Author: James Shearer
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Two Years
By the time you read this, the second anniversary of the closing of Long Island Shelter will have come and gone without much fanfare. Yes, there was a rally by the Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee. A very well-done and well-attended one at that. We’ve even managed to arrange an upcoming meeting with the state’s secretary…
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My Mistake
A couple of columns ago, I made a mistake. It was hardly as big a deal as people want to make it, but it was a mistake. I wrote that homelessness in Boston had increased by 32% according to the latest city-administered census. I was off big time according to the numbers. It was actually…
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Change is Good
Every once in a while, things have got to change in order for things to get better. If you become stuck in the same old rut, things won’t get better. Trust me. That being said, next month SCN will be increasing its price to $2 for the public. Vendors will pay 50 cents, but will…
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The Band Is Still Playing On: Part 1
Yes, I’m aware that my title for this column is a play on the words of the title to a book and movie about the AIDS crisis, “And the Band Played On.” That film was about how, as hundreds of people became infected with the deadly virus, our federal government pretty much sat on its…
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Silence
The party conventions are over and the candidates have been chosen (not the greatest of choices) and we now move on to the campaigns, the debates, the name calling and those annoying TV ads for the next three-and-a-half months. But wait: hear that silence, boys and girls? Crickets chirping? That, my friends, is the sound…
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When Will We Wake Up?
Until now, I haven’t had much to say about the recent tragedies in Minnesota, Louisiana, Dallas or Orlando. Or should I say murders? After all, that’s what they were. Let’s not beat around the bush here: tragedy is someone being killed in a car accident or a natural disaster. These incidents were cold-blooded murder. Someone…
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See What I See
The morning after the night I spent on the streets, I found myself walking into Downtown Crossing in Boston. It was about 5 a.m. I grabbed a cup of coffee at the 7-Eleven and started walking toward the train station. I was walking by Millennium Tower and I suddenly wished I had a camera. I…
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Homeless again? Part 2.
I had a lot of responses to my last column. Thank you all for your concern. I’ve temporarily landed on my feet but it wasn’t as simple as one might think. First, one of my options fell through, as my past once again came back to haunt me. How something that happened when you were…
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Homeless Again?
Yes, you read that title right. I know, I can’t believe it either, but due to circumstances way beyond my pay grade, it’s a distinct possibility. Reasons? Well, let’s just say the system sucks like that, though my current living situation isn’t exactly ideal. I have a roof over my head, I’m safe, warm, dry…
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Remembering when
There are times when I find myself drifting back into the past. Some memories are good. Others not so much. But when an old friend passes, I drift back to a time that makes me laugh and makes my heart ache at the same time. There was a time in the early ‘80s when I…