There was a man that was homeless that would stay near the corner of Crenshaw Blvd. and Washington Blvd. in Mid City Los Angeles for many years. He would mostly stay under a small tree next to the liquor store on the northwest corner of the intersection.

I lived in the neighborhood and would always see him over the years. Sometimes I would nod hello, but I was never sure if he saw me because he would wear sunglasses all the time. A few times I would see him, I could tell he was having mental issues that he was trying to get through. Most of the time, however, he would stay to himself.

This past December, I noticed that he wasn’t in his area. A few days passed with still no sign of him. I had hoped that he found some help, but that isn’t what happened. I knew he passed away when I saw candles lit in his usual area. A small memorial came soon after.

The homeless situation is unnecessarily complicated. Rising rents. Neighborhood groups blocking new housing. A desperate need for mental health services. Out of control drug & alcohol addiction. It’s a major problem that requires many solutions. And it’s everywhere, not just in Los Angeles.

But what gets lost in the news reports and when you hear the negative attitude from the general public is that these are human beings. They come from all backgrounds and all ages. They all had childhoods. They had complicated lives. They all have endured the human experience. They are all real people. This is something that I contemplated as I looked at the details of this man’s life. A man that I had interactions with for years, but never knew his name.

His name was De’ondre.

The memorial was taken down after a few weeks for reasons that I do not know.

Crenshaw Blvd. & Washington Blvd., Mid City, Los Angeles, CA, February 2, 2023