21 * 2 Birthday Day Finished

Okay I'm sitting here in my Buffed chair with no shoes to shine so I started thinking of what I can do to be productive. Yep write my blog.

Where to start? I've been checking out other sites and some are really good and helpful but I have them written down on paper at home. "Home" I love that word and I can tell you it's great to be able to use it. I was homeless way to long. But in the end I did it and got on my feet with which I'm proud to help others do the same.

Sometimes I have this powerful drive in me to be successful and start new things but I always only think of things that help people at the same time. I am putting together an educational DVD which will help a lot of people and I'm making it into a business were it makes profit as well. Filming in 3 weeks I'm still putting everything together even writing the script and finding the money for it all. I'm not sure how it will all come together but I am sure it'll work and be successful. The way I see it I have given out such good karma with everything I do, time for me to have some too.

Now I have mentioned putting together this DVD before but never did it, mostly because I didn't have the money and really it wasn't the right time for me then. Why now? Tomorrow is my birthday and I turn 42 which if you think about it positively it's turning 21 twice. I like to think positively. ha ha.

So having a birthday tomorrow I was thinking it's time to stop thinking about ideas and start putting them together. I'm not getting younger. Tomorrow I want to see what I can achieve in the next 12 months before my next birthday.

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I want to write now about a top guy and yet a homeless guy. Bruce hangs around the Post Office in the city. Bruce is one of the nicest guy I've very meet. Yes some days he yells and abuses people but really it's because he has a mental illness (I believe only)

Bruce gets Centrelink money but instead of buying drugs or beer he wants to buy a few bottles of coke and gives the rest to a church. Now please don't let me start with why the church would accept it, but this guy lives with nothing but the clothes on his back and a small bag of clothes.

I have bought Bruce many of meals (Pie and Coke days) and always he says he gave his money to a church. One day I asked why he did it? His answer almost brought a tear to my eyes. "They help people" To be honest it wasn't so much what he said, even though that's great great in itself, but the way he said it. I got the feel he had done something bad and punishing himself and helping a church was a way to make things right.

Now it took me 4 months and 3 meals to get to know his name so I'm not pushing it but, this is really the kind of people I like helping. The ones that have given up on life and for a lot can't escape because they believe there's no choice.

Before I get alot of emails and comments saying about accomadion and doctors please let me say, I have offered to pay myself for accomadion many of times and really tried to push without pushing to hard. With Bruce I feel he needs to work out the problems of the past and forgive himself.

Now I'm not a Doc or a socal worker but because 'I have been there and then that' I sort of relate and can understand where he's coming from. I wish doctors or social workers would help and to think of it I'm sure some have and tried, but I don't see any around now.

After I buy him a meal and we chat (Pie and Coke Days) I do have a saying which now he finish for me "Pay me back by buying me a meal when you get on your feet" To me it's a saying that in the end he will get on his feet and buy me a meal back and that one meal will be one of the nicest meals I'll ever get. I don't care if I have to buy him a 100 meals it'll still be worth getting that one back when he gets on his feet.

To be honest I've only gotten 5 meals paid back by people I have helped in a huge way and yes it's the best feeling in the world.

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I hope you all have a great day and I thank you for reading my new blog. Please help me to spread the word about the new address by clicking the little 't' or 'F' (twitter or Facebook) at the bottom of this post.
Grant the Polite Guy
@grantpoliteguy (Twitter)
Grant Richards (Facebook)



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The Young Ones

This just happened. Ha ha

My wife came to see me and asked how my writing was going? “I'm stuck because I keep thinking about writing that script” You see I'm putting together a educational DVD and the person that was going to write it didn't and I film in 3 weeks. So I'm writing it and I have never written a script before.

Anyway my wife asks “would I like a toasted sandwich?” Which I say “Yes please” and she very quickly returns and hands me a piece of paper. “We will need bread, cheese, tomato and things so I wrote a shopping list” Big smile on her face. Nothing wrong with her being able to write. Ha ha

So here I am enjoying a nice toasted sandwich and my wife feels clever for getting me to go to the shops.

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Young ones.

More times then I can count I've spoken to young ones (12-15 year olds). Some I want to boot them in the ass and send them home, because they say it's cool to sleep on the streets. There idiots.

But about 2 in 5 (that I have noticed) have been abused at home and it's safer on the streets and this is well just sad. That's when I feel like booting the parents in the ass.

Ha ha I've mention booting in the ass twice now, please know it's a saying only.

The problem is trust with a lot of them. They don't know you so don't trust you, and the only ones they get to know is other homeless which in most cases are not a good roll model so it doesn’t take long to turn to crime and worst. Before long they start thinking it's a lifestyle of being homeless. Now there is great services out there that do great work but it's not enough because there's still homeless young ones.

I could write about some stories I know about, but it would be to hard to read. I will say I was talking to a guy (14 maybe) a few weeks ago and I tried to help him but he said it's cool to be on the streets, just a few days ago I saw him with a black eye and he look like he had been beaten up. I was on a bus so I didn't talk to him but I know I will see him again. The fact is I hope I don't because maybe just maybe he goes back home.

I have a plea. Please if you see a young one or any age really, please offer to buy a meal if you have the spare coins in your pocket. I always remember I was in there position and for some even worst, look how I turned out. A great guy that helps many. Please pass it forward. Helping a person then they may help others.

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I was going to write another piece but my little 9 year old (Jasmine) wants to spend time with her dad. I'm writing this as she's pulling on my arm. Ha ha.

I hope you all have a great day and thank you for reading my blog.

Grant the Polite Guy.

My Saturday

I woke this morning all excited because I was going to see my mates. You see we were putting a meeting on to plan the next 'Mates helping Mates' BBQ which is going to be on the 1^st July. Don't know the venue yet but in the city or maybe Musgrave Park again.

I was beaming shaking hands and chatting about everyone helping more and more homeless people. A lot of great idea's came and really the goal is to make these BBQ'S bigger and better which helps even more people. One great one was we are going to make posters to put up at lodges and food vans around the city. I can't believe I didn't think of it, but that's why we are have meetings like today, to get fresh idea's.

This is going to seem like a few stories in one but it's the only way I think I can write it.

Now I always say I don't write everything about things I do to help homeless, but this is one of them times were I'm not saying what good I did, but others too.

While at the meeting Alicia and Steve (great people) rolled up with her wheelchair and had 6 sleeping bags and 6 back-packs for me to hand out to homeless after the meeting. Telling me that and great person named Colleen had bought them to be handed out to homeless before the winter hits. (on twitter @dinkumdusty )

Now I want to say how great is Colleen. I'm not sure if I have meet her but if I haven't I'd like too. This person spent a lot of money buying sleeping bags and back-packs for people she will most likely never meet. Just the fact that they needed help she is there. Now if anyone was A's in my book that really is up there with the best in my book. So please if you do the twitter thing, please contact her and say how great she is because I just heard she's going through a tough time now.

The meeting was ending when a couple (Denise and Dave) said they would help carry and hand out the sleeping bags and back-packs with my wife and I. Let me say I was so happy at first because I didn't want to carry them all on my own. Now I have known Denise and Dave for a year now, I wrote about them when we both did the 'Be Brave and Shave'. We both collected $2,000 each and got the shave at the same time. In fact that's when we meet. (Getting head shaved on stage. Ha ha)

Walking walking, we went to King George Square and meet our first homeless person. As it turned out he turned up at our last 'Mates helping Mates' BBQ and knew who I was. He sleeps on the streets and told me he had clothes and things in a locker at the 139 club. ( They let homeless keep things there in lockers so they don't lose clothes and things)

I talked to him for a few minutes and then handed him a sleeping bag and back-pack and left saying “have a good day” knowing I still had 5 more sleeping bags and back-packs to hand out.

Walking through the mall I didn't see any homeless at all. I really couldn't believe it. So the 4 of us headed towards The Botanical Gardens at the end of Albert St. Just before reaching the park we came across “Rain” yes that's his name or at least the name he gave me. Rain told me he was only 16 years old and from what I understood he's being homeless for a while now. He said he moves around and just spent 3 months in the valley.

Now sometimes in this type of thing I'm rolling a magazine up and hitting them on the head for being dumb and saying it's not fun being homeless with your mates, but this guy wasn't saying how fun it was being homeless and didn't put across anything like that at all. If anything, he had the look of giving up. I had to go but I can assure everyone I will be meeting him again to spend a lot more time with him and get the whole story and maybe help if I can. I mean he's only a 16 years old kid and should be having the time of his life and everything in life great, not sleeping on the streets not knowing where his next meal is coming from.

Then the 4 of us walked through The Botanical Gardens looking for homeless people and then through the Queen St Mall. That's a long walk. Ha ha. But no homeless anywhere that I noticed. I even said “ I do such a good job that there's none left” It didn't last long because as we got to the end of the Mall and I noticed a guy I had bough heaps of meals for in the past. My 'Pie and Coke days'.

I walked over and just started talking and asking if I can give him a sleeping bag and back-pack and would he use it. Now this guy is well know by a lot of people in the city because he is always going through bins and getting food and drinks people throw away. Not only did he take the sleeping bag and back-pack but for the first time ever, even after I've bought him lunch at least 50 times he handed out his hand to shake and told me his name “David” I'm not going to say it brought a tear to my eyes but I will say it came close. In my eyes he was starting to trust me and let me say that's a great start.

Leaving David the 4 of us walked to the next corner and just waited and to be honest just had a rest when I notice David opening the sleeping bag and checking it out and repacking it. He done that 2-3 times (not really sure) but the whole time he had a huge smile and to be honest the best words I can think of is “he thought it was Christmas” the 4 of us beaming with pride from a distance but with 3 sleeping bags and back-packs still to hand out.

Now the reason we headed for King George Square in the first place is because through the week I had seen 5young guys sleeping on the chairs in the underground bus way through the week and thought I could help them too. So we went back there and as it was they were there. Well 3 guys and a girl. I asked “if they were the guys that slept on the chairs in the bus-way” I knew the answer but I needed a way to talk to them. They said they were and I asked if I could give them sleeping bags and back-packs because it's getting colder.

All I remember is lot's of “WOO HOO'S” and smiles all around.

Minutes later I was saying goodbye to Dave and Denise and to be honest at that every moment I couldn't have been more prouder. I spent time with great friends and my wife helping people and it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Colleen in the first place helping.

That's what I did today. I'm not special you could too. Maybe that will encourage others to help people down on there luck.

Thank you for reading my blog and please share with others as I'm sure sometimes it may help others to think about others too.

I hope you have a great day.

Grant the Polite Guy.