MIKE

Posted by Ken on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 | 5 comments

He’s several inches taller than me (but who isn’t), five days of pure white growth on his chin and cheeks. Mike has a beautiful, ironic smile and the courtly manner of one much older than his forty-six years. He laughs easily but a tinge of sadness can sometimes be detected flickering across his handsome mug. If you have an eye for that sort of thing, you might guess that he is an “outdoorsman” but most probably wouldn’t notice.
Born in Albany, New York, he was raised in Corvalis by an English major mom and chemical engineer dad. Upper middle class childhood, he says. Him and his dad didn’t get along so he resisted most fatherly advice. I’m guessing that’s why his highest educational achievement is a GED.
As a young adult, Mike took jobs that involved driving. He speaks openly of opportunities not taken. An underachiever, he says. Then he developed epilepsy. The Motor Vehicle folks took a dim view of that turn of events and relieved him of his driver’s license. The street was only a few steps away so he went there. “I take full responsibility for all of the choices I’ve made,” he told me recently. Don’t hear that very often. His last seizure (grand mall) was about three weeks ago.
Mike calls himself the Rush Limbaugh (or Lars Larson) of the street. Funny concept from a funny guy. He and two other gentlemen plan to found a newspaper to counter what he they consider the “ultraliberal” bias of Street Roots (Portland’s “homeless” news biweekly). “Housing is not a right, but a privilege,” he says. This man fits no mold I know of.  Currently he writes a blog, please check it out, it’s amazing, and funny: http://pdxurbanoutdoorsman.wordpress.com/.
He’s always been an avid reader. That, coupled with the fact that his parents insisted that all their kids learn to express themselves clearly, led me to guess his educational level to be in the postgraduate range.
When I look at this beautiful man I see a kind, articulate, caring gentleman; worthy of respect, worth listening to, worth knowing. He’s my friend. Other looking at this same man might see something different…if they aren’t paying attention.

What Others Have Said...

  1. Mike a.k.a. Pdxurbanoutdoorsman 02/20/09 1:37 PM |

    Thanks for the kind words and the link Ken. As I write this comment I am also making a new post about you and your ministry at my blog.

    http://pdxurbanoutdoorsman.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/tattered-clothtattered-cloth/

    Know you will always have my respect and love.

  2. Mike a.k.a. Pdxurbanoutdoorsman 02/21/09 10:11 AM |

    Leave it to me to bugger the link I gave you to the post I recently made. Try this instead.

    http://pdxurbanoutdoorsman.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/tattered-cloth/

  3. Who am I? « Pdx Urban Outdoorsman 02/22/09 3:27 PM |

    […] http://www.homepdx.net/mike/ […]

  4. Pam Hogeweide 03/4/09 10:16 AM |

    I love Mike’s blog! He is a damn good writer, witty and insightful. I had no idea he has aspirations for publishing. Yes! I need to have a conversation with him about this. Would love to see more voices like his on the printed page….thanks for telling us more about Mike. He seems like a really great guy from what I’ve had glimpses of already.

  5. Vivian Brocato 03/23/09 1:04 PM |

    Love the way you see Mike and love what he wrote about you and Home PDX! Love, love, love you all!

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