Davie manages a smile despite the ice sickles that have formed in his beard.
Today’s recipient embodies the very spirit of the mission that I set out to serve. I hope that you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed meeting with Davie.
I had mixed emotions about heading out today to find a recipient due to the eight inches (and counting) of snow that has fallen. Daniela and I decided to venture out and see who we would find. The first person we approached declined to participate, she said she was very skeptical of any type of “offer” that she receives from people that she does not know.
A few minutes later we saw a Street Sense vendor. Street Sense is a newspaper which serves as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues relating to poverty while also creating economic opportunities for people who are experiencing homelessness in the community. David, a Scottish lad from Glasgow in his twenties who came here to pursue the “American dream,” was sporting an ice sickle laden beard. I explained what I was doing and he agreed to accept my $10.
I could probably write a year’s worth of blogging just on Davie. What an interesting person he is. He left Glasgow back in the spring and arrived in Baltimore and made his way to California. Then he decided to make his way back east. With virtually no money, he managed most of his journey by bus, hitchhiking, walking, and whatever else you could imagine. He arrived in DC in early October and is living on the streets near 14th and H. Davie is joining the US military to go serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Aside from paying fairly well, there is a program that you receive US citizenship if you complete so many years of service, I believe Davie told me it was four years. He hopes to depart in a few weeks.
I asked Davie what he was going to do with the $10 and he said he was going to put it toward a bus ticket to NYC to complete some things he needs to enlist and go abroad.
As I said, I could go on about Davie…but will just make a brief list of the interesting things I have learned about him.
- Davie spent almost five years in the Légion Etrangère (French Foreign Legion). As part of his training, he spent 6 months in French Guiana for jungle training.
- Davie’s grandfather served in Heinrich Himmler’s Sicherheitsdienst, the nazi intelligence organization.
- Davie has no family that he knows of. He has two brothers that were more than 20 years older than him that he doesn’t know very well and has not seen or heard from in years. His parents were killed in a highway accident and he explained his uncle was killed as a result of sectarian violence in Glasgow. Davie, a catholic and self-confessed former hooligan, was injured in sectarian violence. His leg was slashed with an ax years ago.
- Davie admittedly said that he refused to interact with Protestants in his homeland almost all of his life; however, rather recently he overcame some of his feelings and established some relationships with some Protestants in Glasgow.
- As those of you who are aware the fierce sectarianism that exists in Glasgow, you might guess that he is a die-hard Celtic (this is soccer, not the NBA!) fan. Their “enemies” are the Rangers. He let me know there was a match between the two clubs on January 3 and advised of the severe violence that was sure to occur.
- Davie use to follow the Celtic team around Europe…occasionally being ejected, arrested, or sent home. There was a certain amount of passion that Davie exhuberates when he speaks about the Celtic club. He reminisced about his youth days when the anticipation of physically attacking the other club’s fans would burn inside him. I use the word “passion”, but it was clear that his passion took the form of rage and violence.
- He not only sells Street Sense, but is a published author for them. He has three 3 articles published in the December 9-22nd issue, including a poem. One of his articles talks about what a typical day is like for a homeless person in DC and there is even a picture of David there. He is a good writer and I strongly encourage everyone in the DC area to pick up a copy of this issue! For those of you not in DC, it should be available online in February. They have a delay so that they do not lose sales of the print version.
- Davie does not panhandle. He doesn’t believe in that. He feels that you should earn your money legitimately.
- Including my $10, he said that he has $23 to his name.
- Davie has been beat up and mugged several times in the US.
- His favorite spot in the US is Montana. He loved the scenery and the crystal clear water coming down the mountainside. His least favorite place was Albuquerque, New Mexico where he was mugged several times in one evening!
- He is ineligible for the US Air Force due to his tattoo on his neck.
- Sometimes Davie sells single cigarettes on the street just to get some money to get by.
- He does not drink or do drugs…well, he smirked and admitted in his rather mild Scottish accent that he has a beer every 2 months or so to “keep the kidney stones away!” Back in his youth, he said he was quite a mess and spent some time in juvenile detention centers.
I feel like I could go on forever….but I have to bring this to a temporary closing for now. We were chatting in front of a Starbucks that had closed do to the weather. There was something sharply ironic in standing with a man who has $23 to his name and watch dozens of Washingtonians nudge by us only to see that the Starbucks was closed and hear them grumble that they can not get their $5 Skinny Hazelnut Latte with soy milk.
Snow blanketed the DC area
We finally stopped our chat, as it was very cold and the snow was making my little 5” x 3” notebook nearly illegible. I wish everyone out there could spend time with Davie. He is an eccentric fellow who reminds me a little of Christopher McCandless (Into the Wild) in his abandonment of material goods in exchange for his exploration of the US. I got his email address and begged him to keep me posted on how things go. He uses the internet at the public library, which was unfortunately closed today due to the snow storm. I hope he comments here for you all to get a taste of who this very interesting young man is. I will keep you posted on his adventures as well.
UPDATE Jan. 25, 2010: You can see a video update with Davie on Facebook.
Year of Giving 
David sounds like quite an interesting character! Thank you for sharing–I’ve subscribed to your blog and look forward to reading more!
Martha passed on the link to me!
LOL I dont think that anyone has ever called me interesting before 🙂
Haha, interesting and you even have an accent when you write! Big points for you, sir! 😀
Do I? I kind of try my best not to, as most people would not know what I am talking about lol.
Anyways I live at 14th & H {under the 1401 building} between about 7:45-5:30 am the next day, and most days I can be found at 7th and I as well selling the street sense if anyone wants to come down and have a chat, its welcome.
I must have been quite a sight the day I met reed in the storm.
Funny that I was the only street sense vendor at work in all downtown d.c. that day, because sadly i did not see any other bright yellow pull-overs walking about.
Reed helped me get to ny city that same day 🙂
You’re the man Davie! Great to see you today! Let’s catch up again soon. – Reed
Aye it was good to see you again indeed mate, and I bet I looked quite different having cleaned away by beard that morning lol.
and to follow up:
New York city did not turn out like i expected it to, but I did learn a few things while I was there, {especially what all the hustles were, like testing subway cards to see if theres still cash on them to collect for one ride or find unlimited tickets just tossed away by tourists, selling sweets in the shelter, and even fought once in the underground circuit getting smashed quite bad, but still winning]
I headed first to the recruiting office at time square, and they give me a bunch of bollocks. So when I went again with more info and spoke to another person, he forwarded me to an office in washington heights where I had tae go to next. There they told me I must be in country for 2 years. I sought out a second opinion because it just so happened that in the shelter i was hearing and seeing things going differently {new york I found has allot of favoritism} So I went down to Fort Hamilton, where I was told the same thing.
And so a long story short i am back in washington d.c. because I have work here with street sense, and its a much nicer place than new york and the people are allot friendlier.
Great post!
Davie – I love your drive and attitude. Keep up the good work.
Reed – Thanks for publicizing the good work of Street Sense and good luck with your journey.
Ok, it’s been over a month. Where is Davie? Are you well?
I emailed Davie earlier this week. He said he was doing alright and had made his way west to Vancouver, Canada right now. I don’t have more details yet…maybe he went for the Olympics 😉
I was contacted by a reporter from the Washington post about Reed and they were doing something in the paper for him and this is what transpired:
From: Susan Kinzie
To: hooligan18931888@yahoo.co.uk
Sent: Wed, 17 March, 2010 8:35:39
Subject: Reed Sandridge, who is giving away $10 a day
Hello!
I’m writing about Reed, who I think you met earlier this year as he goes around Washington giving away $10 to strangers…
He thought your story was really inspiring, and I was wondering if you would be willing to talk with me. Could I give you a call? Or send you some questions by email?
Hope all is well and that was just the first of many lucky breaks.
Thanks!
What did you think when you met him?
What happened?
What did you do with the money?
Did it make a difference for you?
What do you think of Reed and what he’s doing?
Well I met him in the first snowstorm of the season at the crossway to the park at dupont circle. Him and his Girlfriend. I was selling street sense that day, and seemed to be the only vendor around, so i was just trying to make some coin, when Reed inquired about me as well as the paper.
We spoke for about 5 minutes then moved to the starbucks where there was a break in the wind as so he could take a picture with his phone camera for his blog.
The 10 dollars actually helped me get to my destination which was New York City. I was told to go there to inquire about the program in your military wich i know only as “the pilot program for foreign nationals” where u serve in combat for 2 tours and then get your citizenship that way.
I was kind of sad though because i went to the recriuting centers there as well as washington heights and fort hamilton and all 3 said i must be in the nation for 2 years, before i could be excepted.
But it made a big difference for me too, and on top of that i made a good friend that day, I have met Reed again after i returned from ny city after spending a month there. {I have long traveled to places since and am currently in Vancouver B.C. canada}
I believe Reed is doing what he feels is right in his heart, and something that he wants to do. I am sure there have been quite a few people now that those 10 dollars have really helped, or made their life or even their days a lot better, because they use it for something that they themselves feel is important in their own right. In the old days they called people like Reed “Robinhood” because was really rare for people to want to see people in a better mood or state, and it still is now i believe.
Then she wanted to know a bit about me, but thats copy & pasted right off the e-mail with suzan
If you guys ever wonder what has happened to me, then feel free to e-mail me at:
hooligan18931888@yahoo.co.uk
and ill give yous an update of where my travels have taken me.
Great to hear from you Davie, I hope Vancouver is working out for you. Did you win any gold medals? A big thanks for taking time to write to Susan. When you get back to DC…let me know! And keep us posted here on the blog like you did here so that we know how you are doing. Take care my friend.
Wow how did you manage to remember all of this information from the little time to speak on the street and by the time you wrote this article ??
Your project is very very interesting, im currently reading a french book about an actor who travel around the world for fun and do and meet alot of interesting people just like you!
I live in Canada, I really wish I will be able to do something like you some day, when im gonna get money to start. Hope your not on Copyright ^^
very interesting indeed! hope you stay in touch here, Davie! i look forward to hearing of where your travels take you 🙂
Davie, it’s really irritating the way the US government (military included) can work sometimes. It’s really inspiring though how inspite of all that, your still going strong and just trying to get by. Just out of curiosity, if you had a choice in any having any job or career, what would it be?
Well, I believe I have learned no to let things get me down. I experienced that right after I left the legion, and for a few months was just stationary and lived in a computer cafee in londontown near the trafalger square.
Tis not a good feeling or spot tae be in, but I honestly did not know what I was tae do next. I finally over come that, which I believe took alot of my will power to do, and have a flame and ambition again, to get out and do things, and stop wondering & procrastonating.
Well, If I had a choice, I would choose a career because that pays ye more money, and also with that income you can get on tae otherthings like havin a love life, and gettin married and so forth, but I doubt that one can succeed in that by just having a job. Maybe a steady job yes so long as the income comes in, and the kids and the bills are looked after, but otherwise a career is where it is at these days.
[…] he said. Hopefully my $10 will help. The bus ticket can be pretty cheap – just ask Davie from Day 5 who after receiving my $10 went straight to catch a $24 bus to NYC. Donville would like your help […]
Just met Davie for the first time tonight and I have to say, it’s been so long since I met a soul I could talk to. I wish I had the balls to do what you do Davie. Ill finish this later
cause o company…you know howe it is Davie.
Very cool….I’ve been wondering where he is these days. Let me know where you found him 🙂 and tell him to get in touch!
Thanks Kate for passing the message along to Davie, we exchanged some emails over the weekend! -Reed