A few days ago I realized that I’ve been working on this blog for a year. I contemplated shutting down the project. I accomplished what I wanted to—giving a voice to people who often get ignored, while also getting great advice from people who have lived on this earth many more years than I have. I have a child now and life’s gotten way more complicated for me. Trying to juggle my family, my art, and making a living—all on very little sleep—can be overwhelming. But whenever I think about ending this thing, I meet someone interesting, or someone will email me recommending that I interview a friend or relative of theirs who they think will be inspirational. So, I guess I’ll keep this going. I may not be able to be as devoted as I once was to it but there’s no reason to not keep it going as I’m sure I’ll meet plenty of great elderly people in my life who I’ll want to share with the world. I also ask that any of you followers of the blog feel free to email me your interviews and I’ll put them on the site. My email: lifeadvicefrom@gmail.com.
The video below isn’t typical of my “life advice” interviews. Charlie and Larry, homeless brothers, weren’t as interested in giving advice as they were in finding help and justice for what they perceive was unfair treatment of their 97-year-old mother, Bessie. You can see the LA Times piece on Bessie here.
Charlie and Larry’s mother died under the care of Sherman Oaks Hospital. Their description of what happened sounds like she was tortured but I find it a little hard to believe. There’s no doubt that hospitals make mistakes, but beating and torturing an elderly woman who was rushed the hospital for a stroke sounds a bit far fetched. I feel for their loss, though. And, if there was any wrong doing I hope they get the justice they deserve. But a big part of me is having difficulty with their story. They say that before Bessie died, the Laugh Factory held a fundraiser to get their mother off of the streets and “all they could raise was a lousy $4000.” Am I being insensitive or does that sound a bit ungrateful?
I’ve often seen these guys driving around in their truck, their plea for help written on the windows. So when I saw them parked, I approached them and asked them to tell me their story. But I guess after spending some time with them, something seems amiss to me. It’s possible I’m being cynical but so be it. I gave them a shot and I’m putting it online for anyone to see. Judge for yourselves. Maybe all they need is work. If you can offer them a job, they tell me they used to work as grips in the movie business. Despite my feelings, I still wish these guys the best of luck. I can’t imagine how hard it is to live life on the streets and even if I feel they’ve squandered opportunities, it seems like they truly loved and cared for their mother.
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