Doug
I met Doug the other day. I shared food with him. We talked about places that he likes to eat in Ann Arbor and I listened intently. It was chilly that day and both of us were bundled tight as we could against the wind. We spoke like civilized people and I looked him in the eye… him sitting, me standing. He told me that my name reminded him of an old movie. Isn’t Hannah a mermaid in that kid’s film? I thought for a moment and grinned. Perhaps, I said aloud, and not wanting to direct the conversation to an awkward end.
Doug is in his sixties and most days can be found chatting with passerby’s on the stoop of Borders on Liberty Street. Yes, Doug is homeless. Yes, Doug holds a cardboard sign. Yes, Doug finds his meals at soup kitchens. And yes, he has a name and a sense of humor and a new mermaid friend.
