Willie transcript coded

Jasmin Santiago, Mark Yanoschik, Cody Phillips
Transcipts
Interview with Willie
C- Cody
J- Jasmin
M- Mark
W-Willie
C: I would like to start by asking, ah, what do you think about during a typical day? Like
a normal day.
W: A normal day, I think about is getting something to eat
C: Getting something to eat?
W: yea, and I go to salvation army.
C: ok
W: and, saint luke church to get something to eat.
C: ok, do you, uh, do they usually have pretty good food?
W: oh yea, the food great!
C: the food is great?
W: yea, its donations. The people that recognize homeless people.
C: ok, so what else do you think about once you get a full belly from there?
W: going to the next place
C: ok, and uh, like, during a typical day where would that be? Do you have a daily
routine or you just kinda…
W: well we normally have a daily routine, going to the salvation army at 5 o’clock
C: ok
W: in the afternoon and then going to saint luke cause they give us out a bag, uh um, to
get you through in the morning time
C: mmhmm, what is that’s bag? What do they have?
W: its water, a soda, uh, a sandwich.
C: a sandwich? Ok. So uh, you said you’re going fishing today?
W: oh yea.
C: is that something you normally do?
W: its something that I normally do, its something that most homeless people do, it make
the day go by
C: mmhmm
W: to uhh, to go back to get something to eat.
C: I love fishing, yall go fish on the river?
W: oh yea.
C: ok well, what do yall fish for normally?
W: anything that bite! Normally people that don’t eat fish, they love to fish ad they
donate them to the community.
Mark Yanoschik 11/4/14 7:17 AM
Comment [1]: The
first
thing
he
mentions

is
food,
a
basic
human
necessity
that
we

take
for
granted.

Comment [2]: Unlike
Dana,
Willie
openly

acknowledges
that
he
is
a
homeless

individual,
has
been
for
a
long
time,
and
will

probably
stay
that
way.

Comment [3]: Willie
really
does
view

them
as
his
literal
salvation.
They
give
him
a

little
hope
each
day.

Comment [4]: Willie
absolutely
loves

fishing
and
so
does
Cody.
This
common

interest
helped
get
rid
of
the
divide
between

the
interviewers
and
Willie.

C: ok, what do you normally catch? Catfish or..
W: catfish this time of the season
C: catfish, I love fishing catfish. You know you got a big one on there when you can
barely even real one in.
W: that fun to me!
C: umm, so what is the highest level of education that you have obtained?
W: uhhh, well my highest is.. I graduated from highschool
C: from highschool?
W: but I went to the military
C: ok
W: I’m a Vietnam veteran.
C: ok, well thank you for your service, we really appreciate it! Uhh, how do you feel,
uhh, your highschool education has helped you in life?
W: well……, it, it, it, it helped me…. By……. I just got a (mumbles) but when I became
homeless, and messing with drugs, it brought me down to the bottom level. That’s how I
became homeless
C: that’s after the military?
W: that was after the military
C: after the military
W: yea, yea, involved with the wrong people
C: mmhmm
W: so I made myself homeless, I lost my family, and (sigh) I lost them for about 15 years
C: and you said that was 15 years ago?
W: yea
C: umm
J: how long were you in the military?
W: uhh, 11 years
C: 11 years is a long time
W: yea, it’s a long time, but now im retired, and what got me out from being homeless
now is by me getting my military VA.
J: that’s good, I was gonna ask about that, yea
C: alright, umm, my next question is: how do you value knowledge?
W: I value knowledge very, beacuase without your highschool diploma, you aint got
nothing
C: mmhmm
W: you cant even get a job working for the city driving a garbage truck
C: yea , yea
W: you know, even dumping garbage without your high school diploma, that’s very
important
C: you cant even go into the military
W: you cant even go into the military without a highschool diploma now
J: have you had any like jobs on the side?
(we get interrupted)
J: have you had any like little jobs on the side?
W: oh yea, on catch-out corner
J: oh, what is that?
Comment [5]: It
is
a
stereotype
that

plenty
of
homeless
people
are
veterans.
It

would
have
been
interesting
to
ask
him
how

many
other
homeless
veterans
he
knows.

Comment [6]: Willie
clearly
blames
drugs

for
his
homelessness,
but
he
still
uses
his

experience
to
educate
others
so
they
do
not

make
the
same
mistake
that
he
did.

Comment [7]: It
was
never
explicitly

explained
what
his
current
contact
is
with

his
family,
but
they
clearly
do
not
do
much

with
him
most
likely
due
to
the
drug
history.

Comment [8]: This
is
case
where
he
does

get
literal
with
defining
education.
Since

there
are
more
people
in
society
now
more

than
ever
this
statement
is
probably
very

true.

Comment [9]: Willie
has
a
lot
of
pride
in

his
military
career.
Despite
spending
such
a

long
time
homeless,
he
does
have
this

period
in
his
life
where
he
did
achieve

something
noticeable.

W: It’s down by Salvation Army, that’s where everyone is now.
J: oh ok, what did you do?
W: anything that came up need to be done
J: you did it?
W: did it.
C: ok, so, uh, ok, sounds good, uh, so how would you define education? Would you just
define it as going to school, or do you say you’re always getting educated?
W: that’s the first step is going to school. Get your high school diploma and you can go
further. Without that high school diploma, you stuck homeless.
C: yea, umm, so I would think that you would feel your education continued when you
were in the military? You know, they probably taught you some stuff. How do you feel
that, what they taught you there has helped you since then?
W. it well, number one it helped to to survive while being homeless, and (smacks lips)
C: what kind of skills did they teach you to help you survive?
W: jungle
C: jungle skills?
W: yea, ive been in Vietnam, and it taught me how to survive
C: ok, how to live off the land?
W: how to live off the land, yea
C: alright, umm
J: can you tell me a little bit more about that?
W: oh yea, now I used to have a hut r-r-right in the back of here
J: yea
W: a tent that I used to live in
C: ok
W: and, but they moved us from there, they moved us down right behind the (mumbles)
maybe about on the park back here, I stayed in the bathroom for about 5 months.
C: ok
W: yea, and from there I went up under the bridge and stayed for about, maybe about two
years.
C: how many other people were there with you?
W: ohhh, my God
J: a lot?
W: imam say over 40
C: over 40 people? All at the same time or in and out?
W: at the same time
C: well uh, what would you say that most of those peoples education were, had most of
them gone through high school?
W: they were very educated, but the point is with their background and record, it’s hard
for them to get a job.
C: ok, so they have some sort of criminal record or drug record that’s keeping them from
getting a job?
W: right,
C: so, its doesn’t really matter if they have a education, they could have a college degree,
if they have dru.. if they’ve been through drugs or some kind of criminal record, the
companies don’t care about that.
Comment [10]: This
is
a
literal
example

of
the
saying,
“Beggars
can’t
be
choosers”

Comment [11]: The
first
3
things

highlighted
on
this
page
are
really
about
the

negative
atmosphere
that
homelessness

entails.

W: that’s right
C: even if they’ve gotten cleaned up it still stays on the record.
W: still, still is on their record
C: ok, wow
W: you got people that’s homeless down there. Two dentists you even got
C: dentist?
W: yeah! You even got people down there homeless got very education. Dentists,
lawyers that’s been homeless from drugs. They all fall back to the same category, like the
rest of them they no more than, than the people that’s down there
C: how do those people feel, knowing that they’ve been through, like all the way through
college, and you know, maybe even graduate school, and now they’re homeless. What do
they say about that? Have they ever talked about it?
W: yea, they made the wrong mistake messing with drugs like I did.
J: that’s how you feel?
W: that’s how I feel
C: are any of them, are they trying to get out of that or are some of them still messing
with drugs?
W: oh yea, they’re trying very hard to get out of it, but its hard. Once you get attached to
something, it’s very hard to get out of it. You know, it’s like living up under the bridge.
Most of them, when they go to work, they usually try to use their money (mumbles)
trying to buy drugs.
C: yea
W: cause they stuck in that category
C: yea, they’re just stuck in that loop
W: what I was told happened to the VA, I was able to go to drug school, uhh, to get off of
it.
C: ok, good. That’s good
J: what do you do now, to I guess continue your education?
W: right now, well I’m 64 years old
C: haha
J: well there’s nothing wrong with that.
W: so education really don’t mean knowledge to me no more
C: mmhmm
W: but because I’m doing good now. A little bit better than I was.
C: so when you weren’t doing good, did you feel like you needed to learn ways to..
W: oh yea, yea..
C: umm, what did you feel like you needed to learn to get out of that?
W: to go, and get in some drug program, to get myself out of the situation
C: so how, learn how to cope with what you were going through.
W: yeah, where I can get me a better job and do better for myself
J: what do you miss most about being in school? Or like being in the military and
everything. What do you miss the most about it?
W: Miss, uhhh……. Well, the military was a good life. I wish I could go back in.
(everyone laughs)
W: that’s hard to, that’s hard to.. well what I really miss is going overseas. I want to get
away from the United States. Yeah for a while. I want to go back to cultures that I’ve
Comment [12]: Arguably
one
of
the
most

important
quotes
in
the
interview
because
it

goes
against
the
stereotype
of
all
homeless

people
being
uneducated.
Willie
clearly

looks
back
on
his
past
with
deep
regret.

Comment [13]: Willie’s
wisdom
from
age

serves
as
an
excellent
reminder
that

education
can
come
from
experiences,
not

just
a
degree.

been through. Thailand, Vietnam, I really want to go back. I got the money to go back
with.
C: yea
W: yea, I just, like sometimes now I work around, I try to help my friends out there sill
shooting bad, you know like I was, cause I’ve been down that road.
C: so, are you trying to educate your friends that are in the same place?
W: oh yea.
C: what do you try to teach them? What do you want them to learn from you?’
W: the mistakes that I’ve made. Umm, to try to get in any program that you can that
gonna help you. Such as, such as, just start here. Homeless task force. They do all they
can for you.
C: mmhmm
W: and, just go to classes, try to get you in a drug program. Just go from there.
C: so do you..
W: the main thing is to find you a new playground!
J: laughs
C: what do you mean by that exactly?
W: to get out from around the ones that you’ve been around that’s holding you down
that’s on drugs and stuff. You get away from them, you’re life will do better
C: so, you tell them to start hanging out with you, who has gotten better since then.
W: well, not me
C: haha not you
J: just better people?
W: yea, just better people. You know, you know. When you go through the program, it’s
the best to find you a new playground. You know, stop going to the places that you’ve
been to. Find you some new people to hang around. People that going to more help you.
C: so do you almost feel like an educator, since you’ve been where these people are and
you’ve come out of that you’re educating them, do you feel like their teacher?
W: yeah
C: ok, well that’s pretty cool
J: what else do you guys talk about?
W: if I can see someone you know, lost friends, I can try to show them where to go to to
start.
C: ok
W: where to get your start from
C: gotcha.
W: but the main thing is that you’ve got to leave your old friends alone because they
gonna keep you down. They usually gonna keep you locked down. Yeah
J: what else do you guys talk about, do yall talk about like reminiscing on other things
books, whatever. Umm, what else do you guys talk about?
W: we talk about, we mostly talk about food, someplace to eat. Yeah food. Where to go .
you know, where can we go to get this at?
C: ok, so it’s all about the survival?
W: right, survival.
C: how would you define ignorance?
W: well I would define ignorance as doing stupid stuff
Comment [14]: It
is
hard
to
imagine
why

any
veteran
would
want
to
go
back
to

Vietnam.
The
most
likely
explanation
is
that

here
he
has
nothing
to
live
for,
at
least
when

he
was
there
he
was
fighting
for
a
moral

cause.

Comment [15]: Willie
made
it
sound
like

he
uses
this
personal
quote
a
lot
to
educate

others
on
how
to
find
success
where
he

failed.
It
is
an
excellent
figure
of
speech.

Comment [16]: This
is
an
interesting

description
of
how
it
feels
to
be
addicted
to

drugs.

C: knowing stupid stuff?
W: yea, and you know it’s wrong
C: and you still do it.
W: like, yeah, like when you go to work for 8 hours for 7 dollars and hour, you know
worked all day, come home, or come back to catch out corner like everybody do, and
take your money and buy drugs. Instead of food. Like you know you can go to the
salvation army and eat.
C: so you would say ignorance is knowing what you should do right, but not doing it?
W: right
C: ok, so, um, how can people change that?
W: the only way that they can change that sitation is find a new playground. Go to
another part of town and try to work you out a program where they already done, you
know.
J: how did you value education when you were growing up? When you were younger.
Like thinking back when you were a kid
W: well… I shot hookie a lot
C: hahaha, well I think we all did that a little bit
W: but right now today, I value education very seriously, and they only way you can get
somewhere is to go to school and finish your education. Get your high school diploma,
go to college or whatever you want to do. You got places that will help you do that if you
homeless. Whatever you want to do, you gotta a whole lot of places around here that will
help you.
C: so looking back, would you have done something different when it comes to
education?
W: looking back yes I would have.
C: what would you have done differently? Specifically.
W: I would have went to college.
C: what would you have wanted to be if you went to college?
W: hmm, well what I really wanted to be was a pilot.
C: pilot?
W: yea, but my school records were too low. So I became infantry
C: ok
J: my dads in the infantry.. so.
C: umm, so how has your perspective on changed education since you’ve been homeless?
W: oh ive been studying. You know if my education studying. I still read. I go to the
library I take my kids to the library. I teach my grandkids not to follow my footsteps.
C: what do you normally like to read? What do you like to read?
W: any type of material right now.
C: anything?
W: yeah
C: ok, so you just want to get a broad perspective?
(we get interrupted, and have a brief, irrelevant conversation)
C: so, uhh. Where do you see yourself in the future?
W: hmm, at 64 years old, I’m doing better than I was. (sighs)
C: have you found ways to do better than you’re doing right now?
W: yeah, I’ve found ways
Comment [17]: Once
again,
he
brings
up

the
“playground”
quote.
It
really
seemed
like

it
meant
a
lot
to
him
to
give
this
piece
of

advice
to
three
young
people.

Comment [18]: For
him
personally,
Willie

views
education
as
him
passing
his
wisdom

off
to
younger
people.
In
regards
to
young

people,
Willie
views
education
as
earning
a

degree
which
provides
a
means
for
a
better

life.

(we get interrupted again)
W: I’ve found wayyys, but I don’t like to do it. Such as right now is… (smacks lips)
ummm…. Lets bypass that one.
C: ok, well it sounds like you need to go. You did great though. I feel like we got a lot of
useful information..

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