Brooklyn Lifestyles

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The other day on my way home from Coney Island I passed the home of a very simple man. I stopped and went back and took this picture. It says a lot about the necessities of life. Things we need to live… 1. Patriotism (All the Flags) 2. Celebration and Heritage (Happy Saint Pat's Day) 3. Be prepared with a backup plan (2 Umbrellas) 4. Keep warm (Blanket in Bag). 5. Something to cook food with (Utensils in the bag) 6. Something to bring in light when darkness surrounds (Lantern in cart) 7. A place to rest. (Marble Wall) 8. Appreciation of others (Blue and white flag in back). 9. The ability to move in a moments notice. 10. Love and appreciation for the things God’s has made (beautiful flowers)

Things not included:

A big house with multiple heating and air conditioning units
A bathroom with shower
A laundry room with big front loading washer and dryer
A 52” TV and $200 a month cable bill
Cars for everyone in the family
A computer and video game console with high speed internet
Netflix
A big lawn that needs to be mowed
The IRS guy pounding at the door
Cell phone
A stressful job
And the list goes on…

Love & Loneliness.

As my dear homeless friend once told me “loneliness is the hardest part of being homeless”. Having people who love and care for you is an important part of life. Somewhere between homelessness and the extravagant American lifestyle is a place where love can find its place undistracted. Often we feel that we need to provide stuff to make our family happy. I think this is an easy out to avoid having to really love and serve our family and friends.

This week My Godson and his family decided to go for a bike ride. They had such a good time. Like his dad, little Eric loves to ride his bike and does it very well for a 4 year old. It cost little more than time to make this happen. There was so much love floating around this ride.

All of this is not to promote being homeless as a desired lifestyle, but to suggest that in a world that promotes excessive materialism to buy happiness, we should examine what is really important in life and make loving and serving those around us more important than providing more stuff to make us happy.

Brooklyn Easter

Last week I was riding the B35 bus which goes through Flatbush. For some reason this bus is a favorite bus for “Bus Preachers”. They usually get on the bus somewhere before Coney Island Avenue and preach for about 45 minutes until Kings Highway, to what is almost always a crowded bus. This day there were no preachers and it was overcast. As we proceeded Eric noted that there were helicopters flying low in the direction we were going. As we got closer the helicopters were swooping back and forth. Approaching the area you could see flashing lights. Traffic was at a stand still. 20 minutes passed as we approached the

disruption. Another bus driver approached our bus on foot. He told us that there had been a shooting and that the gunman was still at large. His bus along with another bus was stuck on the block where the shooting had occurred. The area was a commercial area and the gunman had fired the gun in several locations on this block terrorizing the people shopping there. As we turned down a detour block there was silence on the bus as people peered out the window at all the police activity. We finished the run 10 minutes later and started the return trip. We were again detoured around the two blocks. As we got back onto Church Avenue a Swat Unit was unloading police dogs. They were ready for battle. A block ahead of us there was a man pinned down in the middle of the street with handcuffs on. The intensity of seeing all of this made one woman say softly.. “God Help Us!, what is our world coming to?”. The tone in which she spoke was more of a prayer than a curse.

Fast forward to April 2nd, Good Friday. I am now on West 37th Street with my church family waiting for our annual Good Friday walk with the cross down Mermaid Avenue. The walk is 20 blocks through a crime ridden neighborhood. In any other neighborhood the walk might have been a little easier. It was a bright sunny day, and with temperatures in the high 60’s everyone was out along the Avenue. As we began walking, people stopped and looked at us. People would take pictures with their phone camera, some people gave the sign of the cross as we passed. People in bus shelters watched as they waited for there bus. There were about 400 people walking and singing “Were you there when they crucified my Lord”. As we walked along, people joined the march. Young gang members stopped and watched in silence. At times it was chilling to think how similar this was to the walk that Jesus took to his death. As Jesus took his walk there were common people watching this “familiar” procession of people being lead to their crucifixtion.

In the midst of the walk, a profound statement was being made. For a world that has slid to the utter bottom, God subjected his Son, Jesus, to be scorned and mocked and eventually murdered as an innocent man. In this world where people are destroying themselves and others, God gave himself so that we might be saved. “God Help Us!”, we cried, and he did.

Christ has Risen, He has Risen Indeed.

Fatal fire strikes Bensonhurst

It is frigid today in Brooklyn with partly cloudy skies. When I went to walk the dog, my neighbor told me that there had been a fire in the neighborhood that started at 5am, killing 3 people. The fire was a few block from my home underneath the elevated train. This is the news release…

Three Dead, Three Injured in Bensonhurst Blaze

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Three people are dead, and several others were injured, including a 2-month-old infant, in a three-alarm fire in Brooklyn.
The early morning blaze happened at 2033 86th Street in the Bensonhurst section of the borough.
The fire engulfed the three-story building on a busy commercial strip, consuming a ground floor restaurant and apartments on the upper floors.
The infant suffered a head injury and was listed in extremely serious condition, officials said. It was reported the infant was thrown from a second story window.
The stairwell of the building collapsed trapping the victims, according to officials. Firefighters found two of the bodies on the third floor, the third was found on the second floor.
Thirteen firefighters were also injured in the blaze. It was not known what floor the fire started on...

Update: In total 5 people were killed and 17 injured. The fire started at the foot of the outside door which blocked the way of any trying to escape. FDNY is calling the fire very suspect.

When I went for milk the site of the fire was before me. FDNY officials were still on the block and onlookers were across the street. On the street the story was a little different. The parents on the second floor dropped 2 children to safety. One child fell on their head causing the trauma. We can easily identify with the parent who was desperately trying to save their children realizing that they might die in the fire. I think our imaginations fill in all the blanks. The family was said to be a Latin American family. There was a group of Latin Men gathered across the street being held back by the yellow police ribbon. They were very quite and huddled together to ward off the chilling wind. Lights were still flashing from the fire trucks and the fire men were putting away the equipment. Reporters from all the major stations were on the scene trying to get a story of interest. With the smell of smoke in your face, the eerie reality of death hung in the air. When you looked at the building you imagined agonizing faces trying to escape the fire with no avail.

Death seems to surround us all. There is a nursing home out on Coney Island called Sea Crest. As nursing homes go it is clean and nice. Evelyn Moen, my godson’s grandmother was placed there in December. She turned 87 in December and was placed there after she suffered brain seizures. This was to be for a period of rehabilitation. As time went on it is becoming a final resting place. Because it is so close to my home, I am able to visit her frequently. We talk about old times and pray. Our prayer time is what she looks forward to. She is very content in her current situation, rarely complaining about anything. She has applied and has been accepted at the Norwegian Christian Home. Her son has not been doing well since his brother’s death and does not have the energy or the desire to facilitate her making the transfer. She is helpless as are we all since her son has power of attorney. Many people at this home are not as lucky as Evelyn. Most never get visits and are placed in a small room to sit and sleep away most of their days.

One man at the home would always talk to me. He is in his early 50’s. His name is William. William lived in East New York for most of his life. For nearly 30 years he worked at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. His job was to scrape up the gum that people would toss on the floors. He told me that the building was large and with the amount of chewers passing through the building everyday, cleaning up the gum was a full time job. Several years back William suffered a stroke. He has been in several homes since that time, claiming Sea Crest to be one of the best home.

William sits by the front door greeting people as they come and go. He says that it helps to pass the day. He also lets me know who has come to visit Evelyn. For that I buy him Hot Chocolate. William looks forward to being able to go home sometime in April. He is walking little by little.

It would seem that the events such as a fatal fire and the final days in a nursing home point to the fragile element to life. It is fragile and brief. Death constantly snaps at us. One of the great discussions that I have with Evelyn is about her going to be with God in Heaven. She passionately looks forward to that moment. However she says over and over that until that time God has things her to do.

Several weeks ago I was early to catch the bus with Eric. I went into the park and sat to be quiet. A young man in his 20’s sat on the bench next to mine. He set up a little drum and was practicing a rhythm pattern. The beat was simple and uncluttered with any other instruments. Listening I was reminded how the beat goes on. Life itself moves forward. Over and over again we are reminded to seize the moments that pass by quickly. My mother gave me a picture one time and on it read, “Only one life will soon be past, Only what is done for Christ will Last” Let us determine ourselves to be servants of Christ, loving and encouraging those whom we come into contact with.

Polar Bear Swim, Coney Island 2010 New Years Day

Happy New Year from Coney Island. Today is the famous Polar Bear Club swim. This is the day when everyone who wanted to take a dip in the freezing waters gets a chance. Now the theory is that the colder the day, the warmer the water feels. The weather leading up to today made this year very uncertain. December 21st was a snow day in NY with rain in the late afternoon. Snow was predicted for New Years Day. When I got up in the morning it was overcast and about 42 degrees. Around 9am I went to church. It was a simple service but very refreshing. Right after church, around 10.30 I headed to the boardwalk (2 blocks) and it was already becoming crowded. Generally there are a few thousand people who show up for the Polar Bear swim. It is all based on the weather. By 11.30am the weather was perfect, the temperature held at 45 degrees with the sun peaking out.

This was going to be a big day. I started working at the Grill House. Today my job was to fill all coffee orders. By the time I got behind the counter the crowds were increasing. The fire department had fortified the beaches with emergency equipment and had erected a heating shelter for people who froze themselves. We were so busy serving people up until 12.45 when the event starts. At that point people move to the beach area. I take a break and head out there to photograph the event. This year there were so many people it was hard to even reach the beach. The media was there with cameras and reporters gathering the latest information from the old timers who had 20 or more years of this under their belts. At precisely 1pm, the swimmers began their approach into the water. Hundreds upon Hundreds of them jumped into the water. The energy generated by the crowds cheering helped most to forget that they were jumping into a freezing body of water. People of all ages and ethnic groups enjoyed this event. As soon as most got half way in and felt the freezing water against their bare skin, they turned around and ran out. Screaming was heard across the beach. There were so many swimmers that they had to go into the water in waves. There is nothing like this event. For some of the swimmers this was a family event. There were a lot of dads with their sons and daughters. It was fun watching the fathers give their sons final instructions. I am sure these kids will never forget this meaningful event. As fast as the people were in the water they exited. By 3pm the beach and boardwalk were back to a normal quiet state with the sun beginning to set on a new year. At that point my work at the Gill House was over. I smelt like burnt sausage and greasy fries. My dear friend Steve who owns the Grill House gave me a hug goodbye and off I went.

I am not much of a football fan, so this little event really makes for a wonderful New Years Day. During the church service I was able to reflect on what I wanted to accomplish in this New Year. There is an enormous amount of encouragement that needs to be done this year. Lots of people are struggling and thirst for the Love of God that is given through His people. I am looking forward to the journey in this next year. God always has managed to surprise me with his creative management of my life.

May God bless your new year and give you many opportunities to serve His interests. Happy New Year from Brooklyn, USA

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Brooklyn Christmas

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Well, we got lucky, a big snow storm. How fun. Brooklyn is transformed during a snow storm. When I woke up on Sunday, getting to church was a mile walk away. It was about 8am and there was still a cold wind pressing against my face. I decided to walk in the street facing traffic. This made the walk a little easier. With nearly a foot on the ground, walking on the sidewalk was difficult. As I walked, I watched for the B82 which would drop me right in front of the church. The problem was whether I should risk waiting or walk to the next stop. I continued walking just in case the bus did not show up. After walking half way to the church the bus came. The driver let me off in a show drift next to the church. The church was shoveled out but very few people showed up for the early service. After church I headed to the boardwalk. Upon approaching the Grill House I saw a bunch of people gathered at the end of Stillwell. It turns out that a charity had set up a tables for poor people to come and get gifts for their children. It was still snowing and very windy. People were waiting in line in hopes of getting something for their children.

The boardwalk was mostly covered with snow. Very few people had been on the boardwalk so it was still very pristine. I walked up and down the boardwalk taking pictures. It was so beautiful. The waves from the ocean were still large and the wind was blowing the water all over the place. The fishing peer was completely covered with snow. They put up fences to stop the drifting sand, but this did not do much for the snow.

As the day progressed my godson and his family decided to go light looking around our neighborhood. The decorations were amazing. The snow added to the beauty of the decorations.

We are now headed towards Christmas day.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Barre.

Brooklyn's B16

The B16 is a bus that goes throughout a small area of Brooklyn. It starts at the Verrazano Bridge and winds its way through Bay Ridge then onto Sunset Park. It then goes through the middle of Boro Park and finally to Flatbush. The ride is about 1 hour from end to end. If you start from the beginning and go to the end you will be surrounded by some of New York’s most interesting characters. Generally people riding the bus in Bay Ridge are people who work there. Since the beginning of this line is in a very wealthy area most of the people living there do not take the bus. So you see a lot of home attendants, and general labor workers on this bus going to other neighborhoods that are more affordable to live. When the bus moves into the commercial district you begin to pick up people of all nationalities. There are many Asians who go to Sunset Park, Orthodox Jews who go to Boro Park and Island Black who end up in Flatbush.

It is very interesting to be on a bus with so many different kinds of people. Buses tend to be far more interactive than the subway. I think it is because they are smaller and have far less noise. People are often very helpful to people with children and packages, knowing that the arrival at their destination depends on the joint effort of everyone. The bus also provides for a captive audience. Street preachers often find this venue welcoming. People riding the bus will engage them as well. I think riders also like the excitement of having people entertaining them. Buses also have many homeless and mentally disabled people riding. This can be a challenge for riders as well as the bus driver who will have to eject them from the bus at the end of the line.

People in NYC depend on transportation to get to work. On average people travel one hour to and from work on the trains, buses and in cars. If one sat down with a calculator that would be about 3 months of 40 hour weeks each year spent traveling. If a person works from the time they are 18 until they are 65, they would spend nearly 11.75 years traveling to and from work. For many people that is lost time. Now a monthly pass is around 80 dollars. That would be almost $1000 dollars. If you drive and you have to cross a toll bridge or if you take the train from Long Island or New Jersey the cost for your commute is much higher. The funny thing about all of this is that no one ever thinks about what impact the “commute” has on us and our family.

As I walk along the water front under the Verrazano Bridge, I note that over 200,000 cars pass over the bridge each day. They fly by me on the belt parkway, hundreds of cars, as I walk. Many people are in a hurry, going to who knows where and for what purpose. We all have an agenda that seems so important to us. Yet in the end we only get one life. We have created a world where we spend so much time and energy and money doing stuff that we are left with little time to enjoy the people that are so important to us. Most of this revolves around getting more things that is to eventually make us happier, which we know never does.

Is there a way to live a simple life where we concentrate on the people we love. We concentrate on taking time for them, just being together. In a blink people can be taken from us. Our lives are so short and to give into the insanity that “The American Dream” equals a prosperous life is absurd. I know that most us just cannot stop and get off, but you can seriously re-evaluate your life and your aspirations, and put priorities back into order.

Have a blessed Christmas .... (Picture of Harlow)

Barre

Walk by Ocean in Coney Island

Today is Sunday, October 4th. It is a bright, sunny, beautiful day. After Church this morning I went to the boardwalk to exercise, which is to take a nice walk for about 3 miles. When I reached the end I decided to walk along the waters edge on the return trip. The ocean was gentle and had a salty smell. As I walked I could feel the cold water surrounding my feet and then recede. My feet were pleasantly surprised each time the water returned in a refreshing movement. The beautiful weather brought out many people.

As I walked the fog began to close in because of the temperature differences. As the fog gathered density I began to feel very alone as I walked.

Today is the day to recognized St Francis of Assisi. He was a man who saw the creation of God as an amazing blessing for which he could only give himself back to God in response. Here is his famous prayer.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

On the 25th of September at the back door of Queensboro Correctional Facility, my friend Keith was released after serving 14 years behind bars. As he got into the car he cried. Getting him settled has been a daunting task. First he needed a cell phone. He looked at mine and had no clue what to do with it. There were no buttons only a screen. I laughed at how much our world had changed. He had never seen Walmart, Costco, BJ’s or Target and it was a shock to see and deal with all the technology. He saved his pay for 3 years and came out with $1400 to start his life anew. We decided that my home was not a good place for him to stay since I already had Valentyn and Harlow. I began 3 months prior to his release looking for apartments. As the day neared I had a couple of good leads. During the first day, all of those leads fell through. So we went back to an Irish lady who I had come across who at first was very interested in housing Keith but later said no. When she saw him she welcomed him with open arms. She had a bed in her basement where he could park until he found better living space. This week after looking at several rooms, he found one that was close to his family and did not cost much. We moved him in yesterday. God gave us furniture. Valentyn’s mom moved and left a bedroom set and lots of other stuff for Valentyn. So I took her furniture from her room and gave it to Keith. While we were moving that, he spotted a brand new couch on the sidewalk with a sign on it saying “Free”. He has prospects for employment and will need to work soon to cover his rent. It is very hard to be released from prison.

Thursday while I was taking a walk as Keith was at the DMV to get an ID card, I went by the Grill House. As I got there one of the workers pulled me aside and told me that one of our good friends, Gary, had died. Gary was nearing 40. He had been laid off from a good job and for nearly 2 years had been unable to find work. He was discovered by his wife after he failed to pick up their nine year old for school. She frantically called one of his friends to ask him how she was going to tell her daughter. Steve the owner of the Grill House was really shaken up by this as they are the same age.

To his honor, Gary was a quiet and reserved man who appeared on the boardwalk each morning with a cup of coffee and several cans of cat food. Over the two years he began to take care of the Boardwalk Cats and kittens. They would wait at the same spot every day for Gary. Often Gary would bring his daughter with him to the boardwalk. Unlike other social gatherings like the office or on the train or other places where you are up against or with people, on the boardwalk there is a deep sense of community where people afford themselves lots of time to talk and integrate. Gary was deeply integrated into the lives of many people on the boardwalk. His daily presence will be deeply missed. Each year around this time people disappear for the winter months. In the late spring when people begin to convene again, there is always a sobering feeling that some never made it through the winter.

God reminds us early and often to enjoy those around us. Tomorrow things may change.

Be Blessed, Barre.