November 6, 2023 • 33 mins
We all think we know what it’s like to be homeless…but most of us ain’t got a clue. Today Michael talks to an authentic homeless dude. Can one be inspired by one of lessor station? Let’s talk about it.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M hm, who you all ready?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Let's go well, so missus. Michael called this world started
doing venice each now he reached in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
He'll make you left.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Take the stomach cars, superfly, nice guys.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Praying to me to work. Trust kidd, he ain't ready
for the stars. Hearts sweater and oh g three times.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
This thing on beginning. Whether you win now house, you
want your brother out?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Ho's a dinner on your job and your brother.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I mean it's a reb.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Michael Taus said, everybody call yes.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Michael Taus had everybody I call yes, Michael Saus say everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
You know what shin.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Called Michael fuck said, everybody called Michael Tau said everybody
Michael to say that my body, everybody, everybody, and you
know where you are. You know you a stop.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Please don't go too far because you are visiting me.
I don't even know what I'm doing. I start crazy
sometimes I don't even have no certain way I want
to start. I just come in and say, hey, everybody,
welcome to Michael talks to everybody. I hope you having
a supercliprate list xpladocious kind of day like I am.
We talked to everybody here and today one of the
most unique gentlemen. Out of all the folks that we've interviewed,
(01:19):
We've never interviewed someone who was homeless or I don't know
if you want to call it homeless without a home.
I don't even know what the terminology is for it today,
but I know that I've spent my life working.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
With homeless people, helping homeless people.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
When I want to star search one hundred thousand, I
immediately gave half to the homeless.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
When I've been thinking about it now. My family wasn't happy.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Shoot, when my brothers said, motherfucker, you could have gave
that half to us, you know. But I try to
make a point of helping homeless people wherever I go.
I have this thing I do where when I eat
a gourmet meal, I never eat the whole meal.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I as soon as they bring the meal, I have
them bring me.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
A to go box, and if I food with the food,
I separated and give a half to the home I
put in the box because I don't like giving people food.
You done picked all on the jewte on it, and shit,
now you're gonna give it to somebody and think they
want it.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I want to look nice I want to be presentable,
you know.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
And when I used to be on Venice Beach doing comedy,
one of my practices every morning when.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I would head down to the beach, I'd buy.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Ten breakfasts for the homeless. Now they only called nine
to niner cent. And you ain't getting no meat, but
you got two piece of toads, you got eggs, you
got potatoes. And when somebody's sleeping out on Venice under
a bench, that's a motherfuger meal. So I say all
this just to say I'm always very interested in the
plight of the homeless, that I always want to help
them because most of us, I only shot two paychecks
(02:41):
away from me a homeless I damn self. But I
know so many people never even talk to homeless people.
They won't look them in the face, they certainly won't
give them nothing. Now look the other way if they
talk to them.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
And so so many people never even experienced a conversation
with a homeless person. So I said today, I want
to talk to a homeless dude. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
And this particular gentlemen, I've been knowing him for a
couple of years now, he's been homeless in this area
that we're in. He tells me, like have been a
little over two years, but recently he got a job.
A little recent, a little more recent than that, he
got an apartment. I was so happy when he got
the apartment, you know. And sometimes he helps me around here,
and he's just a great guy. It's a positive attitude
(03:20):
like you wouldn't believe. And the cat is smart. And
so I just say, well, would you come and talk
to me today? And he said yes. So here he
is a beautiful man. His name is Joseph McDonald. Hey, Joseph,
how are you doing, brother?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I'm doing pretty well.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
How are you okay, ma'am' excellent.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
I'm happy that you said yes, because you're a segment
of life that a lot of people don't get a
chance to talk to. We don't know about we think
we know, you know, we see people looking a certain
way of acting in such a certain way, and we
just put our own judgment on the shit.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
You know.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
We assume they are a particular thing based on what
we know about ourselves.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
But I want to know more so, I want.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
To know who you are. First of all, tell me
who you are. Name is Joseph, and you're from where originally.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Well, my name is Joseph McDonald. I'm originally from Kentucky.
I was born in King County, raised in Dry Raids, Kentucky.
I moved out to California when I was eighteen to
get off get away, to get away from my family. Okay,
they're not very good people, so I was like to
get away. So yeah, I moved out here too, got
(04:23):
a greathound ticket, started my started my homeless journey there.
Oh wow, from there to when I was eighteen.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
So when you came here, you didn't have a job
or anything. You just came.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I just came. The climate was better than the climate
in Kentucky. So I was like, I could I could
definitely do the if I had to live outside somewhere,
I had to live in a warmer climate. So I
was kind of think rationally where I would go, and
I was I googled, like what has like a good
good climate in the California came up.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
That makes sense to me.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Man, That is you know, I tell you it's one
of the reasons this is my favorite city in the
world the world.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Nine times it's Los Angeles, but called the weather. If
you got really nice weather almost every day.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
You gonna have a better attitude then if you got
to come out and shovel snow and shit just so
you can get to your car so you can get
to work. And so you already start out with a
lot of people with a more pleasant attitude than other places. Okay,
so that got you here. Did you have a plan
when you came or you just said I'm gonna go
and figure it out?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I said, on a wing it wine did. Basically. I
was actually my Greyhound ticket said San Francisco. I was
supposed to get out in San Francisco, but we made
it to They made it to the La Greyhound station
and we took a break there. I got out and
I said, the weather seems pretty nice here. And I
saw the buildings, the tall buildings in downtown today, and
I was like, I'm gonna get out here, and I
just I just got out there and just walked my
(05:45):
way around. And I had a cell phone. So therefore,
like I started googling resources and then I found like
dropping centers and stuff like that in shelters, and I
ended up getting into the LGBTQ Center. They helped me
out a bunch.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So that was eighteen. You're not eighteen. Now, how old
are you now?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I'm thirty one.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So you've been back and forth with the homelessness since
you were eighteen, longer than that. But before that, my family,
my mother, and then we're also homeless as children too.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We were camping a lot. She was telling me we
were taking a trip, but then I knew we were homeless.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Oh my goodness, wow wow, So eighteen you get here,
you strolling.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
So how many jobs you've had them since then?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
And now I've had about four? Yeah. I worked for
a personal assistance for this lady named Candae Callison.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
She drive.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
She saw me on the boulevard of Hollywood, and she
walked by me and asked me. She said, would you
like a job and I'll give you a place to stay?
Also nice and she said that y'all I had to
do was walk her dogs and help her clean up
the house.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And did that work out?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It worked out for like six years.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Oh nice, nice, nice, Okay. I applaud that for her
for doing that for you. Then what happened?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
She tried to hit me with her car.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Basically, no, wait a minute, Hold up a second, now,
wait a minute.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
It went from six years and then you walk the
dog living the house to try to hit you with
the car.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Why would she do that?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Because here was the thing is, after we moved into
our fourth house together, I was actually paying half of everything,
and and I told her, okay, so now that I'm
paying half of everything, you need to take back some
of these responsibilities because they're yours.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
They're not like right.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
She did not like that. She tried to hit me
with her car.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Damn. So I guess, I guess.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
So, well, then okay, then you could take some of
the bills back because I'm not gonna do both. I mean,
it was a trade off, you know, I mean, that's why.
That's why I told her, this is a trade off.
Now that I'm paying half of everything, I think you
should take back responsibilities. Find somebody else to walk to
to to do that in case you're gonna start paying me.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
So it started out being a nice almost gift, almost
a way to help you get a foot up. But
as it turned and you started to get on your feet,
and she wanted back from you stuff too. You to
put in the money and help pay the rent and
do that kind of stuff. Yeah, and you'd like well,
if I got to do all level, why am I
cutting his grass and walking these dogs?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And if I'm paying my half, can't we share?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
She would eat my food and everything. What Yeah, I
would buy gold trees and put put them in like
tell me how our own cabinets in the kitchen, Like
that would be my cabinet. That would be her counting.
She would go in my cabinet, eat my food.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Dang.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Not a nice person. Okay, So that puts you back
out in the street again.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Huh no, No, no, I put her out. She she
messed up and put my name first on the lease.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Come on, somebody, so you put her out the place?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, I told her she could get her stuff, and
she moved out. I ended up living at that house
in Palmdale for uh what was it, eight months rent
rent free, and then I turned around and sued the
landlord because she violated the lease. And then I got
seven grand out of that.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
So you learn how to work this system, because that
would be very, very important.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So you gotta be aware of the league team in
at Boston and Lancaster, because they fight for tenants' rights.
They got me, they got me a good settlement out
of that, and the landlord was really crying her eyes out.
Oh man, well it's eight months free rent.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Can't beat that, so you are here. You can't. You
can't beat that with a stick.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
So you are figuring out how to navigate your way
around though all this this, well around the homelessness. You're
being homeless, but at the same time you figure out
how to survive. So how have you done it for
the last few years?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Well, I stayed at friend's house for a little bit.
That didn't work out, so I ended up by I
ended up going out and having to do what I
had to do. I ended up going out and making
a sign, flying signed asking strangers for money, trying to
see who would help me. Who wouldn't you know, I
mean calling everybody I know that besides family, because I
don't want to. I don't want anything that comes from
them because they're not good people. Everything you get from
(09:52):
the strings attached.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
So let me ask you, though, how do you feel
that in that situation.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
It's it's like it's like a fight or flight mode.
You either you gotta do what you gotta do or
you're not or you're going to start or you go
to that right.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
So but how do you feel when you have to ask,
when you have to put the words on the sign,
they have.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
To ask stratgrading and uh, especially when people look by
walk by you and they like, they like, they feel disgusted.
It was really sad.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
And sometimes people say mean shit to you too. Don't
they get a job?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Get a job? You think if I could get a job,
I would see sitting out here looking at you. Wow,
while it's homeless. I still was looking for a job
and putting in applications and still flying a sign at
the same time. People just didn't know. It's harder than
what you think it is to find a job.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
I would imagine that, which is really weird because there's
so many jobs out there since COVID, because so many
people do not want to work.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
So it's a lot.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Of healthy people out there who have their own houses
and cars and shit, and they won't even go to work.
They figure they can figure out how to do it
at the house, so they're not going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
So so what type of jobs have you been doing
the last two three years to survive?
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Like I've been hit like like people like you, I
run into them and they have like oddball jobs they
need done around the house. So I would go to
their houses and like cut their grass, walk their dogs,
or help them do stuff around the house, like elderly
elderly people, stuff like that. They've seen me And I
asked me if I needed if I needed money, they
told me they can't, they can't give it to me,
(11:25):
but they said that I could work for it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So that was the same with me almost elderly. I'm
an elderly person. And you came, walk the dogs, cut
the lawn, did a little light work, and I was
able to help you some you know. Yeah, and then
you got this apartment. How did you get this apartment?
Where'd that come from? Heaven?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Jesus Well, I was staying in I was staying in
my tent, and I realized I was already doing going
through mental health services through the Hill Chris Mental Health Services.
Then I and my case manager was signing me up.
I had a housing navigator UH through them through like
Mental Health of America. They helped me sign up for
a voucher that too. It took about six months to
(12:07):
sign up for it, in another six months to obtain it. UH.
And then but while I was staying in the tenth,
I was sleep one morning, and uh, this van rolled
up on my tent because my tents in the middle.
My tent was in the middle of the desert middle
like literally on the dirt and far far away from
the street. They made it up onto the dirt with
their van, rolled up to my tent, rode up to
my tent in their van, got out the car, came
(12:28):
to my tent. Hey, it's anybody in there. Da da da.
We're from Losa. We're here to see if you need
any help. And so they I came up the tent
and I loomed in my arm and I'm like and
they're like, I'm like hello, and they're like where we're from, Lsa.
We're here to help you. We're go homeless is like
obviously duh, And uh, would you like to find somewhere
else to stay? We can help you with that. So
they they they also handed me a tent, some food
(12:50):
and some dog food and water and they and then
like the two days later they came back and they
picked me up and took me to this place on
thirtieth an igh it's called it's called the Kenningston Campus.
I stayed there for a whole year.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
They have.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
They have apartments there too. They're project based. You get
your own cubicle while you're at the shelter. Okay, there's
like there's like over one hundred they have like three
dorms and there's like one hundred over one hundred beds
in each one, and uh, you get your own cubicle.
And I stayed there for a year, But why am
I whenever was there?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Let's go down. Let's go to the place with the cubicles.
So everybody there.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Had their own cubicle, right, So no door closed, but
you have a space that just caledon off with your
things and you in it.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
And there was a bed and there under the bed
it was two jawors and then a shoe rock and
then you had like a little clothed shelf and they're
like where you hang your clothes. And then then that
was it.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
And so was that a safe environment to live in
since there's no closing.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
They had security and uh that staff twenty four to seven.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Oh nice, so somebody will walk through and make sure
everybody was okay.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, they did walk through the other time.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Because I'm hearing horror stories all the time about people
who say I ain't standing on shelter because they're too dangerous.
I want to talk to you more about that. Just
give us a few seconds. So we had to take
a quick break. Hey, y'all, this is Michael talks to
everybody today. I'm talking to Joseph McDonald's a homeless gentleman
who recently is not homeless anymore. He got a job,
(14:24):
he's trying to work. He pulling it together, and he
is just a great young man.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
We'll be right black in a minute.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
And we're back.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
So, as I was saying, people be talking about the
dangers of it. You know how people rob them in there,
hurt them if they're in shelters. Have you experienced any
of that or do you know any of that to
be true?
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I actually was a tot while I was in there. Ones.
Little do people know about me. I had gennifier as
a ferent gender than what I identify. So they put
me with the women.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Oh so you ginger as a her as her?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I do? I don't, ever, I don't wear it on
my sleep though, and I don't I don't.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
You know me.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
People don't ask me, I don't tell them, okay, But
the thing about it is they put me in the
women's dorm, and all the women that were there were
really bad at accepting me for what I was. But
I stayed there an entire year at that dorm, and
at the end of that they all missed me, loved
me wow, and they all like like they tried to
cherish me. They started crying when I moved out, and uh,
(15:32):
it was like it was like a real it was
like a real warming environment.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Basically, tell me, tell me about the attack. Somebody attacked you.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
What happened?
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Yes, there was this lady. Okay, say so Luna Luna.
I was sleep on my bed and Luna. I didn't
have Luna and my dog.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Oh, because I was wondering early when you said they
give you dog food, I said, I know you're homeless
while you eating dog food, But that's about my daughter. Yeah,
but the people who are listening don't.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Oh, I'm sorry. I have a little shack rustle barial mix.
She looks like the dog from the mask or like
a mile Yeah, okay, I bet you that. So she
she runs out of the cubicle. I'm dead, sleep on
my bed. She runs out of the cubicle. I I
fill her, jump up the bed and I'd jump up
and I'm like, oh shit, where's Luna? And I run
out and I run out the door. She's she's already outside,
(16:21):
had another dog, and that dog attacks her, and then
so I grabbed the dog. I grab my dog, and
the lady starts attacking me. I'm like, what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
And then I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
I don't swing at her. I just let her hit me.
And then, uh, what they did was a rest her
because all I got because her dog attacked my dog.
And then Luna had a cut from her from her
nose all the way down to her snout. I had
to add to get her some wound care ointment because
it was it would have scarred if I didn't put
anything on it. So yeah, that I don't know what
her problem is. There's a lot of people there that
have mental illnesses that that are that are all the
(16:53):
way there because you think about it, you're living in
a shelter. These people are coming up the streets. They're
on drugs. They're there their alcohol, smoking other things. They're
not not just weed. It was really really really shocking
to see these things.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
But you look like you're a sober kind of guy,
So do you drink or smoke or any of that.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I had a drug addiction before.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
What was your drug? I had one too, I was
a crackhead. What was yours?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I'm like mess Math.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Well, I'm proud of you that you still here because
people don't usually come back from that uppers.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
No, I lost on my key to it.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Oh that's where all the teeth are going.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, when did you quit or have you quit math?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
I have I've been suffered for about about five years.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I'm proud of that. Proud of that. Congratulations because you
got off the myth. Now though your eyes are clearer
and you could navigate. Now, you could really be clearer, or.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
People don't realize you have. You have your functioning addicts,
and you have your addicts that don't know what, don't
not act right, because I know people that do it.
Go to work every day, do what they're supposed to do,
and then go home and smoke. And they go home
and smoke and then they drink or they do what
they do whatever their drug of choice is. They go
home in the day, they burn it down, and then
(18:11):
they do it again the next day and they just
do it and they keep doing it, and you'll never
you never really would know unless unless you like see
it or they.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Tell you, Okay, that's what I was. I was a
functioning addict.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Nobody knew I was getting hig uns, they was getting
high with me, or I was buying it from them,
you know. So so I know what that is. You
got off that myth. And now how long ago did
you get the new apartment? Because you have an apartment.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Now it's been about six months.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
How's that going?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That's going?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Well?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I'm keeping up with the bills, uh Section eight pace
for the the two thousand dollars rent and they haven't
up they haven't uped my rent yet.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
I haven't heard.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Any any notices for it yet because I got the job.
So I'm just I'm waiting for that letter saying you're
gonna have to play blah blah blah. But I haven't
got it yet, so maybe they'll maybe they'll skip over me.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
So thought about maybe, so you laughter that maybe it will.
So how do you how do we manage? Now?
Speaker 4 (19:07):
How do you manage what you're doing? You have an apartment,
you just got a new job. You just got a
new job.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Like I try to put money away because I know
my my my lectric bill is going to be one
hundred some dollars, so I try to put one fifty
way for the electric, okay, And then I know my glass
bill is going to be under twenty bucks, so I
try to put at least twenty bucks away for that
every month, and intend dollars for dog food, and I
pay my cell phone, which was like thirty eight. So
I put all that money aside, and then whatever I
after that I have to spend. I spend that on
(19:35):
toilet trees and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Do you don't say the rest that you spend on myth?
I'm playing, all right, go ahead, So you spend that
on toilet.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Yeah, yeah, toilt trees and like extra stuff that I
may need for that month. And then I've been trying
to put away. I've been trying to put away at
least two hundred bucks just to put it away every paycheck,
try to at least.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Have you had any truly terrifying moments as a homeless person?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Were you trapped?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Absolutely? I saw gang members from my tent. There's been
multiple I you know, after that incident, I started I
started digging like fifteen feet out. I started digging circles
around my tent like holes like like circle like gig
bo holes. So if somebody got close enough they didn't
know the area, they would fall and trip and Luna
would hear it. And since I had Luna in the tent,
(20:24):
which Luna is my dog, she barks at the slightest.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Sound, she's great, she's protected.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, So I started digging these circles all around my tent.
Last said like fifteen to twenty feet away from the tent,
and only I would know where they are, like, and
then they were like, I've had people fall in them. Wow,
And it has worked, and I've heard them like coming
up to the tent. One time I came back to
the tent, the tent was all sliced up. Somebody came
to my tent with a knife sliced up the tent. Well,
(20:54):
I put it back together and just put it with
waterproof tape so it didn't bother me. But I just
really would I would have known who had done it
because I probably would have knocked a shit loose.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So, oh my goodness. So do you have dreams and
aspirations right now?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Right now, I don't really have anything besides making it
to the next paycheck. Basically, is that's my goal. My
goal right now is to decorate my apartment and to
settle in a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Okay, all right, but you have no there's not something
that you really let me put it ta you like this.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
If you could do anything, what would that be? Anything?
And people will pay you, and they respect you, and
they like you, and they thok oh, my god, he
comes Joseph, you know, and and you could do it
anytime you want.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Want to be a counselor? I don't know, because I
think I've had a lot of life experiences with drugs,
being homeless, being not homeless, being.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Uh well, would drunk a drug counselor drug counselor or
all around counselor what type.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Of counselor all around counselor?
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Okay, okay, I don't.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Want to limit myself justin to being a drug counselor.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
People have a lot of other problems out there besides that, exactly.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Okay, So where's your family now? Where's your family now?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Well, my mother got hit by a bus last year.
She's dead. My father's and some both of my parents
are dead, and I have one brother that's alive. My
other brother died of an overdose. I one sibling left,
and and I have another brother on my dad's side,
but I don't even know him. So but he's like
(22:28):
younger than me.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Do you know the other brother? You know the brother?
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I know him, but we're not on good terms either,
Like we'll tell me they're they're they're they're not really
good people. That's why I moved this far away so
I could, Oh wow, well.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Okay, So I I want to encourage you to have
a dream brother, you know, because you gotta have some goals.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
You gotta have something to go towards, or you.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Can't get there. You know, if you if if you
don't know where you're going, you end up somewhere else.
So you sort I have to have a goal. And
even though you have limited things, you still can write
out your goals. And when you do that, the universe
comes in and starts helping you figure out a way
to get it. So I would just want to encourage
you to, you know, to dream man, you know what
(23:11):
I mean, because you think about my.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Goals are just too to staying the lifestyle that I
have right now, that's my goal and then maybe maybe
in another maybe another two years, that my goals will
change after I realized, after I realized I could stay stable.
That's my that's my goal right now is just to
be stable. Yeah, just to be stable at this very moment.
And then maybe in another year or so, I'll be
able to change that goal because now I know I
(23:34):
can do that, and it probably change it to something
like why you said a dream?
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Wow? So do you ever listen to motivational tapes?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Oh? I listened to motivational things all the time on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Oh yay.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Well, because here's the thing. I'm I met you, as
you know here in the neighborhood. I guess my ex
met you first, and she would always talk to you
and have kind things to say to you. And then
I realize you're a decent person. So you start doing
things around here helping me, and then I come to
find that you really are a great person. You know,
you're smart, you're funny, you're kind, you know all those
(24:08):
things you have. You have great communication tools, you know
how to talk to people. I think that it's unlimited
what you can do. That's why I just think you
don't have to wait no year. You can start dreaming today.
Because as soon as you figure out what it is
you think you want. The universal starts showing you the
direction to go.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
But can I say something absolutely well. The reason why
I say is like when you go through a traumatizing
event or traumatizing situations, it takes the time to bounce
back anyway to even start, like you said, dreaming, because
you have to be able to put your mental health
together first and realize that those events actually happened. I
(24:48):
went through that, and now now that that I'm not
going through that anymore, like I see a therapist once
a month, then we talk and about stuff that has
happened to me, and like I've been through a whole
whole bunch of traumatizing events my entire life, and like
now now that I'm not going through any of that,
it's just that it shocks my system, like I'm expecting
(25:10):
to fight somebody almost every day. That's how if that's
how I feel when I was homeless, wow, because I
feel like that, I feel like homeless people are gonna
test me, try to steal my stuff or or try
to take what I have, or try to walk up
on me and try to take my money that I'm
already making from pandling or something like that. It's like
it's like that on the street, especially when you walk
up You're like this, there's this spot behind McDonald's right
(25:32):
up the street, right that people at the time, I
was standing there for a while. That's some person will
walk up on me. Hey, that's my spot. Want to
fight me. I'm like, you really want to try me?
Come on up here.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So then fighting over a spot to stand spot to
ask child for money?
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Yeah, then I got to ask up. Wow, I don't
play that. I mean if I was standing there before
you were, no one was here, then that that's fine.
I mean, then you can stand there. That's great. You
go ahead. I won't I won't walk up on you.
And starting with you, you were already standing there, so
I would just go find me another spot.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
So if you had one wish of something that you
would want in your life or want to happen in
your life, what would that be Right now?
Speaker 3 (26:12):
I just wish for a car, because the car atar
with benefit me getting me to my getting me to
my destination, which would be work like store. I think
that's I think that's my biggest barrier right now is transportation.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
You know what I would do on this show as
I'll give my my email, which is comic King one
two three at aol dot com. Y'all comic King one
two three at aol dot com. If somebody got a
car that you want to surrender, please call me. This
(26:46):
is Michael two one three five zero zero six four
eight for you know, sometimes Joseph, people out there with
the thing you want and they get us sitting in
their backyard and they ain't even doing shit.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
With it, you know. So we'll we're gonna put it
out there.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
And so if somebody contact me and says, yes, I
got a car for that young man, then I'm gonna
get that to you quickly, quick fast, and in a hurry.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
I think I would fall out.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
You think you would fall out, you pass out.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I think of it just like I believe there is
stays out there like that. But you know it takes
a I have a lot of doubts. I mean, you
shouldn't have doubts in your life. You should be thinking positive.
But it's just I've been to so much that a
lot of doubt has happened to me. So that's my
mindset is like, well I'm doubting that already.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
It's like, well, do me a favor. Stop that, stop
that kill that whole battleship.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
You couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
That's what that's called stinking thinking. You gotta stop that
stinking thinking.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
You gotta think positive only, only positive thoughts all the time.
Even if things look bad, you have to see them
good and think good and then they will change in
manufacturer and manifest into the thing you want it to be.
So we're going to hold a very powerful thought. I'm
putting it out there to the universe, to the world.
We need to get Joseph McDonald a car.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Somebody.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
I believe somebody gonna call. Somebody gonna text me and say,
mister Cali, we've got that car. Not probably ain't gonna
be no roles ruys, But why don't we think big.
Somebody might give you.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
As I don't care if it's a bucket, as long
as it goes to point ay.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Boy b there you go and you ain't picky.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Even if the air condition don't work. I still would
like that car.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
There it is. Oh man, that's so cool. We want
I want you to have that. I gotta wrap this up.
Is it anything that you would leave us with that
you would want People who aren't homeless, and who don't
know homeless people is anything you would want them to know?
You don't want to say to them.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I would like to say this. If you see a
homeless person and they're asking you for money, make sure
you look look at them and make sure that them
them people are actually homeless, because nine times out of ten,
those people aren't homeless and they're hustling you.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
Dang, and that cuts out what the people who are
actually homeless can get called the fakers and the shakers
are playing the game exactly.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
They're standing at the front of the story, is trying
to hustle you for money because they because they don't
want to go do nothing, but they have a place
to stay. Believe that. Wow, Yeah, nine times out of ten,
those people are not homeless, sleeping in no tent, not
sleeping on the ground, not not doing any of that.
What they're doing is going up to these spots, buying
these signs and just trying to hustle people for money
so they don't have to work.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
All right, Two things, where's the worst place you ever lived?
And where the best place you've ever lived?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Skip ro the worst place I've ever lived?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Wow? And best place so far.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Well, the best place I've ever lived with would be
Kentucky at the farm. It's so beautiful during the spring.
We have like a little we have a creek that
runs through the whole farm. It's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Do you own that I don't own?
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Not?
Speaker 3 (29:43):
My mother owns that my godmother owns. That my godmother
owns it.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Yeah. Wow, Well that's what I want for you.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I want you to have a place like that with
a creek that rolls through it, with plenty of grass
and space. I want you to have a car, fly
ass car. Nice are not no broke down hoopie. I
want you have some nice shit. And I want you
to get a job that you love, not a job
just to toil and get money, but one it just
makes your heart smile that you get to do it
every day. And I pray for these things for youse.
(30:14):
You a good dude man. I appreciate you. I appreciate
knowing you. I appreciate how you've helped me around here.
And I just want to say thank you for just
stopping and talking to us for a moment and letting
other people get a chance to feel what it's like
on your side. Is the anything else you want to
leave us with.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
There's also a thing you can call two one one.
If you see an actual homeless person, you can report
them and so that loss that can find them.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Just down two one one.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
If you see a lost person, yes, and you get
to report that to them and they can put you
with resources too to have them go out to those
people and they need help.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
This is why I love you, Joseph.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
I'm trying to figure out a way to get you
some help, and here you are telling me how we
can help other people.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
That's fly, brother, appreciate you. Okay, I gotta go now.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
And is there a way people can text you or
something if they have information or donations or anything.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, they could use myself phone number sixty six one
nine one six five three one four, and you also
can reach me by email. My last name is mc
d and E L L two nine J O S E. P.
(31:29):
H at gmail dot com.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Beautiful brother. I hope people run and help you. I
hope they come from all out the woodworks. I hope
folks show up from everywhere and get you to a
place where you can feel absolutely comfortable and happy with
the space you're in. I appreciate you, and I thank
you for being here today.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Brother, thank you.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I'll see you soon. Joseph, thank you, Jo.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
That was my man, Joseph, Joseph Matcdonald. Hey, y'all, you
know where you were. Michael talked to everybody today. I
talked to a fantastic cat man. And we have to
learn that I am my brother's keeper and my sister's too.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Man.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
And we see somebody that's doing worse than us, slide
them something, a dollar, a hug, a smile, something, because
that could be you. God is great, and we're getting
out of here. We're here three times a week. Michael
talks to everybody on iHeart and you can catch me
on My Morney Show five days a week to Michael
Caya Morning Show on YouTube. I'm out here like Kirk
(32:25):
Goudy and I'll see you next time.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Woo.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I had a good time today. I hope y'all did too. Man.
Thank y'all for checking us out here at Michael talks
to everybody.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Hey, you can follow me, man, I'm easy to follow.
I'm on Instagram just under at Michael Kaya. I'm on TikTok.
That's Michael Kye one three five.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
I have a very sexety webpage called the Real Michael
Kaye dot Com. You know, you go over there, you
can find out about my merchandise and what I'm doing
and with all my shows. Our airthing is right there.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Or if you really love me, you can go to
my cashapp. That's dollars have Michael Kaya's money. I'm playing
with y'all, but I accept Green semp Foods Canadian money.
I'll take your bus transfer if it's got some.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Time left on it. And my morning show, oh my goodness,
the Michael Kaye Morning Show that's seven eight in Pacific time, yo,
five days a week. This has been a ray Lock
Group production. I see y'all later
M hm, who you all ready?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Let's go well, so missus. Michael called this world started
doing venice each now he reached in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
He'll make you left.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Take the stomach cars, superfly, nice guys.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Praying to me to work. Trust kidd, he ain't ready
for the stars. Hearts sweater and oh g three times.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
This thing on beginning. Whether you win now house, you
want your brother out?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Ho's a dinner on your job and your brother.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I mean it's a reb.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Michael Taus said, everybody call yes.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Michael Taus had everybody I call yes, Michael Saus say everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
You know what shin.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Called Michael fuck said, everybody called Michael Tau said everybody
Michael to say that my body, everybody, everybody, and you
know where you are. You know you a stop.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Please don't go too far because you are visiting me.
I don't even know what I'm doing. I start crazy
sometimes I don't even have no certain way I want
to start. I just come in and say, hey, everybody,
welcome to Michael talks to everybody. I hope you having
a supercliprate list xpladocious kind of day like I am.
We talked to everybody here and today one of the
most unique gentlemen. Out of all the folks that we've interviewed,
(01:19):
We've never interviewed someone who was homeless or I don't know
if you want to call it homeless without a home.
I don't even know what the terminology is for it today,
but I know that I've spent my life working.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
With homeless people, helping homeless people.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
When I want to star search one hundred thousand, I
immediately gave half to the homeless.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
When I've been thinking about it now. My family wasn't happy.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Shoot, when my brothers said, motherfucker, you could have gave
that half to us, you know. But I try to
make a point of helping homeless people wherever I go.
I have this thing I do where when I eat
a gourmet meal, I never eat the whole meal.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I as soon as they bring the meal, I have
them bring me.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
A to go box, and if I food with the food,
I separated and give a half to the home I
put in the box because I don't like giving people food.
You done picked all on the jewte on it, and shit,
now you're gonna give it to somebody and think they
want it.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I want to look nice I want to be presentable,
you know.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
And when I used to be on Venice Beach doing comedy,
one of my practices every morning when.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I would head down to the beach, I'd buy.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Ten breakfasts for the homeless. Now they only called nine
to niner cent. And you ain't getting no meat, but
you got two piece of toads, you got eggs, you
got potatoes. And when somebody's sleeping out on Venice under
a bench, that's a motherfuger meal. So I say all
this just to say I'm always very interested in the
plight of the homeless, that I always want to help
them because most of us, I only shot two paychecks
(02:41):
away from me a homeless I damn self. But I
know so many people never even talk to homeless people.
They won't look them in the face, they certainly won't
give them nothing. Now look the other way if they
talk to them.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
And so so many people never even experienced a conversation
with a homeless person. So I said today, I want
to talk to a homeless dude. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
And this particular gentlemen, I've been knowing him for a
couple of years now, he's been homeless in this area
that we're in. He tells me, like have been a
little over two years, but recently he got a job.
A little recent, a little more recent than that, he
got an apartment. I was so happy when he got
the apartment, you know. And sometimes he helps me around here,
and he's just a great guy. It's a positive attitude
(03:20):
like you wouldn't believe. And the cat is smart. And
so I just say, well, would you come and talk
to me today? And he said yes. So here he
is a beautiful man. His name is Joseph McDonald. Hey, Joseph,
how are you doing, brother?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I'm doing pretty well.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
How are you okay, ma'am' excellent.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
I'm happy that you said yes, because you're a segment
of life that a lot of people don't get a
chance to talk to. We don't know about we think
we know, you know, we see people looking a certain
way of acting in such a certain way, and we
just put our own judgment on the shit.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
You know.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
We assume they are a particular thing based on what
we know about ourselves.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
But I want to know more so, I want.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
To know who you are. First of all, tell me
who you are. Name is Joseph, and you're from where originally.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Well, my name is Joseph McDonald. I'm originally from Kentucky.
I was born in King County, raised in Dry Raids, Kentucky.
I moved out to California when I was eighteen to
get off get away, to get away from my family. Okay,
they're not very good people, so I was like to
get away. So yeah, I moved out here too, got
(04:23):
a greathound ticket, started my started my homeless journey there.
Oh wow, from there to when I was eighteen.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
So when you came here, you didn't have a job
or anything. You just came.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I just came. The climate was better than the climate
in Kentucky. So I was like, I could I could
definitely do the if I had to live outside somewhere,
I had to live in a warmer climate. So I
was kind of think rationally where I would go, and
I was I googled, like what has like a good
good climate in the California came up.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
That makes sense to me.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Man, That is you know, I tell you it's one
of the reasons this is my favorite city in the
world the world.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Nine times it's Los Angeles, but called the weather. If
you got really nice weather almost every day.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
You gonna have a better attitude then if you got
to come out and shovel snow and shit just so
you can get to your car so you can get
to work. And so you already start out with a
lot of people with a more pleasant attitude than other places. Okay,
so that got you here. Did you have a plan
when you came or you just said I'm gonna go
and figure it out?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I said, on a wing it wine did. Basically. I
was actually my Greyhound ticket said San Francisco. I was
supposed to get out in San Francisco, but we made
it to They made it to the La Greyhound station
and we took a break there. I got out and
I said, the weather seems pretty nice here. And I
saw the buildings, the tall buildings in downtown today, and
I was like, I'm gonna get out here, and I
just I just got out there and just walked my
(05:45):
way around. And I had a cell phone. So therefore,
like I started googling resources and then I found like
dropping centers and stuff like that in shelters, and I
ended up getting into the LGBTQ Center. They helped me
out a bunch.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So that was eighteen. You're not eighteen. Now, how old
are you now?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I'm thirty one.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So you've been back and forth with the homelessness since
you were eighteen, longer than that. But before that, my family,
my mother, and then we're also homeless as children too.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We were camping a lot. She was telling me we
were taking a trip, but then I knew we were homeless.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Oh my goodness, wow wow, So eighteen you get here,
you strolling.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
So how many jobs you've had them since then?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
And now I've had about four? Yeah. I worked for
a personal assistance for this lady named Candae Callison.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
She drive.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
She saw me on the boulevard of Hollywood, and she
walked by me and asked me. She said, would you
like a job and I'll give you a place to stay?
Also nice and she said that y'all I had to
do was walk her dogs and help her clean up
the house.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And did that work out?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It worked out for like six years.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Oh nice, nice, nice, Okay. I applaud that for her
for doing that for you. Then what happened?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
She tried to hit me with her car.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Basically, no, wait a minute, Hold up a second, now,
wait a minute.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
It went from six years and then you walk the
dog living the house to try to hit you with
the car.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Why would she do that?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Because here was the thing is, after we moved into
our fourth house together, I was actually paying half of everything,
and and I told her, okay, so now that I'm
paying half of everything, you need to take back some
of these responsibilities because they're yours.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
They're not like right.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
She did not like that. She tried to hit me
with her car.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Damn. So I guess, I guess.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
So, well, then okay, then you could take some of
the bills back because I'm not gonna do both. I mean,
it was a trade off, you know, I mean, that's why.
That's why I told her, this is a trade off.
Now that I'm paying half of everything, I think you
should take back responsibilities. Find somebody else to walk to
to to do that in case you're gonna start paying me.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
So it started out being a nice almost gift, almost
a way to help you get a foot up. But
as it turned and you started to get on your feet,
and she wanted back from you stuff too. You to
put in the money and help pay the rent and
do that kind of stuff. Yeah, and you'd like well,
if I got to do all level, why am I
cutting his grass and walking these dogs?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And if I'm paying my half, can't we share?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
She would eat my food and everything. What Yeah, I
would buy gold trees and put put them in like
tell me how our own cabinets in the kitchen, Like
that would be my cabinet. That would be her counting.
She would go in my cabinet, eat my food.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Dang.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Not a nice person. Okay, So that puts you back
out in the street again.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Huh no, No, no, I put her out. She she
messed up and put my name first on the lease.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Come on, somebody, so you put her out the place?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, I told her she could get her stuff, and
she moved out. I ended up living at that house
in Palmdale for uh what was it, eight months rent
rent free, and then I turned around and sued the
landlord because she violated the lease. And then I got
seven grand out of that.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
So you learn how to work this system, because that
would be very, very important.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So you gotta be aware of the league team in
at Boston and Lancaster, because they fight for tenants' rights.
They got me, they got me a good settlement out
of that, and the landlord was really crying her eyes out.
Oh man, well it's eight months free rent.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Can't beat that, so you are here. You can't. You
can't beat that with a stick.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
So you are figuring out how to navigate your way
around though all this this, well around the homelessness. You're
being homeless, but at the same time you figure out
how to survive. So how have you done it for
the last few years?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Well, I stayed at friend's house for a little bit.
That didn't work out, so I ended up by I
ended up going out and having to do what I
had to do. I ended up going out and making
a sign, flying signed asking strangers for money, trying to
see who would help me. Who wouldn't you know, I
mean calling everybody I know that besides family, because I
don't want to. I don't want anything that comes from
them because they're not good people. Everything you get from
(09:52):
the strings attached.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
So let me ask you, though, how do you feel
that in that situation.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
It's it's like it's like a fight or flight mode.
You either you gotta do what you gotta do or
you're not or you're going to start or you go
to that right.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
So but how do you feel when you have to ask,
when you have to put the words on the sign,
they have.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
To ask stratgrading and uh, especially when people look by
walk by you and they like, they like, they feel disgusted.
It was really sad.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
And sometimes people say mean shit to you too. Don't
they get a job?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Get a job? You think if I could get a job,
I would see sitting out here looking at you. Wow,
while it's homeless. I still was looking for a job
and putting in applications and still flying a sign at
the same time. People just didn't know. It's harder than
what you think it is to find a job.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
I would imagine that, which is really weird because there's
so many jobs out there since COVID, because so many
people do not want to work.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
So it's a lot.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Of healthy people out there who have their own houses
and cars and shit, and they won't even go to work.
They figure they can figure out how to do it
at the house, so they're not going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
So so what type of jobs have you been doing
the last two three years to survive?
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Like I've been hit like like people like you, I
run into them and they have like oddball jobs they
need done around the house. So I would go to
their houses and like cut their grass, walk their dogs,
or help them do stuff around the house, like elderly
elderly people, stuff like that. They've seen me And I
asked me if I needed if I needed money, they
told me they can't, they can't give it to me,
(11:25):
but they said that I could work for it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So that was the same with me almost elderly. I'm
an elderly person. And you came, walk the dogs, cut
the lawn, did a little light work, and I was
able to help you some you know. Yeah, and then
you got this apartment. How did you get this apartment?
Where'd that come from? Heaven?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Jesus Well, I was staying in I was staying in
my tent, and I realized I was already doing going
through mental health services through the Hill Chris Mental Health Services.
Then I and my case manager was signing me up.
I had a housing navigator UH through them through like
Mental Health of America. They helped me sign up for
a voucher that too. It took about six months to
(12:07):
sign up for it, in another six months to obtain it. UH.
And then but while I was staying in the tenth,
I was sleep one morning, and uh, this van rolled
up on my tent because my tents in the middle.
My tent was in the middle of the desert middle
like literally on the dirt and far far away from
the street. They made it up onto the dirt with
their van, rolled up to my tent, rode up to
my tent in their van, got out the car, came
(12:28):
to my tent. Hey, it's anybody in there. Da da da.
We're from Losa. We're here to see if you need
any help. And so they I came up the tent
and I loomed in my arm and I'm like and
they're like, I'm like hello, and they're like where we're from, Lsa.
We're here to help you. We're go homeless is like
obviously duh, And uh, would you like to find somewhere
else to stay? We can help you with that. So
they they they also handed me a tent, some food
(12:50):
and some dog food and water and they and then
like the two days later they came back and they
picked me up and took me to this place on
thirtieth an igh it's called it's called the Kenningston Campus.
I stayed there for a whole year.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
They have.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
They have apartments there too. They're project based. You get
your own cubicle while you're at the shelter. Okay, there's
like there's like over one hundred they have like three
dorms and there's like one hundred over one hundred beds
in each one, and uh, you get your own cubicle.
And I stayed there for a year, But why am
I whenever was there?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Let's go down. Let's go to the place with the cubicles.
So everybody there.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Had their own cubicle, right, So no door closed, but
you have a space that just caledon off with your
things and you in it.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
And there was a bed and there under the bed
it was two jawors and then a shoe rock and
then you had like a little clothed shelf and they're
like where you hang your clothes. And then then that
was it.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
And so was that a safe environment to live in
since there's no closing.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
They had security and uh that staff twenty four to seven.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Oh nice, so somebody will walk through and make sure
everybody was okay.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, they did walk through the other time.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Because I'm hearing horror stories all the time about people
who say I ain't standing on shelter because they're too dangerous.
I want to talk to you more about that. Just
give us a few seconds. So we had to take
a quick break. Hey, y'all, this is Michael talks to
everybody today. I'm talking to Joseph McDonald's a homeless gentleman
who recently is not homeless anymore. He got a job,
(14:24):
he's trying to work. He pulling it together, and he
is just a great young man.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
We'll be right black in a minute.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
And we're back.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
So, as I was saying, people be talking about the
dangers of it. You know how people rob them in there,
hurt them if they're in shelters. Have you experienced any
of that or do you know any of that to
be true?
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I actually was a tot while I was in there. Ones.
Little do people know about me. I had gennifier as
a ferent gender than what I identify. So they put
me with the women.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Oh so you ginger as a her as her?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I do? I don't, ever, I don't wear it on
my sleep though, and I don't I don't.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
You know me.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
People don't ask me, I don't tell them, okay, But
the thing about it is they put me in the
women's dorm, and all the women that were there were
really bad at accepting me for what I was. But
I stayed there an entire year at that dorm, and
at the end of that they all missed me, loved
me wow, and they all like like they tried to
cherish me. They started crying when I moved out, and uh,
(15:32):
it was like it was like a real it was
like a real warming environment.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Basically, tell me, tell me about the attack. Somebody attacked you.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
What happened?
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Yes, there was this lady. Okay, say so Luna Luna.
I was sleep on my bed and Luna. I didn't
have Luna and my dog.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Oh, because I was wondering early when you said they
give you dog food, I said, I know you're homeless
while you eating dog food, But that's about my daughter. Yeah,
but the people who are listening don't.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Oh, I'm sorry. I have a little shack rustle barial mix.
She looks like the dog from the mask or like
a mile Yeah, okay, I bet you that. So she
she runs out of the cubicle. I'm dead, sleep on
my bed. She runs out of the cubicle. I I
fill her, jump up the bed and I'd jump up
and I'm like, oh shit, where's Luna? And I run
out and I run out the door. She's she's already outside,
(16:21):
had another dog, and that dog attacks her, and then
so I grabbed the dog. I grab my dog, and
the lady starts attacking me. I'm like, what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
And then I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
I don't swing at her. I just let her hit me.
And then, uh, what they did was a rest her
because all I got because her dog attacked my dog.
And then Luna had a cut from her from her
nose all the way down to her snout. I had
to add to get her some wound care ointment because
it was it would have scarred if I didn't put
anything on it. So yeah, that I don't know what
her problem is. There's a lot of people there that
have mental illnesses that that are that are all the
(16:53):
way there because you think about it, you're living in
a shelter. These people are coming up the streets. They're
on drugs. They're there their alcohol, smoking other things. They're
not not just weed. It was really really really shocking
to see these things.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
But you look like you're a sober kind of guy,
So do you drink or smoke or any of that.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I had a drug addiction before.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
What was your drug? I had one too, I was
a crackhead. What was yours?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I'm like mess Math.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Well, I'm proud of you that you still here because
people don't usually come back from that uppers.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
No, I lost on my key to it.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Oh that's where all the teeth are going.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, when did you quit or have you quit math?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
I have I've been suffered for about about five years.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I'm proud of that. Proud of that. Congratulations because you
got off the myth. Now though your eyes are clearer
and you could navigate. Now, you could really be clearer, or.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
People don't realize you have. You have your functioning addicts,
and you have your addicts that don't know what, don't
not act right, because I know people that do it.
Go to work every day, do what they're supposed to do,
and then go home and smoke. And they go home
and smoke and then they drink or they do what
they do whatever their drug of choice is. They go
home in the day, they burn it down, and then
(18:11):
they do it again the next day and they just
do it and they keep doing it, and you'll never
you never really would know unless unless you like see
it or they.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Tell you, Okay, that's what I was. I was a
functioning addict.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Nobody knew I was getting hig uns, they was getting
high with me, or I was buying it from them,
you know. So so I know what that is. You
got off that myth. And now how long ago did
you get the new apartment? Because you have an apartment.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Now it's been about six months.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
How's that going?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That's going?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Well?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I'm keeping up with the bills, uh Section eight pace
for the the two thousand dollars rent and they haven't
up they haven't uped my rent yet.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
I haven't heard.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Any any notices for it yet because I got the job.
So I'm just I'm waiting for that letter saying you're
gonna have to play blah blah blah. But I haven't
got it yet, so maybe they'll maybe they'll skip over me.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
So thought about maybe, so you laughter that maybe it will.
So how do you how do we manage? Now?
Speaker 4 (19:07):
How do you manage what you're doing? You have an apartment,
you just got a new job. You just got a
new job.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Like I try to put money away because I know
my my my lectric bill is going to be one
hundred some dollars, so I try to put one fifty
way for the electric, okay, And then I know my glass
bill is going to be under twenty bucks, so I
try to put at least twenty bucks away for that
every month, and intend dollars for dog food, and I
pay my cell phone, which was like thirty eight. So
I put all that money aside, and then whatever I
after that I have to spend. I spend that on
(19:35):
toilet trees and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Do you don't say the rest that you spend on myth?
I'm playing, all right, go ahead, So you spend that
on toilet.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Yeah, yeah, toilt trees and like extra stuff that I
may need for that month. And then I've been trying
to put away. I've been trying to put away at
least two hundred bucks just to put it away every paycheck,
try to at least.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Have you had any truly terrifying moments as a homeless person?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Were you trapped?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Absolutely? I saw gang members from my tent. There's been
multiple I you know, after that incident, I started I
started digging like fifteen feet out. I started digging circles
around my tent like holes like like circle like gig
bo holes. So if somebody got close enough they didn't
know the area, they would fall and trip and Luna
would hear it. And since I had Luna in the tent,
(20:24):
which Luna is my dog, she barks at the slightest.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Sound, she's great, she's protected.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, So I started digging these circles all around my tent.
Last said like fifteen to twenty feet away from the tent,
and only I would know where they are, like, and
then they were like, I've had people fall in them. Wow,
And it has worked, and I've heard them like coming
up to the tent. One time I came back to
the tent, the tent was all sliced up. Somebody came
to my tent with a knife sliced up the tent. Well,
(20:54):
I put it back together and just put it with
waterproof tape so it didn't bother me. But I just
really would I would have known who had done it
because I probably would have knocked a shit loose.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So, oh my goodness. So do you have dreams and
aspirations right now?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Right now, I don't really have anything besides making it
to the next paycheck. Basically, is that's my goal. My
goal right now is to decorate my apartment and to
settle in a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Okay, all right, but you have no there's not something
that you really let me put it ta you like this.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
If you could do anything, what would that be? Anything?
And people will pay you, and they respect you, and
they like you, and they thok oh, my god, he
comes Joseph, you know, and and you could do it
anytime you want.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Want to be a counselor? I don't know, because I
think I've had a lot of life experiences with drugs,
being homeless, being not homeless, being.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Uh well, would drunk a drug counselor drug counselor or
all around counselor what type.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Of counselor all around counselor?
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Okay, okay, I don't.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Want to limit myself justin to being a drug counselor.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
People have a lot of other problems out there besides that, exactly.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Okay, So where's your family now? Where's your family now?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Well, my mother got hit by a bus last year.
She's dead. My father's and some both of my parents
are dead, and I have one brother that's alive. My
other brother died of an overdose. I one sibling left,
and and I have another brother on my dad's side,
but I don't even know him. So but he's like
(22:28):
younger than me.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Do you know the other brother? You know the brother?
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I know him, but we're not on good terms either,
Like we'll tell me they're they're they're they're not really
good people. That's why I moved this far away so
I could, Oh wow, well.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Okay, So I I want to encourage you to have
a dream brother, you know, because you gotta have some goals.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
You gotta have something to go towards, or you.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Can't get there. You know, if you if if you
don't know where you're going, you end up somewhere else.
So you sort I have to have a goal. And
even though you have limited things, you still can write
out your goals. And when you do that, the universe
comes in and starts helping you figure out a way
to get it. So I would just want to encourage
you to, you know, to dream man, you know what
(23:11):
I mean, because you think about my.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Goals are just too to staying the lifestyle that I
have right now, that's my goal and then maybe maybe
in another maybe another two years, that my goals will
change after I realized, after I realized I could stay stable.
That's my that's my goal right now is just to
be stable. Yeah, just to be stable at this very moment.
And then maybe in another year or so, I'll be
able to change that goal because now I know I
(23:34):
can do that, and it probably change it to something
like why you said a dream?
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Wow? So do you ever listen to motivational tapes?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Oh? I listened to motivational things all the time on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Oh yay.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Well, because here's the thing. I'm I met you, as
you know here in the neighborhood. I guess my ex
met you first, and she would always talk to you
and have kind things to say to you. And then
I realize you're a decent person. So you start doing
things around here helping me, and then I come to
find that you really are a great person. You know,
you're smart, you're funny, you're kind, you know all those
(24:08):
things you have. You have great communication tools, you know
how to talk to people. I think that it's unlimited
what you can do. That's why I just think you
don't have to wait no year. You can start dreaming today.
Because as soon as you figure out what it is
you think you want. The universal starts showing you the
direction to go.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
But can I say something absolutely well. The reason why
I say is like when you go through a traumatizing
event or traumatizing situations, it takes the time to bounce
back anyway to even start, like you said, dreaming, because
you have to be able to put your mental health
together first and realize that those events actually happened. I
(24:48):
went through that, and now now that that I'm not
going through that anymore, like I see a therapist once
a month, then we talk and about stuff that has
happened to me, and like I've been through a whole
whole bunch of traumatizing events my entire life, and like
now now that I'm not going through any of that,
it's just that it shocks my system, like I'm expecting
(25:10):
to fight somebody almost every day. That's how if that's
how I feel when I was homeless, wow, because I
feel like that, I feel like homeless people are gonna
test me, try to steal my stuff or or try
to take what I have, or try to walk up
on me and try to take my money that I'm
already making from pandling or something like that. It's like
it's like that on the street, especially when you walk
up You're like this, there's this spot behind McDonald's right
(25:32):
up the street, right that people at the time, I
was standing there for a while. That's some person will
walk up on me. Hey, that's my spot. Want to
fight me. I'm like, you really want to try me?
Come on up here.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So then fighting over a spot to stand spot to
ask child for money?
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Yeah, then I got to ask up. Wow, I don't
play that. I mean if I was standing there before
you were, no one was here, then that that's fine.
I mean, then you can stand there. That's great. You
go ahead. I won't I won't walk up on you.
And starting with you, you were already standing there, so
I would just go find me another spot.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
So if you had one wish of something that you
would want in your life or want to happen in
your life, what would that be Right now?
Speaker 3 (26:12):
I just wish for a car, because the car atar
with benefit me getting me to my getting me to
my destination, which would be work like store. I think
that's I think that's my biggest barrier right now is transportation.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
You know what I would do on this show as
I'll give my my email, which is comic King one
two three at aol dot com. Y'all comic King one
two three at aol dot com. If somebody got a
car that you want to surrender, please call me. This
(26:46):
is Michael two one three five zero zero six four
eight for you know, sometimes Joseph, people out there with
the thing you want and they get us sitting in
their backyard and they ain't even doing shit.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
With it, you know. So we'll we're gonna put it
out there.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
And so if somebody contact me and says, yes, I
got a car for that young man, then I'm gonna
get that to you quickly, quick fast, and in a hurry.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
I think I would fall out.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
You think you would fall out, you pass out.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I think of it just like I believe there is
stays out there like that. But you know it takes
a I have a lot of doubts. I mean, you
shouldn't have doubts in your life. You should be thinking positive.
But it's just I've been to so much that a
lot of doubt has happened to me. So that's my
mindset is like, well I'm doubting that already.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
It's like, well, do me a favor. Stop that, stop
that kill that whole battleship.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
You couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
That's what that's called stinking thinking. You gotta stop that
stinking thinking.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
You gotta think positive only, only positive thoughts all the time.
Even if things look bad, you have to see them
good and think good and then they will change in
manufacturer and manifest into the thing you want it to be.
So we're going to hold a very powerful thought. I'm
putting it out there to the universe, to the world.
We need to get Joseph McDonald a car.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Somebody.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
I believe somebody gonna call. Somebody gonna text me and say,
mister Cali, we've got that car. Not probably ain't gonna
be no roles ruys, But why don't we think big.
Somebody might give you.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
As I don't care if it's a bucket, as long
as it goes to point ay.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Boy b there you go and you ain't picky.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Even if the air condition don't work. I still would
like that car.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
There it is. Oh man, that's so cool. We want
I want you to have that. I gotta wrap this up.
Is it anything that you would leave us with that
you would want People who aren't homeless, and who don't
know homeless people is anything you would want them to know?
You don't want to say to them.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I would like to say this. If you see a
homeless person and they're asking you for money, make sure
you look look at them and make sure that them
them people are actually homeless, because nine times out of ten,
those people aren't homeless and they're hustling you.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
Dang, and that cuts out what the people who are
actually homeless can get called the fakers and the shakers
are playing the game exactly.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
They're standing at the front of the story, is trying
to hustle you for money because they because they don't
want to go do nothing, but they have a place
to stay. Believe that. Wow, Yeah, nine times out of ten,
those people are not homeless, sleeping in no tent, not
sleeping on the ground, not not doing any of that.
What they're doing is going up to these spots, buying
these signs and just trying to hustle people for money
so they don't have to work.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
All right, Two things, where's the worst place you ever lived?
And where the best place you've ever lived?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Skip ro the worst place I've ever lived?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Wow? And best place so far.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Well, the best place I've ever lived with would be
Kentucky at the farm. It's so beautiful during the spring.
We have like a little we have a creek that
runs through the whole farm. It's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Do you own that I don't own?
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Not?
Speaker 3 (29:43):
My mother owns that my godmother owns. That my godmother
owns it.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Yeah. Wow, Well that's what I want for you.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I want you to have a place like that with
a creek that rolls through it, with plenty of grass
and space. I want you to have a car, fly
ass car. Nice are not no broke down hoopie. I
want you have some nice shit. And I want you
to get a job that you love, not a job
just to toil and get money, but one it just
makes your heart smile that you get to do it
every day. And I pray for these things for youse.
(30:14):
You a good dude man. I appreciate you. I appreciate
knowing you. I appreciate how you've helped me around here.
And I just want to say thank you for just
stopping and talking to us for a moment and letting
other people get a chance to feel what it's like
on your side. Is the anything else you want to
leave us with.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
There's also a thing you can call two one one.
If you see an actual homeless person, you can report
them and so that loss that can find them.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Just down two one one.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
If you see a lost person, yes, and you get
to report that to them and they can put you
with resources too to have them go out to those
people and they need help.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
This is why I love you, Joseph.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
I'm trying to figure out a way to get you
some help, and here you are telling me how we
can help other people.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
That's fly, brother, appreciate you. Okay, I gotta go now.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
And is there a way people can text you or
something if they have information or donations or anything.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, they could use myself phone number sixty six one
nine one six five three one four, and you also
can reach me by email. My last name is mc
d and E L L two nine J O S E. P.
(31:29):
H at gmail dot com.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Beautiful brother. I hope people run and help you. I
hope they come from all out the woodworks. I hope
folks show up from everywhere and get you to a
place where you can feel absolutely comfortable and happy with
the space you're in. I appreciate you, and I thank
you for being here today.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Brother, thank you.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I'll see you soon. Joseph, thank you, Jo.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
That was my man, Joseph, Joseph Matcdonald. Hey, y'all, you
know where you were. Michael talked to everybody today. I
talked to a fantastic cat man. And we have to
learn that I am my brother's keeper and my sister's too.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Man.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
And we see somebody that's doing worse than us, slide
them something, a dollar, a hug, a smile, something, because
that could be you. God is great, and we're getting
out of here. We're here three times a week. Michael
talks to everybody on iHeart and you can catch me
on My Morney Show five days a week to Michael
Caya Morning Show on YouTube. I'm out here like Kirk
(32:25):
Goudy and I'll see you next time.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Woo.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I had a good time today. I hope y'all did too. Man.
Thank y'all for checking us out here at Michael talks
to everybody.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Hey, you can follow me, man, I'm easy to follow.
I'm on Instagram just under at Michael Kaya. I'm on TikTok.
That's Michael Kye one three five.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
I have a very sexety webpage called the Real Michael
Kaye dot Com. You know, you go over there, you
can find out about my merchandise and what I'm doing
and with all my shows. Our airthing is right there.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Or if you really love me, you can go to
my cashapp. That's dollars have Michael Kaya's money. I'm playing
with y'all, but I accept Green semp Foods Canadian money.
I'll take your bus transfer if it's got some.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Time left on it. And my morning show, oh my goodness,
the Michael Kaye Morning Show that's seven eight in Pacific time, yo,
five days a week. This has been a ray Lock
Group production. I see y'all later
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