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| I catch the package in the air and
nod my head in a "Thank you" kind of acknowledgement. Open it and it
is fresh and quite tasty. Realize that they serve lunch here and a few
people are getting a plate of food and bringing it to the tables to eat.
The place begins to fill up with the early lunch time crowd. |
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| The Man brings out a TV/VCR
combination unit and gets it set up. The video is started and, with
one more caution from the Man to be quiet, he pushes the play button.
The screen says "Rated R" and I wonder what we are in for. The movie
starts with a lot of violence and street fighting and then the hood of the
victor's sweat shirt is pulled back to reveal a young girl's head.
Hollywood values women kicking and punching older white men. Soon the
video shows an intimidating man handing a hand gun to another injured man.
The first man tells the second man what to do and I close my eyes as it is
clear this is going to be ugly. |
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| As I close my eyes I sense many
around me leaning forward anticipating what will happen. There is a
lot of foul language and urging the man to shoot himself on the screen.
Events run their expected course and then there is a sense of tension
release in the room. At that moment I feel like I have stepped into
the very depths of hell. Welcome to a down town homeless shelter at
11:30 on a Monday morning. |
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| *Names and location
changed intentionally |
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