File spoon-archives/anarchy-list.archive/anarchy-list_2002/anarchy-list.0203, message 17


From: "heather" <heather-AT-teknopunx.co.uk>
Subject: Fw: American John passes
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2002 19:03:36 -0000


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----- Original Message -----
From: Ciaron O'Reilly
To: agwyther-AT-yahoo.com ; ciaronx-AT-hotmail.com
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2002 2:00 PM
Subject: American John passes


Dear Friends,
Our community of homeless and volunteers at the Simon Shelter in Kings Cross have been rocked by the sudden death of shelter worker American John (Red Bone).  It was a wonderful privilege to share the last week of his life. He was such a great energy in the shelter and promised so much to us.  John had spent many years homeless, riding the rails and squatting around the U.S. (Minnesotta, Mass., New York, New Orleans et.al.). 

John had in the past four months come to England and connected with his birth mother in Yorkshire.   A wonderful gift for the both of them.  He was very open about his experiences with addiction, his failings and the various thangs competing for his energy.  He was neither cynical or romantic about homeless folks and the work and life we are sharing with them.  He was great energy and upbeat and proactive about the work.  He had solid ideas to propose coming out of the experiences he had crammed into his 32 years of life.

On Friday I had taken him around to the local anarchist bookshop to try and find some punk gigs for his weekend off.  My last sight of him as he headed off on Friday was standing in the door way of the day room.  His muscular arms tattoooed one with ??????????????? and the other with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He had his cut off, stitched together fatigues that he hadn't washed for 5 years and a maori t-shirt, his piercings, spikes, rings, rap round shades and a "let's do London" attitude.

I'm not sure what the next 36 hours were like and it leaves a lot of questions for us about ourselves, our community.  When I saw his body on Sunday it was curled in a foetal position on the bedroom floor, he looked peaceful with his eyes closed.  This may betray the last moments of his life.  But his last week was John at his best serving folks more fragile, listening, learning, encouraging and sharing his wisdom when asked.

There's so much to celebrate about John. 
Pray for him, for us and his mum.
Thanx
Ciaron

HTML VERSION:

 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Ciaron O'Reilly
To: agwyther-AT-yahoo.com ; ciaronx-AT-hotmail.com
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2002 2:00 PM
Subject: American John passes

Dear Friends,
Our community of homeless and volunteers at the Simon Shelter in Kings Cross have been rocked by the sudden death of shelter worker American John (Red Bone).  It was a wonderful privilege to share the last week of his life. He was such a great energy in the shelter and promised so much to us.  John had spent many years homeless, riding the rails and squatting around the U.S. (Minnesotta, Mass., New York, New Orleans et.al.). 
 
John had in the past four months come to England and connected with his birth mother in Yorkshire.   A wonderful gift for the both of them.  He was very open about his experiences with addiction, his failings and the various thangs competing for his energy.  He was neither cynical or romantic about homeless folks and the work and life we are sharing with them.  He was great energy and upbeat and proactive about the work.  He had solid ideas to propose coming out of the experiences he had crammed into his 32 years of life.
 
On Friday I had taken him around to the local anarchist bookshop to try and find some punk gigs for his weekend off.  My last sight of him as he headed off on Friday was standing in the door way of the day room.  His muscular arms tattoooed one with ??????????????? and the other with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He had his cut off, stitched together fatigues that he hadn't washed for 5 years and a maori t-shirt, his piercings, spikes, rings, rap round shades and a "let's do London" attitude.
 
I'm not sure what the next 36 hours were like and it leaves a lot of questions for us about ourselves, our community.  When I saw his body on Sunday it was curled in a foetal position on the bedroom floor, he looked peaceful with his eyes closed.  This may betray the last moments of his life.  But his last week was John at his best serving folks more fragile, listening, learning, encouraging and sharing his wisdom when asked.
 
There's so much to celebrate about John. 
Pray for him, for us and his mum.
Thanx
Ciaron

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