I never knew when Mama Lee turned into born and I do not keep in mind the extraordinary day in 1995 when she died, on the other hand I knew and loved Mama Lee in the direction of the ten years she turned into a homeless Vietnam veteran living on the streets of Santa Monica, California. Born in Texas, Mama Lee turned into a complete-blooded Comanche Indian whose married identify turned into Yvonne Starsky. Yvonne served as a navy nurse in Vietnam in the direction of the 1960s when our govt claimed that we had no girls in combats manner.
Well, perhaps not everybody loved her. One night as she slept in the doorway of the Culinary Union, Mama Lee turned into robbed. Upon mastering the identity of the robber, Mama Lee acknowledged that he neednt have robbed her since she would also have given him the cost if he had asked. I recall that to be true.
It turned into only in the direction of the last two months of Mama Lees life, that she turned into authorized to are living in a homeless shelter. After Mama Lee learned that she wished a center operation and she turned into able to relaxed a doctors prescription for vodka as her soreness medicine, the homeless shelter agreed to accommodate her. Unfortunately, Mama Lee died in the homeless shelter earlier she turned into able to have her center operation.
Mama Lee, frail and short, gave the impression under 5 ft tall as she hunched over her ever-gift walker. Because of her diminutive stature, she had to look up to many of the folks to whom she spoke. To me, Mama Lee towered over all.
I watch for your comments.
Mama Lee shared the little supplies she had with the homeless parents she knew. Recognizing the general bonds among all parents, Mama Lee acknowledged that the worst treatment a homeless adult would also acquire is to be left out by parents going for walks by. She spoke with love and about like to everybody who took the time to chat to her. Everyone, housed and unhoused, who knew Mama Lee, cared for her.
Thank you, Christine.
Although her cost turned into never returned, the robber did at last apologize to Mama Lee. For her area, Mama Lee failed to hang a grudge in competitors t her robber. The information of her robbery spread among homeless and housed parents. Mama Lee turned into never robbed as soon as again.
This turned into the life of a woman I reputable and loved. My homeless loved ones member, Vietnam veteran, Mama Lee.
Her use of vodka as a painkiller caused Mama Lee not to be first fee as a resident of any homeless shelter. So, for ten years, Mama Lee spent many days sitting on a bench in entrance of Santa Monica City Hall and slept in the doorway of the Santa Monica Culinary Union, then at the corner of Fifth and Colorado, in Santa Monica, California. During the harshest weather, the police would also from time to time take Mama Lee to jail for public drunkenness in an attempt to preserve her fitness.
It turned into near the finish of her 2nd excursion of duty in Vietnam when Yvonne stepped on a bouncing Betty, a small landmine that turned into meant to maim, not to kill. Indeed, the bomb destroyed the interior of both of Yvonnes legs. Upon her return to the States, Yvonne took Mama Lee as her street identify and used vodka as her soreness medication.