‘Street People’ in Park

While in Balboa Park recently with my photographer husband, we saw a number of “street people.” Why not enjoy the sunshine in beautiful surroundings? Our park is for everyone. The first one we photographed was a young blond man who put down his backpack and removed his guitar to serenade any who would listen. A young black man stopped to ask what kind of work he could do for us. Because he persisted, we gave him a quarter for coffee(?) and he went on his way.

Walking toward the lovely Timken Gallery, we saw the next photo subject. Here a shabbily dressed young man had his music for a Handel sonata set up on a stand secured against the wind with a clothespin. Several stopped to hear his commendable rendition on the soprano recorder. I asked him if he also played Telemann and he simply said, “That will be next.”

In the audience was an unkempt middle-aged man with black hair down to the middle of his back and reeking of alcohol, who said “shhhh” to me in a very angry manner, as if I were interrupting the music. We dropped some money into the Kleenex box of the performer and went on to the lily pond. There, a well-dressed young lady, certainly not a street person, was feeding popcorn to the pigeons who bravely lit on her head and shoulders. What a picture!

It is most depressing to me to know that people in San Diego are homeless, without adequate food and shelter. In India and other underdeveloped countries I can understand it, but in the United States of America, the wealthiest land in the world, it is intolerable! What is being done about it? Have you written to your congressman lately?

MELBA WALLACK

San Diego