaving prints. And we all wanted to see what prints his response would be and prints saw Caitlin. There

Katlin 1:14:57

he barely stops for a second against us. It opens his door hence Ed deletion, he hops out. And that's when I walked forward a few steps start kind of like, you know, almost crying, and I squat down, and I say prince, and he then sees me, and he bought towards me so hard I think he gave to leash out of his hands. And like, I've just already crouched down and he comes at me and tackles me so hard, I fall back on my back. And he's like, licking me ferociously. Like in like whining, like, like, you know, doing the little Husky boiling, like, you know, spinning in circles, and like, licking me some more like it, I started crying, you know, like I was, I couldn't believe, you know, that we had I hated that. Prince

Ed 1:15:41

ran over and knocked Caitlyn down. jumped on Caitlin. He's, he's there about the same size. They're almost the same size now. And and hug them and we're crying and yelling and laughing and rolling around on the ground. Happiest creatures. I wish I was I was a little sad that that 50 More people were not there experiencing the moment.

Rex Hohlbein 1:16:06

What was Caitlin's? What were Caitlin's first words, do you remember?

Ed 1:16:10

I don't, I don't, they weren't to me. They were the prints. I took a couple of random not very good photos, just to just so that people could see them. And then and then you bet said, we got the dog back to to the whole team.

Katlin 1:16:27

We get in the car. And then that's what Ed reveals to me. I can't believe it worked. And I'm like, wait, what? You didn't think it was gonna work? Because like, he was my rock during that whole time. Like, he was so sure that, you know, we were gonna get the dog back just like, just wait. Yeah. And so like,

Rex Hohlbein 1:16:51

who's been strong for you? Yep.

Ed 1:16:52

I fought a lot of losing battles. I've chosen a lot of battles that were unlikely to win in my life, thinking they're worth fighting for, and so forth. Anyway, it's lovely once in a while, to win a fight, to do something that's worth doing and and have it work, we don't always have the chance to really help somebody out. Really, really, really do something for somebody. And I think several of us felt this, that we had the chance to help, we had the chance to have an impact.

Rex Hohlbein 1:17:27

With all the disagreements and difficult moments that arise in society, ones that come from the daily back and forth of human relationships, ones that we have all experienced, it's important to know, to trust that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have in each new moment. doing the best we can doesn't mean that we're always doing the right thing, nor that we should get a free pass when wrong is done to others. Rather, to just know that we're all on a steep learning curve, making mistakes as we go, learning how to be our best human self. For that, we can give each other space and grace to continue to reflect and learn. We reached out to the chiropractor, and while he declined to come on the show, we are holding space for him to reach back out to us to share his reflections. I recently visited with Caitlin and I'm extremely excited to tell you that she now lives with prints in a tiny home village. She no longer has any outstanding warrants or pending legal issues and is working on an agreement she made with her friend Ed to address her substance abuse. She is trying with all of her heart to be her best human self. And it is showing beautifully. So Caitlin Where are you now with drugs

Katlin 1:18:53

I pretty much like I've slowed way down compared you want the honest truth or you want like like the podcast truth I want

Rex Hohlbein 1:19:02

well they're the same. Okay honest truth and podcast chief.

Katlin 1:19:07

Was he called my case worker is supposed to be helping me get a another intake appointment but I still use but not nearly as bad as in as you can see talking to me. It doesn't have the whole day you sat over me

Rex Hohlbein 1:19:21

noticed that actually, when you walked up? You look a little bit different. You're you are way healthier. In fact, to be honest, I expected you to say I'm not using at all. Yeah, I did. Because you just you look, the feel the vibe that comes off of you. It feels like you have more purpose more direction. You're you're kind of just more present. Caitlin hopes to one day go to school and become a mortician or do crime scene cleanup. She feels with all that she has seen and lived through. She would love and excel at that type of work. And I couldn't agree more So I have one last question for you. When you think back on this whole experience with Caitlyn, what's the takeaway?

Ed 1:20:07

Being in community? What is what made the difference? If if Caitlyn even been by herself and somebody that was isolated on the street, and I had been by myself, I don't know that I could have sustained this. I don't know if I would have been willing to enter into a relationship if it was just me. So community helping community was what made it possible.

Rex Hohlbein 1:20:30

And which brings us full circle to mutual aid.

Ed 1:20:34

Yes, yes. What seems to be new in my experience is that there's a bunch of people in our larger community and region who are getting to know a bunch of different unhoused folks all over the place, and are listening to what they're saying. It feels to me as if there's at least some more people who are hearing the voices of people who've been going through stuff and can report on that, and can witness that as well. And so the, the bringing food and helping with supplies and stuff like that is nice for survival is a fine thing to do, and is also a tool for relationship building with another community. That's really what it was not just individuals with individuals. That's what made it possible.

Rex Hohlbein 1:21:23

We've included a list of Seattle mutual aid groups that you can get involved with, in the episode page on our website. You know, me now is produced, written and edited by Tomasz Biernacki And me, Rex Holbein. We would like to thank Caitlin, Katie and Ed for taking the time to speak with us. You know, me now has a Facebook and Instagram page where you can join in on the conversation. We also have a website at you know me now.com Where you can see photos of Caitlin and prints together, as well as Katie and Ed. We also have stories of other folks we feel you should get to know. Thanks as always for listening