On the Streets of Philadelphia

“Tommy” I was recently in Philadelphia, so in my usual fashion decided to go out on the street to look for people I knew and to meet new folks. I met Tommy in an area I have worked before. He was with a friend Jimmy who I hadn’t met before either. We got to talking and I found that both of these men were from my home area, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre is about a two and a half hour drive almost due north of Philadelphia. Tommy wasn’t sure how he made his way to Philadelphia. (More about Jimmy later.) I was shocked to find these men on the streets of Philadelphia. Tommy told me a lot about himself. His wife died suddenly, and that event pushed him into massive grief and on to the street. He has severe alcoholism and stays drunk to cope and numb himself into oblivion. Tommy is a very smart man. He holds a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts Degree) in Psychology, from Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. On top of that he relayed his military service as a Marine veteran. He served for twelve years including two years in Vietnam, and in “Iraqi Freedom,” the 2003 invasion of Iraq.