Never a Dull Moment in the City of God

This afternoon I saw more than a few interesting things:

1. A pregnant Grandmother with her daughter and granddaughter. Well, I'm about 90% sure of this one. Of course it could always be a grossly large abdominal tumor (at about 8.5 months).

2. A drunk homeless woman swimming in the fountain and then falling out of the fountain.

3. A demonstration being put on by the Firefighters of Rio asking for the public to support their request for a raise. I totally agree with this one, but they did lose points for not helping the obviously drunk homeless woman out of the fountain. Yes, these two events were happening side by side.

4. A very old woman wearing something that I wore when I was about 13 years old. Think neon pink short shorts, neon and white striped super tight tank top, big neon pink headband with flower, big white earrings, strappy pink sandals, and bright pink lipstick. I also heard her talk a little shit to a woman who she obviously felt was not dressed cute enough. She said something along the lines of 'That's not going to help you keep your man." Good for you Granny! Keep 'em guessing!

5. People saw my boys and I almost get hit by a car. This old man cruised past cars waiting at a red light and tried to turn into the gas station. We were waiting for the light to change at the crosswalk. I had to back up quickly and scream to get him to stop. The guy then had the balls to say that it's ok and to calm down. I said a lot of things to that. I don't think any of them are appropriate for my blog.

No wonder I'm so tired by the end of the day. This along with the regular craziness is a lot of stimulation for my little mind.  

The Announcement heard Around the World

We all know the power of the internet, especially us bloggers, blog readers, and informatics addicts.

But no one now knows it's power more than Ted Williams.  I bet you've all heard his story at this point.

A homeless man, 52 year old Williams, was holding up a stereotypical Sassy sign by the side of the road. Not so typical about this sign was his claim to a 'God Given Talent of Voice.'  A local newsperson decided to check it out and asked, on camera, for Mr. Ted W. to share this voice with him.

And it has been the announcement heard around the world.

2 days later, 2 days!  This man is a phenomenon.  Millions of Youtube hits, which, by the way, redeemed all you youtubers to me.  What's with everyone watching all those annoying tweens?!  Finally you found something worth your attention!

Now he's off. He's been on radio and to the Today show.  He was questioned at airport and almost not allowed to go due to lack of documentation.  If airport harassment doesn't mean you've made it, I don't know what does.

The point is, we've all made a difference to a Man who seems to notice.  He has had one hell of a life and is coming out on top.  And the internet is what made that happen.

The mass sharing of information lifted someone out of shadows and high enough to catch a break.  And, I'll say regardless of my in fear of jinxing something, someone who is humble, has learned from his life, and is truly grateful.

Don't get me wrong, I know I'm in no place to judge anyone.  What I'm saying is that I would expect to be bitter and a little pissed after such a difficult life.  And he is not.  He is thankful. He is open.  He is the new Zen.

On top of it all, he is kind and that is because, as he says, "His Mom raised him that way"  and "The Golden Rule"

A little food for Friday's thought...

Check out Ted Williams interview on the Today show

http://www.nbc.com/news-sports/msnbc-video/homeless-man-with-golden-voice-thankful-to-be-here/

When you least expect it...

Cruising to the park this morning, I approached Largo do Machado. Largo do Machado is a decent sized plaza in between Laranjeiras, Flamengo, and Catete. 

I was not stoked when I saw two homeless people chatting at the corner where I had to cross. Let me explain...

Be warned that I am going to make some HUGE generalizations here. 

There are different categories of homeless in this city. You have the not really homeless but poor and asking for money. You have the mellow homeless who will talk to you but, as the name suggests, are mellow and non-threatening. You also have the independent homeless who are just doing their thing and minding their own business. They will occasionally stop you to ask you something, talk to your kid, or give their opinion. 

And then there´s the homeless person I saw waiting at the corner. They are the ones that are younger and kind of unpredictable.  Sometimes they are on drugs... 

I know, I sound square. All young people are hoodlums and on drugs!! But seriously, if you´ve ever seen a real glue sniffer hanging out in the streets down here, you know what I mean. It´s different and not kosher in any sense of the word!

Anyway, They call you Tia or Tio (Aunt or Uncle) and actively (I really mean annoyingly) beg for anything or everything. I´ve had members of this group ask for the clothes off my kids´ backs.  I´m like, dude I know the shorts are cute but they aren´t going to fit you. 

So I continue and ready myself for a potential encounter. I tend to get them a little more often than most as I´m an obvious foreigner.  How can they tell you ask?  I do not know!  I´ve always figured my white pasty skin, lack of ass, and English speaking children would help me blend. 

Well, right away the girl comes up to me and points at my kid´s shoes.  Great, she´s going to want the littlest´s shoes! 

Nope, I was totally wrong.  She wanted to point out that my littlest had lost one of his shoes.  Actually, I had already noticed earlier that he had taken it off and thrown it into the basket under the stroller.  I explained this to her and thanked her for her concern. She then turned to me and said something along the lines of 'No problem. Losing a shoe is a bitch'. 

Damn good point!