The City of Angels

I heard the man walking slowly behind the bench I sat on. I don't need to hear his quiet moan to know every step he take was painful. I knew it well enough from the very small step he take and from the scratching of his walkers.

Just like the city girl I am, my initial instinct was to crouch my body and duck as he walked passed my back. You don't ever, ever open your self to possible assault. Race, gender, nothing matters here. The only thing that matter is how composed vs erratic the person is. But my heart sank with pain. His pain.

As he walked further away from me, as he gain more distance to where I finally feel safe, my heart grew heavier. His left feet was bandaged by a plastic bag, and judging from the growing stain on his jeans it appeared to be bleeding or leaking puss. His very used up blanket didn't seem to be of much use in cold LA morning.

And I wanted to comfort him so bad. I wanted to go and ask if he needs food because I'll be happy to give the beef and broccoli my bf gave me for lunch. I wanted to come and ask him how can I help him. I wanted to hug him or just hold his hand. I want to call medic because healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.

I can't. It was not safe. So I sat there feeling like a loser. I sat there crying internally for his pain. I prayed and begged the world to be kinder. But to him, I did nothing. And he may be right.

But a man tried to hold the bus for him. It didn't work because he walked too slowly. A Metro officer then hold the next bus for him, even waiting for him and helping him getting on that bus. The driver let him in without fare. This is the city of angels and people look after each other in our own small ways.

Yet to some, the transients and the homeless are merely point notes. It's something you mentioned to incite reaction, to get brownie points. "Look how much we care about these people that god forbid we have to interact with" or "Look how much danger these lazy good for nothing people possess"

They are human. They are living, breathing being. They have hopes and dreams and feelings. And yes, they can be dangerous like all humans do. Viewing them from only one point of view, either to overly romanticizing them or to make them a complete villain, is not helping the cause.

Despite the Omnicron surge, I have faith that we are heading back to 'normal'. I have faith that doors will be open again, and the ever relentless LA will rise and thrive again as the true hustler she is. But what about these people? How can LA thrive when her people are unsafe, are in pain?

The answer depends on how many of us Angelenos still kept our wings. It depends on how many of us can see the issue as a whole and thus able to make informed actions. It depends on how far we are willing to go to push the necessary parties, government, big businesses and industries to make changes. It depends on how ready we are to fight for this cause, both by subtle means like raising awareness or by sheer strength.

Because they are human. They deserve to be treated like one. This includes the right to be treated with respect and the obligation to treat others with respect. They are human with all their good and all their bad. A just, humane treatment means betterment for society as a whole. Not an extreme romanticized/villainous treatment, but a just humane one.

So tell me, do you still have your wings?