I may not be very old, but I know the NightClub Scene in downtown Charlotte, pretty well. The names of many of the clubs have changed, but for the most part, the people haven't. THE PEOPLE personally may have, to an extent (can still name too many) but the people haven't. Feel me? They all look alike, they always have, and they dress alike, and the people in the bus stations all look alike, always have. The people walking by,same thing. I think partying toooooo hard with fake i.d's at such a young age (when I say "too" hard, I mean it) made me blind to so much of everything. Going back a few years later, I had a different,sober outlook, and it changed my life forever.
Going to the clubs was great. We thought about our outfits. How much to eat so we would get drunk, but not sick. All of this on the way INTO the club, passing everyone we didn't know by. A lot of the crackheads sat at the bustops, we knew that, but that was there problem.
Going back a few years later I had a different outlook.
I was bartending a double on NEW YEARS EVE, and Andrea was at her Dad's. I would have gone out, and my roommate and I talked about it all day at work. At the end of my shift a big party was leaving and they had TRAYS AND TRAYS and tables of UNTOUCHED COVERED, catered food. Good food too! The most well known and trendy/yuppies and artsy's go to this one BBQ restaurant. It's nice, not too cheap, and has the best mac and cheese in town. The party was for a football player, and his groupies were -I Guess- not as hungry as he expected. I was closing, (we closed early that night) and everyone was in a hurry to leave and go downtown. I was stuck deciding whether or not to throw the food away. My boss said "take it home and freeze it". When I got home, I froze as much as I could, (I was a struggling single mother) but still had 15 jumbo trays of food, that were never TOUCHED. Ribs,Greenbeans,BBQ Chicken,Baked Beans, and Mac and Cheese. I didn't want to throw it out, but what should I do?
My dad told me to give it to homeless people, but then took it back. He didnt want me to get hurt.
When my roommate came in, she decided that she didnt want to party after all, she was beat. She said that we should def take the food to homeless people.
We thought they would be downtown under bridges, or on street corners. But wouldnt that be wasteful to hand one man a tray? So we brought paper plates and utensils.
WE couldnt find any homeless people under bridges, or on corners. WE almost gave up to have a drink at Red Rocks ( a bar downtown ) after we drove up and down those same streets over and over again. Not able to find a homeless person.
When we got out of our car there was a HUGE parking attendent with an afro that said "Y'alls car smells good,blah blah blah" We told him what we planned and he said "you came too late, the homeless people hang out until the shelters cut off time. If they arent in there by a certain time,they sleep in the cold. But you give me a plate, and I will chaperon you down the streets here they hang out the most, and get another attendant to cover me" We were thrilled!
He introduced us to some of them, who then told their friends,who then told their friends. We woke up some who were sleeping,and some shoo'ed us away for fear of being poisoned. But not ONE of them was ungrateful. Not one. Kristin brought blankets, and I brought some pillows for people (last minute we thought it was a good idea) and she gave a young girl her coat. We ran out of plates, and Red Rocks was more than happy not to only give us more, but to supply a HUGE tea urn of tea and cups. So many people told us there stories. Some were addicted to drugs, or mentally ill, but some just got sick of being in the "system" or were professional people who lost everything. One woman said to me" I had a family, who died in a car accident. I survived..but not mentally.As you can see" .Another man said " I was a professor of Literature,with a drinking problem and in debt. A lot of us are one paycheck from where I am".
When we drove away that night, we saw more white "to-go" boxes than you could believe. It was like confetti, and so many people smiling and talking, and looking for their friends to share with.
It opened my eyes, These people were always there, we just didnt notice them the whole time we were driving up and down the streets, now...how could we not.
Going to the clubs was great. We thought about our outfits. How much to eat so we would get drunk, but not sick. All of this on the way INTO the club, passing everyone we didn't know by. A lot of the crackheads sat at the bustops, we knew that, but that was there problem.
Going back a few years later I had a different outlook.
I was bartending a double on NEW YEARS EVE, and Andrea was at her Dad's. I would have gone out, and my roommate and I talked about it all day at work. At the end of my shift a big party was leaving and they had TRAYS AND TRAYS and tables of UNTOUCHED COVERED, catered food. Good food too! The most well known and trendy/yuppies and artsy's go to this one BBQ restaurant. It's nice, not too cheap, and has the best mac and cheese in town. The party was for a football player, and his groupies were -I Guess- not as hungry as he expected. I was closing, (we closed early that night) and everyone was in a hurry to leave and go downtown. I was stuck deciding whether or not to throw the food away. My boss said "take it home and freeze it". When I got home, I froze as much as I could, (I was a struggling single mother) but still had 15 jumbo trays of food, that were never TOUCHED. Ribs,Greenbeans,BBQ Chicken,Baked Beans, and Mac and Cheese. I didn't want to throw it out, but what should I do?
My dad told me to give it to homeless people, but then took it back. He didnt want me to get hurt.
When my roommate came in, she decided that she didnt want to party after all, she was beat. She said that we should def take the food to homeless people.
We thought they would be downtown under bridges, or on street corners. But wouldnt that be wasteful to hand one man a tray? So we brought paper plates and utensils.
WE couldnt find any homeless people under bridges, or on corners. WE almost gave up to have a drink at Red Rocks ( a bar downtown ) after we drove up and down those same streets over and over again. Not able to find a homeless person.
When we got out of our car there was a HUGE parking attendent with an afro that said "Y'alls car smells good,blah blah blah" We told him what we planned and he said "you came too late, the homeless people hang out until the shelters cut off time. If they arent in there by a certain time,they sleep in the cold. But you give me a plate, and I will chaperon you down the streets here they hang out the most, and get another attendant to cover me" We were thrilled!
He introduced us to some of them, who then told their friends,who then told their friends. We woke up some who were sleeping,and some shoo'ed us away for fear of being poisoned. But not ONE of them was ungrateful. Not one. Kristin brought blankets, and I brought some pillows for people (last minute we thought it was a good idea) and she gave a young girl her coat. We ran out of plates, and Red Rocks was more than happy not to only give us more, but to supply a HUGE tea urn of tea and cups. So many people told us there stories. Some were addicted to drugs, or mentally ill, but some just got sick of being in the "system" or were professional people who lost everything. One woman said to me" I had a family, who died in a car accident. I survived..but not mentally.As you can see" .Another man said " I was a professor of Literature,with a drinking problem and in debt. A lot of us are one paycheck from where I am".
When we drove away that night, we saw more white "to-go" boxes than you could believe. It was like confetti, and so many people smiling and talking, and looking for their friends to share with.
It opened my eyes, These people were always there, we just didnt notice them the whole time we were driving up and down the streets, now...how could we not.
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