Remembering Stanley

RantWoman solemnly offers Remembrances of Roy Lee (Stanley, as he was known around Friends) Anderson, along with links and various images.

Stanley was a regular around Meeting for many years. RantWoman knows there are stories to tel. RantWoman has no direct personal knowledge of some of them but hopes that some of them will emerge. RantWoman remembers Stanley first as a faithful regular presence at Adult Religious Education, Most of the time he just drank coffee and observed, barely doing more than saying his name as others introduced themselves. Once in awhile though he would offer a comment that shared something from his background or that showed he had been listening very insightfully.

A number of Friends gave Stanley cash. From time to time Stanley would make a specific need known: shoes or a can of kerosene. Before his death he told a story of living in a trailer with a daughter. RantWoman was never sure whether to believe that partly because previously several years ago, Stanly also talked about storing some belongings in someone's garage. Stanley is on RantWoman's mind today because of visiting another place where RantWoman ran into Stanley.

Photos of one place besides Meeting where Stanley hung out, the UW Roosevelt Medical Center lobby waiting area..

A view out the window  of the
UW Roosevelt Medical Center
from where Stanley often sat

Here, please forgive RantWoman: RantWoman wants to extend sincere condolences to Stanley's family but RantWoman also needs to ask the universe to pray for RantBrother. RantBrother lives on the streets of Denver. There is substance abuse, mental illness, and messy medical issues in the story. There are also stories of great kindness from people unknown to RantWoman and homeless person life issues such as difficulty holding onto ID and cellphones.

The latest news from RantBrother is that he got taken to the hospital because of a collapsed lung while sleeping outside. Then he left the hospital AMA and went to a shelter where he thought he would get better sleep. RantBrother is in touch with RantMom enough that she helps in limited ways and we all from time to time reach out. And we pray. And RantWoman honors lots of ways of connecting with homeless and formerly homeless people in Seattle. (put the word homeless in the search bar on this blog, for instance.) And RantWoman definitely still remembers Stanley.

Today RantWoman had an appointment at the Bone and Joint Center at the UW Medicine facility on Roosevelt Way NE near Meeting. When RantWoman goes for medical care in the building, she often winds up spending time in the lobby where lots of people wait for transportation or ate lunch, where RantWoman often hangs out if bus gets her somewhere too early. There are tables and chairs, outlets to plug in one's devices, trash cans, all the usual things one finds in a place like that.

View from a
slightly different angle

Today there was a mom with a sick child having what sounded like a protective conversation with, RantWoman is guessing, the child's father. People come with many medical issues and mobility aids and matters of daily life. RantWoman often ran into Stanley in that lobby.  Stanley was pretty good at blending in so RantWoman does not think he got hassled as much as other obviously homeless people who hung out there.

Here RantWoman is going to pause about personal remembrances and just offer a couple items that might be of interest to people not familiar with homelessness in Seattle.

SHARE/WHEEL site
A group of services managed by homeless people themselves

Women in Black Remembrance Project
A public witness where people stand vigil every Wednesday in remembrance for people who have died outside or by violence.

Below is a partial list of those Women in Black have stood vigil for in 2019. Stanley is listed along with indication that he was found somewhere near Meeting. RantWoman, humbly, just has to say prayers: she visits many of the places where people have been found regularly. And RantWoman is unlikely to forget Stanley anytime soon.