The Story of Isaiah

Steven: “Hi, I’m Steven. What’s your name?”
Isaiah: “Isaiah.”

Steven: “Nice to meet you, Isaiah. We’re in Syracuse, right?”
Isaiah: “Yeah, right in Clinton Square. I like it here.”

Steven: “What do you like about this place?”
Isaiah: “It’s very lively with the fountain park, shops, salons, restaurants, pubs, and they even got an ice skating ring close by… but it’s not like I can even use any of them.

Steven: “Why not?”
Isaiah: “Well, the last time I tried to enter the shop, they saw that I was just walking around and looking at the food. They saw that I didn’t have any money, and they said that I was scaring the customers away even though the aisle I was in was empty. The other places do the same and even though I’m not going to buy anything, I just want to look at the stuff.

Steven: “Yeah, I’m sorry to hear that… you weren’t being disruptive or anything and yet they still kicked you out because you were homeless… that’s cruel…how long have you been out here for?”
Isaiah: “About eight years now, but it’s been on and off. Sometimes I manage to scrape enough together to rent a room for a few months, but it never last for long. I’m thinking of saving more next time.”

Steven: “It’s a good thing to think long term. Do you mind sharing what lead you to be homeless?”
Isaiah: “I was in the Army for a while. I did two tours in Afghanistan. When I came back, it was like…I don’t know, the world moved on without me. I couldn’t find work, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even look people in the eye for too long. Eventually, I got evicted because I just stayed silent and slept all day. When they knock on my door, I realized I don’t have enough to pay the rent and my landlord won’t give me extra time because he was fed up with me.”

Steven: “I just want to start off by saying thank you for your service, Isaiah. That must’ve been such a difficult transition, and it’s very upsetting how our country isn’t doing enough for veterans. We should be putting in the same effort y’all did for our country.”
Isaiah: “Thanks man. It was hard, but you don’t think about that when you’re signing up. You think you’re doing something important, something bigger than yourself. And then you come home, and it feels like people don’t care what you I’ve and had to sacrifice.”

Steven: “Did you have family or friends to help you?”
Isaiah: “My mom was still alive when I got back, but she passed a few years later. She tried to help, but she had her own struggles. She had heart problems and we didn’t come from a rich family, so she struggled to pay her bills. My sister lives in California, but we don’t really talk. She’s got kids, a mortgage, her own life, and she doesn’t really want to be connected with the rest of the family. I begged her to provide for our mom, but it was too expensive.”

Steven: “Do you have any kind of support system now?”
Isaiah: “There’s a group of us who stick together. We call ourselves the “River Rats” because we used to sleep down by the creek before the cops started clearing us out. There’s Sam, who’s kind of like the mom of the group, who always making sure everyone’s fed, and then there’s Benny who’s younger, but he’s sharp. He’s the one who finds us odd jobs around town, like shoveling snow or helping at construction sites. We watch each other’s backs.”

Steven: “It sounds like you’ve built a community out here.”
Isaiah: “Yeah, in a way. It’s not perfect, but it’s something. You learn pretty quickly out here that no one’s going to survive alone. We may not have much, but we share what we’ve got.”

Steven: “What’s been the hardest part of being homeless?”
Isaiah: “The cold. Syracuse winters are no joke. I’ve seen people lose fingers and toes to frostbite. You do what you can like layer up, find a warm grate to sleep on, sometimes sneak into a bus station. But the cold…it gets in your bones. And then there’s the nightmares that happen when I’m awake.”

Steven: “Nightmares?”
Isaiah: “Yeah. From the Army. I still hear the sounds…gunfire, shouting, people dying. It’s like I’m back there, even when I’m not. That’s why I don’t sleep much.”

Steven: “That sounds so heavy, Isaiah. How do you get through it?”
Isaiah: “I just try my best to fall asleep. I think sleeping is probably the most exciting thing for me weirdly enough because I don’t dream. I just sleep and for like what, 7 hours, my pain disappears and also sleeping feels really nice too.”

Steven: “Yep, sleep is really important, but how do you fall asleep in this cold?”
Isaiah: “Like I mentioned before, it is really cold here, so I just stock a pile of torn blankets and sleep with Sam because of the body heat. We gotta help each other survive the best we can and like you said sleep is extremely important, especially when we’re out here with barely any food. Oh! There is something else I do. I like to run”

Steven: “Run? Like down the trails?”
Isaiah: “Sometimes. Sometimes I would just run in place because it’s too cold to be running far. Sam and Benny would join me in running and then we can sweat off the cold together, but the problem is it’s hard for us to get showers so we don’t try to push ourselves too much.”

Steven: (laughs) “That’s amazing. I’m glad you’re finding ways to work around it”
Isaiah: “You have to, man. I sleep and workout just like everyone else.”

Steven: “What’s something about your life that people would never guess?”
Isaiah: “Nah, I’m pretty boring, but if there’s anything it would probably be my chicken bake. I used to make the best chicken bake.”

Steven: “Wow, chicken bake sounds delicious right now. Do you ever think about picking it up again?”
Isaiah: “I’d love to when I get an oven and the stuff I need to make it .”

Steven: “There should be a shelter down the block. You can volunteer for them and cook for others! Anyway, is there anything that keeps you going, Isaiah?”
Isaiah: “The River Rats. We’ve been through it all together, but we’re still standing. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

Steven: “Of course. Being homeless out here, you have to rely on others. Now, if you had three wishes, what would they be?”
Isaiah: “First, I’d wish for a warm place to sleep, especially in the winter. Second, I’d wish for a chance to get therapy, like real therapy, not just someone handing me a pamphlet. And I wish that everyone who is homeless will find a home.”

Steven: “Isaiah, thank you for sharing your story. You’ve been through so much, but the experience you’ve gained can be turned into strength. I truly believe things can get better for you.”
Isaiah: “Thanks, Steven. Talking about it helps. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to pay it forward.”