I caught up with Mickey, George Forss’s stepbrother, in front of Stewart’s Convenience Store. Like many people, I was concerned about Mickey dressed for the cold in 90 degree plus weather.
Many people are talking about Mickey, worried about where he should live and who will watch out for him. He has a lot of people watching out for him, including social workers from the county government.
It’s not clear where he will live in the long run or whether or not being by himself is healthy and safe.
I talk to Mickey when I see him, and he is the only person I pay to pose for me. I paid him $5 today. I asked him how he was, and he said he is fine. I asked him if he has everything he needs to eat, and he said he did.
I’ll leave the rest to the people who know him better and see him more often than I do. They are watching over him.
Micky surprised me by saying he was glad to be seeing Maria and me more regularly. During the worst of the pandemic, we hardly saw one another at all. I think Mickey is sad; he misses George, who cared for him for nearly 30 years.
I told him I was glad to be seeing him as well.
I wonder if Micky would qualify for the Mansion.
I don’t know Susan, I’ll leave that to the professionals..
Oh my Jon, I think you have captured Mickey’s sadness, grief, and maybe even some confusion in this amazing photo. You’ve certainly touched my heart when I look into Mickey’s intense blue eyes, especially when I think about the possibility of my daughter who has special needs outliving the rest of her family. It certainly gives one pause although, as you say, Mickey has people all around him in your small town who love him, watch out for him, and care for him as much as possible. You live in a beautiful spot with some beautiful neighbors.
To steal from Melville’s short story “Bartleby,” substituting “Mickey” for “Bartleby,”: “AH, MICKEY, AH HUMANITY.”
Jon, your photo is excellent and worth far more than a thousand words and five dollars