I'm Busy Being Free

Anyone?

Joshua Tree

I notice all the good but…

I’m fired up.

For three weeks I have noticed him within a three mile radius, walking. Walking into traffic stumbling his bodily car down our main street, real cars swerving around him, me screaming “oh no!!!!” Yesterday at noon, two miles away, he was at another very major intersection stumbling on and off the curb, no attention to street lights, walking in and out of circles, back on the curb, back again darting into the street. Last night, walking the dogs, there he was again, talking and stumbling his way up our street.

Man, that’s a lot of walking, I thought.

Walking, walking, walking. Upright or down on a curb, wherever his “friends” lead him. He has nothing to his name, like an animal stumbling into the city after a big fire.

For weeks now, my husband brings a bag on our walks and picks up trash, while I pick up poop. We almost picked up human feces, next to feces stained socks in a gutter a block over. We don’t live in Los Angeles. We live on the tip of the outskirts and we still notice when things don’t feel right.

…and if you knew me, you’d know I support private animal rescues, a horse rescue (from the slaughter trucks, and the seedy Amish and race horse pimps) and my Instagram 24/7 feed is practically devoted to it. In fact, I am so into it some might judge that there are “other” causes. Like people. I have my people.

I am not a mental health counselor or a drug rehab professional.

Ring security, which we had to get when we lived in a remote area next to an animal abuser and a drug-growing clothes-free commune, was intended to be helpful. I wish I could unsee what I saw on that Ring. And. Nobody cared. We had to move.

Officially, as of today, only if you care about dogs, cats, coyotes, and oh, fireworks. Lots and lots of fireworks neighborhood posts, Ring is amazing entertainment.

Presently, we live next to an elementary school with a sweet park attached to it. My grandchildren’s favorite park.

In 2021, at another local park, less than a mile away, and very close to where our wanderer is wandering, this happened.

In my research of the crime, most witnesses described a “crazed man in the park with a knife.” I also surprisingly came across this. The crazed young man who stabbed a 66 year old woman and her dog to death, a beloved resident, ended up arrested, serving a life sentence “with” the chance of parole? was killed by his cell mate. Ricardo Saldivar’s murderer didn’t like him much and obviously there was no real help for Ricardo’s mental problems to begin with. Maybe the killer knew that.

We are living in Darwinian times, despite my faith that God does have a plan for me. For us. But not without the solid recognition of truth and discernment.

On March 20th, a local police department warned its residents “to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to enhance their home's security due to the new concerns raised over community safety.” We already knew our own sherif department couldn’t find the local antique store, an 11 minute walk away, after a robbery. 50 years in business.

Just in case: The word “vigilant” descends from the Latin vigilare, "to be awake, watch," from vigil, "awake, alert." If you stay awake vigilantly all night, you're keeping watch or keeping a vigil. A vigilante (pronounced vij-uh-LAN-tee) is a person who acts outside the legal system to punish crime.

After thinking long and hard, saying to my husband, how are humans everywhere left like garbage by our mighty leaders? (for the millionth time). Thinking how I really adore children, the sound of birds, and people walking their dogs and just about all the normal lovely life has to offer outside….

I decided to post the cleanest, fluffiest “resident information” to our Ring “security” app this morning (my second post ever. First being, you guessed it, we saved a dog. An apparent lab tested Beagle. Family came over sobbing).

I called our wanderer a “lost soul.” I did not describe him in any way shape or form. I never used foul language. I mainly wanted the community to be vigilant about letting their children go to the public park restroom alone or wander alone. We have MANY avid walkers on our block. I said “no help is coming” and it’s excruciatingly sad, and… to please pray for him and so many others like him. Man, was I a fluff. Dad would not have been fluffy.

I received a message 30 minutes later, from my “security company” that I had “violated one of these and not limited to these:” (using a “poetry” block for it :)

"Use of profanity (including acronyms)
Promoting the use of violent methods for criminal justice or prevention
Pursuing or confronting individuals
Political or religious topics
Graphic content that may be disturbing, including nudity, death, sexually suggestive content, or sexual assault"

I wrote the controlling word-bot back and said “apparently, your “security” app is only for lost pets and fireworks.”

It made me feel good for a minute and it doesn’t matter because they don’t care about all the real crimes they listed, like the last one? Sexual assault?

Ring just told me they support sexual predators.

Truth is, we live in a legalistic and ideological society that has ruined and abandoned people. We really need to understand this truth.

Today, I walked in circles talking to the walls and tough relatives pictured on my old bookshelf. As helpless as the wanderer. I had to write. It’s what I have. I want better for people. For children and animals.

I’d like to shove my Ring equipment up corporate’s arse, but I like dogs and cats and fluff, and wildlife, and often enjoy seeing them when I can’t sleep, crossing our driveway in the wee hours of the morning. I named them. “Mama,” the opossum, (the one hit by a car that we buried in my planter where a beautiful succulent is now growing), “Pepé Le Pew” the very large skunk, and “Monkey,” my squirrel, who taunts my Beatrice, the rescue hound.

Today, a dangerous “security company” told me to be vigilant. Trust me, I got the message loud and clear. We are on our own.

Five minutes after receiving my “violation” my Ring went off saying “two Huskies wandered into my yard, does anyone know these dogs?” and right now as I am finishing, DING… “are you missing a tan/black older female dog?”

Nope.

oops I need to edit, “DING DING” I kid you not. “Does anyone recognize this Beagle?”

Nope.

Is anyone out there missing a person? He’s wandering, often in the middle of traffic, hungry, dirty, goes to the bathroom outside? might rest in the park, has some pretend friends, doesn’t hear you. Do you know him?

Help.

Anyone?

I’m busy being free.

I started my day (before I was fired up) posting this to notes. Pray and stay vigilant and strong in truth.

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”

- J.R.R. Tolkien