I met Bill right outside the Equinox at Grand Central, right next to the poster exhorting people to “Commit to Something”. At first I thought he would be as despondent as the previous two people I tried to interview but then I noticed he was thumbing something into an old smart phone. At 68, he was the oldest person I’ve spoken to so far.
Q: How long have you been homeless?
A: I’m not homeless. I have a place to stay at night. I shared it with a lot of other homeless people.
Q: Is it a shelter?
A: Yes, it’s called Promesa. It’s in the Bronx.
Q: Is it safe?
A: Yes, it’s very safe. I’ve stayed in other shelters that are dangerous but this place is safe.
Q: In the other shelters, what is the worst thing that could happen to you?
A: You could get jumped. People could steal your stuff. You had to be on the lookout for the crazy people, all the time.
Q: How long have been on the streets?
[He thought about for a bit] Years. I’ve been out here for a long time.
Q: How did you end up on the streets?
A: I lost my place in the Bronx. I lost it due to my mismanagement. I didn’t pay rent. I was hanging out on the street. I was running wild. I wasn’t working when I lost it. It was after I lost my job.
Q: What did you used to do?
A: I used to work for the MTA. I used to do security.
Q: What’s the best thing that’s happened to you in the last week?
A: A man gave me a hundred dollar bill.
Q: Did he say anything to you?
A: He just said, “Don’t spend it on drugs.”
Q: If God came to you and said He would grant you anything you wanted, what would you ask for?
A: A house with a car and lots of money in the bank. It would be upstate somewhere, in Yonkers or Westchester.
Q: What would you want people to know about you?
A: Which people?
Q: The people who will read this. These people passing you by on the street. What would you want them to know about you?
A: That I’m not a threat to them. I’m a nice, quiet person. I don’t bother anyone. I say my prayers every day. I stopped going to church but I still say my prayers every day.
Right now I’m looking for an opportunity to make money legitimately. I still have hope.
I’m 68 years old. I took care of myself. I have high blood pressure and kidney problems, but that’s it.
I have three years of college. I never finished. And I have a lot of credits. So I got my education. I went to Catholic schools. I went to good schools.
I said good-bye to him but I told him I would see him again. I would look for him, I told him, when I have something better to offer him. It’s not going to be very hard to find him.