Jean?
Jean was by for the first time in several years. She is an NYU grad and homeless. Many of us have tried to assist her, but she is angry and groups that could arrange housing for her are thereby cut off in their efforts. For quite some time she ordered magazines for me -- just about everything published with slips in magazines for sign up. She apparently drove one of the Catholic priest residences in Brooklyn bats by buzzing and demanding food at 3 a.m. frequently. I think she spent some time in jail for harassment. I had spoken with them and others she harassed who tried to help her and eventually gave up, too.
Yesterday she asked me to come down and talk with her. I declined. What she wanted, I assume, was some money, but if one gives it to her, she puts one on her route and returns frequently -- others have told me. She has some family living in Harlem that can assist her -- or at least did.
I don't know what one can do with people so in need. I feel guilty rejecting her, but I am not in shape to cope with her face to face anymore.
I am amazed that she has survived so long. At one point someone beat her up badly.
Should we have some way to institutionalize such people? I don't know. She seems to get by with her life on the streets.
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"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
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Ed Kent [blind copies]
Yesterday she asked me to come down and talk with her. I declined. What she wanted, I assume, was some money, but if one gives it to her, she puts one on her route and returns frequently -- others have told me. She has some family living in Harlem that can assist her -- or at least did.
I don't know what one can do with people so in need. I feel guilty rejecting her, but I am not in shape to cope with her face to face anymore.
I am amazed that she has survived so long. At one point someone beat her up badly.
Should we have some way to institutionalize such people? I don't know. She seems to get by with her life on the streets.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent [blind copies]
posted by Ed Kent at 12:34 PM
3 Comments:
I have to say Ms. Jean Brown is my contribution to the family...raised as a bleeding-heart liberal overly trusting child, raised to trust everyone and help everyone, during summers I was working in Central Park at the Cafe serving customers as a summer job and was followed home by a number of mentally ill patrons. Jean Brown befriended me, seemed normal, until she got access to my family. Then she started claiming she was "agoraphobic" and needed my brother to take her home on the bus, then she started asking my family for money, finally she harrassed my family to no end until I recommended to them that they get an order of protection.
I would guess she is like most people who end up homeless - schizophrenic and thus prone to bouts of paranoia and even rage.
Maybe if my parents had taught me to be more wary and not try to help everyone i met they wouldn't have been burdened by all of these homeless beggars. My bad experiences from helping people are one reason some people call me "cynical" today.
- Sarah
Why don't you use aversion therapy - put an electric shocker on your doorbell so every time she rings it she gets a shock. Better yet taze her if she gets near you.
I think Jean's actual diagnosis is "personality disorder." In class they taught us the best example of someone w. a personality disorder is the woman in "Fatal Attraction" who does melodramatic things to manipulate the man who she is stalking - like slitting her wrists, etc.
So that is how Jean drives people away - she gets into their life and then immediately becomes ridiculously demanding - I can't go home unless you ride home on the bus with me; give me money; give me clothes; give me food." Her behavior is beyond annoying - it is criminal - how is it any different from being mugged - she hasn't used a knife yet but who knows what she'll do tomorrow...
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