Reach For Miami Beach

Been staying in downtown Miami for about a week now with Billy, sleeping under the Park West Metro mover station and it's actually been working out pretty good, the cops just drive by and the Metro security cops just walk by and don't say anything, very contrary to the Key West P.D. The main problem with Miami is that in order to get shelter you have to call a 1-800 number and see if they have any beds available which they haven't and they just tell you to call back in a couple of hours and keep checking and they always say they are full. My main problem though is I lost my I.D., ATM card, Food Stamp card, Library card, my radio and I don't have a dime in my pocket. This has been one of the most trying times in my life. But I still love Miami's atmosphere and am willing to make it happen. I know once I get on my feet again, I will be able to get a job and a place to live. I haven't lost hope yet, but it has been a very challenging time. One major problem in Miami is there are very few soup kitchens and you have to jump through hoops to get food. Billy and I got fed up with dealing with the security at the door of some of these soup kitchens that we decided to walk to Miami Beach where another K.O.T.S. patron we know is staying in Miami Beach at a shelter for the disabled. His name is Lefty, he lost his left arm and he gets a check on the 3rd and we figured he could help us out until we got our food stamps that don't kick in until the 7th. So after walking across the MacArthur Causeway (about 5 miles) we found Lefty but his check didn't come in until the 3rd we were hoping it would be on the 1st. So then I researched the library about the homeless services in Miami Beach and walked down to the office on 17th St. explained my situation and they told me to tell them where I sleep at night so that the "green" people can come find me within 24 to 48 hours to verify that I am homeless in Miami Beach. Which I thought was crazy but I guess people from Miami claim to be homeless in Miami Beach for some reason, which makes no sense to me because there are no shelters, food banks or soup kitchens in the city of Miami Beach. The only thing I can think of is you can get on the list to get into a shelter quicker with less competition. There are only 2 churches that serve food on Saturday only in Miami Beach. It's ridiculous, what about the other 6 days. I have resorted to shoplifting candy bars and getting lucky and finding or having somebody give me food off the street. It is pathetic. But I can't bring myself to ask anybody for change or food. I know if I don't ask I will never get but I guess it's a pride thing I can't do it but I did come up with an idea of playing buckets on the side of the street. Just yesterday I found an old sea grape branch lying in the park and it was about the right size to break in two and make a pair of drumsticks in which I did, they were a little big but they worked. I went down to Washington and Lincoln road to play my sticks on the ground and see if I couldn't play for some change. Unbeknownst to me, they were having a grand opening for TD bank on that same corner and TD bank had 3 drummers in the street banging on a big plastic garbage can and wooden stools but I didn't let that deter me I sat down with my Styrofoam to-go food container open and put the only change I had, 3 pennies, in there, so people would know I was looking for change and sure as shit, in about 15 minutes I had made 2.50. 2 dollars from a lady and 50 cents from a black dude just by playing on the concrete ground with 2 branches off of a tree. I couldn't believe it and it gave me hope and now I am searching for a bucket and some better sticks and hope for better weather, it's been raining a lot lately. Yesterday also, somebody bought me a beer at the bus stop, I ran across the street and retrieved it from the store, sat down, opened it up, took 2 sips and a Miami Beach cop walks up and says to pour it out. So of course, I oblige and then he asked me if I was waiting for the bus and I said I was and he told me to get off of Washington Ave. He didn't even run my I.D. in which I don't have anyway but in Key West they would of gave me the third degree. I went to sleep in my parking spot and I awoke to Miami Beach police on ATV's driving by telling me I got to get up and they drove on. That is one of the beauties of living up here as opposed to living down plus Miami has some of the most beautiful women in the world I have ever seen,... anyway my time is about to run out at the Miami Beach library,  ...:0 until the next adventure.....I'm in MIAMI BEACH BITCH !!!