THE BLANKET MAN - 2015 UPDATE

I have written about a Man who I call the Blanket Man twice before (in 2011 and 2013) but I haven’t written anything more about him for a while.

I saw him again yesterday. He was north of where I usually expect to see him. He was dressed in a jacket and had a scarf with several colours on it. His hair was very, very dirty. He seemed to look the way he has, or actually even a little better than usual, because some times he looks very grubby.

Sometimes he has a blanket or sleeping bag draped over his shoulders, is without socks, has on loose shoes without laces. On many occasions he generally looks very dirty and disheveled.

Recently he appears angry or raging, especially in the past year. At other times, seeing him, he is talking to himself and is very belligerent. A friend thinks he lives in a house nearby and says he is likely to stand on the street daring cars to hit him.

I continue to be dismayed and baffled by this person. His appearance seems to indicate that there are some occasions when he seems to pull himself together a bit more than other times. I think various store keepers help him out.

In the past, I wondered if and how he might survive. I have to think that he is on, or needs some sort of medication. He continues, however, to move about on his own power. In general he seems to be someone who needed a bath/shower and cleanup. Yesterday he looked in good spirits and was walking south at a good pace.

As I have often felt in the past, I wish I knew what I might do for him and people like him but I truly don’t know if any direct contact would be of any use or help.

He is not alone in living around my area and, at least 2 other people have lived on the street corner area for most days for, at least the last few years.

My imperfect solution is to donate to a service organization that either provides food or shelter, or both. This does not relieve my feeling of helplessness to someone I think must be unfortunate or having difficulties.

However, I feel that perhaps I can feel that at least someone more qualified than I am with professional training might help this Man or someone else I do not know how to help. 

I wish I could know my donations somehow help him or others who are perhaps like him in some small way.*





 *APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING - 2 on January 22, 2016