Tommy Johnson

No Sign of TJ

2009-02-23T15:20:00.002-06:00

Well it's been almost two months now since I have seen TJ. I did talk to him the day he was going to be released from the hospital and he sounded good.

He told me they were sending him to a home in the suburbs but he did not know where.
I have not heard a word from him since. I hope he is okay and doing what he was trying to do.
Make his way back into society.

Nick of time for the new ID card.

2009-01-02T20:51:00.004-06:00

For the past two weeks I have been out of town only to come back to find that TJ is in the hospital with pneumonia. He went to the county hospital on the 23rd and has been there ever since.

He had been ill for over a month and just could not seem to shake it off. The cold and flu medicines simply were not enough. Not to mention the severe cold snaps we have had here. The blankets wrapped in plastic cause moisture... So the constant cold and wet just got him this time.

TJ was lucky this time to get help quickly. His ID card helped speed the process considerably. Most of the time, if they actually do make it to the hospital, they have to wait. Most do not even bother and some die. It's the same every winter.

I talked to him over the phone. He sounded better. He said they were going to transfer him to another location tomorrow but he didn't know where. I will have to get the details tomorrow and will provide the updates.

Today I found his little doorway in the alley had been ransacked. Nothing was left. So when he does get out...he starts from scratch- again.

--
Anthony

A big thank you!

2008-12-20T10:17:00.007-06:00

To all who helped me out with my little Christmas fund- thanks so much. This time of year is hard on these people and every little bit helps. The smiles on their faces make it all worth it.

As you may have noticed I have a new little drive going. This helps with the small everyday things like shirts, shoes, socks, tarps to keep dry, cold medicines, etc... All the things we take for granted, and some things we never have to even think about.

Our weather forecast for tonight (weather.com):

TONIGHT
MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SNOW LIKELY. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP
TO 1 INCH. BLUSTERY. LOWS 1 TO 5 ABOVE. LOWEST WIND CHILL
READINGS 5 BELOW TO 15 BELOW ZERO AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SOUTHEAST WINDSAROUND 10 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING SHIFTING
TO THE SOUTHWEST LATEIN THE EVENING
THEN BECOMING WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO
30 MPH AT TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION
70 PERCENT.

--
Anthony

One step at a time.

2008-12-18T11:04:00.004-06:00

This morning I arrived at the coffee shop to a nice surprise. TJ finally was able to get his official ID.
As he states in the video below now he can get medicines when he is sick (which he is now). Before the homeless could go to the clinic. Normally they would be given prescriptions however without a valid ID they could not get them filled. Yet another catch 22 for them.

Either way he did get it. He had two made. One for him and one for me to keep as he loses his belongings. Mostly due to theft. This way when this happens (and it will). I have a copy to give him.

This pleases me.
--
Anthony

Another Day- Another Chance

2008-12-17T15:30:00.004-06:00

Hard to believe we need a place called Hell

2008-12-16T12:14:00.001-06:00

Now it's cold. Yesterday I woke up to 7 degrees F with a wind chill of -14. Right now it is 12 degrees with a wind chill of 5. At least it is snowing. It's warmer when it snows. The problem is staying dry. The blankets I have get damp and I have to keep taking them to the laundry to dry them. No one is out now and the ones that are are in a hurry so I can't make any money. I am left with a choice. Do I eat or keep my bedding dry? At some point dry bedding wins out. The doorway behind me is where I stay. Days like this I have to just hang out there. I have two blankets and some plastic to wrap up in. After a while I do warm up. But after a while it also gets damp.

I have been sick for a few weeks now. Once we get sick it takes a long time to get better. Cough medicine from the drug store helps- but again I am left with no money for food. This time of year food is at the bottom of the list.

It's not all bad though. Thanks to Lisa and Jessica I now have some new winter boots and several pairs of socks. My feet are warm and dry. I'm good today in that. Thank you ladies for your help.

For me, Hell is not a hot place (I wish it were). Hell is winter in Chicago. Hell is home.
--
TJ

The Holidays

2008-11-29T07:39:00.013-06:00

The holidays are a difficult time for me. Watching families out shopping and enjoying themselves makes me feel lonely. Family is the one thing I don't have...the one thing I can never have. But it is not all bad. There are good times. Last Thanksgiving was one of those good times.

The coffee shop is usually busy with tourists and locals taking a break so I try to always have something to sell. Some buy what I have and some don't. Around this time last year I met some students from Northwestern University. They each left with a can of Altoids.

We had a great time talking and laughing and I was able to entertain them a bit. I sing like a bird (even if I do say so myself). Opera is my specialty and they got an earful. They really enjoyed it and soon began asking questions. How long I've been on the street? Where do I stay? How do I get my wares? I've been homeless 23 years and I live behind this coffee shop. As for the wares, I won't say.

They also asked how they, as college students, can help the homeless. Clothes are what we need most...they just don't last long. They quickly wear out or get stolen. A lot of people donate to various organizations but, for one reason or another, the clothing does not make it to a lot of us. I am lucky. I do not have to rely on these organizations. I get most of my clothing from kind individuals that I have met over the years. Others are not so lucky. They have to wear rags.

The best way to help is to personally hand the clothes to us. This creates a problem...you have to actually have some idea of our sizes. To find out our sizes you have to talk to us. Not many will do this. But as I said, I am one of the lucky ones.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving this year.
--
TJ

About Billy

2008-11-10T21:11:00.018-06:00

Billy and Me

Billy's my friend. He sells news papers just outside the coffee shop. He's homeless as well but he stays at the shelter. He started working this corner about three months ago and we hit it off well from the start. Billy's an intellectual. You'd never know it by looking at him though. He sells papers from 6AM- 11AM every day. He makes $15 a day. Afterwards you can find him at the Chicago Public Library. He reads. He reads a lot.
Last Thursday (November 6) Billy didn't show. He always shows. Not that day though. Friday the rumor was out that he had killed himself. They said he jumped from a bridge into the river. News travels fast in our society, but it was still a rumor nonetheless. When something happens to one of us it never makes the news. Since he didn't work week ends it would be Monday before I could confirm anything. If there was someone new selling papers then it would be safe to say it was no rumor and Billy was in fact dead. Needless to say it was a long week end.
Monday comes and there's Billy. Alive- but not well. What he said happened was he and a friend were at the river having a drink. He was looking into the water and at that moment he decided he had had enough. He did jump in. Then I guess the freezing water made him realize that he may have over reacted a bit. He reached for his friend but the current swept him away. They said he was in the water about five minutes when a crew member on a tour boat spotted him. He was taken to Rush Memorial Hospital where he spent the next few days.
He was lucky. So was I because Billy's my friend.
--
TJ

Questions are always welcome.

Dark Days- Long Nights

2008-11-09T14:22:00.009-06:00

Winter is near...it's something we don't like thinking about. Winter in Chicago kills. We've had our first cold snap and I have my first illness of the season. My chest is congested and my back hurts from all the coughing. Chicken soup, warm bed and rest are not an option. Just going to the bathroom is an ordeal. Not to mention I still have to find a way to eat something. So I stay exposed and pray that a few people will find the kindness to help. The problem is there are not as many people out and about. The ones that are tend to be in a hurry. In a hurry to get where it's warm and dry I suppose. Most don't see me but the ones that do can see I am sick. They steer clear of me. I don't blame them.
--
TJ

As always- You can ask questions.

My Name is TJ

2008-09-20T15:35:00.005-05:00

My name is T.J. Johnson. I am a street peddler and performer. I am also homeless. I have been on the streets for over twenty years here in Chicago. For the past five years I have been working Madison Avenue between Wabash and Michigan.
Today is a good day. I have eaten. My clothes are dry. I have goods to sell. What more could I want?
Questions are welcome. Just ask.
--
TJ