17 Cheeseburgers
I asked the lady getting pulled out of the Sunday Friendship Breakfast door by an enormous Rottweiler, “I’ll bet he eats a lot?” The man following answered, “Yesterday Brutus ate 17 cheeseburgers at McDonalds!” That was the beginning of a heartbreaking conversation I had with Ralph and Katie yesterday morning.” Ralph announced that Brutus was a therapy dog, and that “Brutus saved my life.”. He told me he felt like he was going crazy, and had nightmares until they got Brutus 3 years ago. He said they (meaning the state? of RI???) got thedog for him, and “It cost $3000”. He said “I’d be dead with out him.It calmed me down” He said the dog was registered and Katie agreed. She quickly pulled out an official Therapy Dog Certificate and showed both sides with the dog’s registration number, and other information. She said “Brutus can go anywhere with us except the operating room.” She said that now Ralph can sleep at night, and he added, ”The dog lies right between us!” More of their story emerged as we talked. Ralph was a Vietnam vet and I told him I was, too. He was a medic (Corpsman),, as was I. We shook hands. He was stationed in Danang. Likewise! Small world. We discussed a little Vietnam vets talk, and I’m sure he was there. However, he missed the Tet Offensive, January 30, 1968, arriving a year later. We shook hands again. It sounded like he had a bad experience in Vietnam and after he got out of the service. (Maybe PTSD????) He told me he was working on getting his discharge changed to “Honorable”. He admitted he had had trouble with the law. So I asked the question I often ask folks I meet at the Breakfast, “Do you have a place to live?” She shook her head, “We don’t and we’ve been out on the street for 8 or 9 months.” Ralph added, “We live in the woods, in a shelter I built.” I asked where but he shook his head, “it’s a secret.” I asked if he had been to the VA, or to Operation Stand Down RI for help. I told them these people could help them find an apartment. He shook his head. He was vague about this and I think that meant they had not, or turned down for some unspoken reason. I felt so helpless. I asked if I could take a picture of them and they had no problem with it, and no problem if I posted it on Face Book. as long as Brutus was in it. Maybe it might help somehow. I promised I would bring them some prints next week. They walked off down Mathewson Street. I wondered why this man had fallen so far through the cracks, and for so long. For me Vietnam is a distant blur. My memories there were not bad. I was lucky. He was not. (click to enlarge photos)
