When people “know” me since before my traveling days, or I meet someone who I’m trying to be delicate with about the fact that I panhandle, I feel like the grasp of the social interactions I have with a variety of colorful people is probably almost impossible. I’ve just got to say that from what I’ve observed there are a lot of people who are just so awesome. Fighting their battles and experiencing life as they can.
When we’re traveling I’m seen as homeless more than not. I hope you dont hear any negativity in that statement because my home is Matilda and I feel solid in myself to be roaming this earth as I choose. Though with my smile and my attraction of a bus, and even before then just with my willingness to go alone with my two kids and see it anyway, I’ve become approachable to so many beautiful souls and I feel so insecure writing of others because I know my perception wont do them justice. But I want to take this time to recall some very prominent people in my mind, whose light shines with me no matter the length of our encounter.
I was sitting at a laundromat. The children were entertaining themselves on the sidewalk while I sat on the hood. This lady came up to admire the bus. She was middle aged with graying hair and kind eyes. We started speaking about children and education. She was a teacher and told me about an incident with some children where she had the intense urge to help more, but her principal had expressedly told her not to and how it affected her especially since she was battling cancer. This lady, battling cancer and standing up for bullied school kids running away. In our conversation it came up that she had swedish citizenship but was afraid to go back because of her daughter might have issues adjusting. It’s a valid point, but this woman also had a secure job lined up there. That’s healthcare! As we spoke she became more sure of it being a viable option to actually do something so scary as to move across an ocean with kid whilst sick. I dont know if they moved. But this lady had this light. So bright.
One cold morning, before Galixy was born, I sat on the back of my Subaru as this sweet girl scurried by and plopped a big bowl of oatmeal and a couple dollars on my lap. She was heading to work to pay off her student loans so she didnt have much, but that oatmeal was warm and her smile was so bright.
All the crazies in the Dakotas. Like the couple in the crappiest truck and the cheesiest grins handed me a crisp new $100. “We just got lucky so you should too!” Or the lovely lady that dropped of a $10 bill and had a couple awesome conspiracy theories which all concluded in “we’ve got to stick together!” The solid oil rig workers that spend so much time away from their families…
I met this lovely artist at a playground in Las Cruces, NM. We traded some weed for gems and hung out a little while. Not long after, we ran into each other in Albuquerque. Besides the beautiful imagery she can pull out of a paintbrush, she stands up for the homeless and is now big on raising awareness about ICE and camps. She is such a strong woman, radiating confidence and acceptance.
In Georgia, I was invited through a farm guest to a farm and I probed to make sure we would be all ok with bus and kids infiltrating a homestead, no idea what to expect. A fiery, free growing mama and her two daughters in a big old house whose garden flourished. There was so much delicious food and freedom in the grasses. Project aplenty. The mama had her fair share of bad luck, your little boy drowning in a moment of confusion of supervision is not something I expect you’d ever get over, and she said it seemed the bad luck kept building around the property after the incident. Despite this her words held optimism for life and the world. Her daughters embodied her words of love and learning. I am so grateful I spent a week with them.
Mamas are special to me because we take on the world for our children and struggle to understand them. I know this momma that plays the mini harp and her daughter is so smart and friendly. And a mom that managed elimination communication with her bright star daughter who is just full of energy to tackle the world. A momma of an 18 month old who knows close to a hundred signs (she says less, but I’m sure he has some stored he’ll just pop out with as a surprise) and over 200 word. This momma learning her baby as they progress the strange path parenting is. A mom who is so strong she managed to remain loving through a multitude of bratty spoiled kid crap despite unimaginable abuse in her childhood and graduating to grandmother status. Another mom and grandma at a laundromat who just so lovingly adopted us and bought the boys pancakes and a couple pendants. A mom that’s doing 2 kids, school and a job. How is she holding it together?? I could talk about each of these moms and add more but I think it’s more important they know how bright their light shines.
Tuscon was fun because of Solo, the 70 year old train rider who built my front door from scratch but struggled with the humid cold and his lungs. And this awesome tiedye artist who just wants people to get along and give him some good company every once in a while… Also the two ladies traveling together for some shows, looking out for me from the very beginning and tentatively inviting me to Colorado for a carshow with bugus.
Once upon a time, when Peaches was riding with us, this guy came by on his way from starbucks to home. He had been to standing rock during the big protest. He was such a “simple” man full of humility wishing he could’ve done more. He gave us three standing rock t-shirts and all of the medical marijuana stuff he had purchased a while ago and had found no relief in using.
There will always be awesome people wanting to ope up to me about the awesome things they do, or the hardships they’re facing. I can’t encompass all of them inn one blog post. There are too many people I value and think of on a regular.
I love exploring this world and it’s inhabitants. Any view of your perception has value to me. I’d like to get to know you all. I have little time for technology, or little energy, I guess. But face to face is the best way anyway. I’m gonna give it a better try to write about the people on a day to day, though I should definitely ask if they’d mind, too.
This was my side projecct of volition, I’m also working on a “regular” entry. stay tuned.
Loving you!
Matilda the Bugus 