Our streets are empty today, RIP Bustah
Dec 2, 2023 14:59:21 GMT
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**GypsyGirl**, Lexica, and 38 more like this
Post by StephDRebel on Dec 2, 2023 14:59:21 GMT
Growing up in tiny towns where everyone knows everyone it was hard for me to imagine living in a bigger city and connecting with people like you do in a smaller "community" but I've been personally shocked how people find a way to see you and connect in a larger place where it's so much easier to blend in and even 'disappear' if you want to.
I've been surprised by is how close a community can be in the middle of a bigger and busier city and how quickly you learn who lives where, dog walking schedules, and who is usually in the neighborhood. It's so different than what I'm used to but so special at the same time.
We've only been here for about 5 months but one of the first people we met in our current neighborhood was Bustah.
Just a few days after we moved in we were walking the dogs and heard a stranger yelling up the street to us "QUEEEEEN, I know you've got that big dog but you be safe, you hear?" I didn't think much about it and just kind of smiled, said "i will" and kept walking.
A few days later we were having dinner and saw the same guy doing some work for the restaurant and a bit later we saw him carrying a bands equipment across the neighborhood square and a few days later he was crossing the street at like 3am. The guy was everywhere.
After seeing him all over we started to wonder what his story was and what he was all about and it turned out he was one of the most frequent faces we saw.
Through the months we've seen him just about every time we go for a walk and he always makes sure to say hello, tell us we're fam-lay, and scratch the dogs ears.
Sometimes we would see him sitting on a stoop, people watching and we would join him for a drink and a chat. Sometimes we would be walking and out of nowhere he would pop up and say "hey fam-lay! Don't you let that queen walk next to the street, keep her safe! ", sometimes he would see me circling the block looking for parking and he would jump in a spot and save it for me, and most of the time he was around the block carrying equipment for bands loading in and out and doing various tasks for the restaurants, shops, and bars.
He could have been a bajillionaire who just liked people but I don't think he had much. We had conversations about being kind to people even after they've treated you badly, the struggles of the city, of addiction, and staying out of jail as he walked me and the dogs home to make sure we were safe.
I was shocked and saddened this morning when I woke up and saw that he had passed.
I saw message after message in community groups from bands and businesses he had helped out, neighbors he called fam-lay, women he always called queen, people he helped find parking spots for, women who had been homeless that he had helped and people that he protected.
I didn't know him well and it didn't appear that he had a lot of relatives or resources around but today our neighborhood is mourning someone who many overlooked but so many saw and appreciated for the way he brought a community together for so many years- the community guardian as hes called.
As I'm reflecting I'm finding myself focused on how little he had and how much he gave despite his limited resources. It's hitting especially hard when I think about how much value we tend to put on material things, especially this time of year when what really matters is how you make people feel...something that Bustah mastered in these streets.
Honestly, I'm not sure what his current housing situation was. I've seen people talking about how he took them in while they were on the streets and I've seen people talking about him being on the streets so I think it was an evolving situation but whether or not he had a house, he made the streets his home.
You may not know him, I barely did but his memory is worth sharing and he left a legacy on the streets of this community. I can't wrap my mind around how many people he not only helped feel safer but how many people, especially women were saved from being harmed through the years because there was someone walking with them or because there was a protector with his eyes on them. He's been on the 600 block since the 90s from what I've heard from neighbors. I can't even wrap my mind around the impact he's brought.
Santa is showing up at the docks on a boat in a few minutes, we're having a Christmas tree lighting tonight and then a Lighted boat parade tonight and he will be on my mind through it all as we stroll and chat and don't hear anyone yell "Merry Christmas Queen, stay out of trouble!" Im sure ill be teary when we head home.
Rest well, Bustah. I don't know what happens after this life but im certain that his influence will be remembered and will continue wherever he lands next.
I've been surprised by is how close a community can be in the middle of a bigger and busier city and how quickly you learn who lives where, dog walking schedules, and who is usually in the neighborhood. It's so different than what I'm used to but so special at the same time.
We've only been here for about 5 months but one of the first people we met in our current neighborhood was Bustah.
Just a few days after we moved in we were walking the dogs and heard a stranger yelling up the street to us "QUEEEEEN, I know you've got that big dog but you be safe, you hear?" I didn't think much about it and just kind of smiled, said "i will" and kept walking.
A few days later we were having dinner and saw the same guy doing some work for the restaurant and a bit later we saw him carrying a bands equipment across the neighborhood square and a few days later he was crossing the street at like 3am. The guy was everywhere.
After seeing him all over we started to wonder what his story was and what he was all about and it turned out he was one of the most frequent faces we saw.
Through the months we've seen him just about every time we go for a walk and he always makes sure to say hello, tell us we're fam-lay, and scratch the dogs ears.
Sometimes we would see him sitting on a stoop, people watching and we would join him for a drink and a chat. Sometimes we would be walking and out of nowhere he would pop up and say "hey fam-lay! Don't you let that queen walk next to the street, keep her safe! ", sometimes he would see me circling the block looking for parking and he would jump in a spot and save it for me, and most of the time he was around the block carrying equipment for bands loading in and out and doing various tasks for the restaurants, shops, and bars.
He could have been a bajillionaire who just liked people but I don't think he had much. We had conversations about being kind to people even after they've treated you badly, the struggles of the city, of addiction, and staying out of jail as he walked me and the dogs home to make sure we were safe.
I was shocked and saddened this morning when I woke up and saw that he had passed.
I saw message after message in community groups from bands and businesses he had helped out, neighbors he called fam-lay, women he always called queen, people he helped find parking spots for, women who had been homeless that he had helped and people that he protected.
I didn't know him well and it didn't appear that he had a lot of relatives or resources around but today our neighborhood is mourning someone who many overlooked but so many saw and appreciated for the way he brought a community together for so many years- the community guardian as hes called.
As I'm reflecting I'm finding myself focused on how little he had and how much he gave despite his limited resources. It's hitting especially hard when I think about how much value we tend to put on material things, especially this time of year when what really matters is how you make people feel...something that Bustah mastered in these streets.
Honestly, I'm not sure what his current housing situation was. I've seen people talking about how he took them in while they were on the streets and I've seen people talking about him being on the streets so I think it was an evolving situation but whether or not he had a house, he made the streets his home.
You may not know him, I barely did but his memory is worth sharing and he left a legacy on the streets of this community. I can't wrap my mind around how many people he not only helped feel safer but how many people, especially women were saved from being harmed through the years because there was someone walking with them or because there was a protector with his eyes on them. He's been on the 600 block since the 90s from what I've heard from neighbors. I can't even wrap my mind around the impact he's brought.
Santa is showing up at the docks on a boat in a few minutes, we're having a Christmas tree lighting tonight and then a Lighted boat parade tonight and he will be on my mind through it all as we stroll and chat and don't hear anyone yell "Merry Christmas Queen, stay out of trouble!" Im sure ill be teary when we head home.
Rest well, Bustah. I don't know what happens after this life but im certain that his influence will be remembered and will continue wherever he lands next.
