"Cellblock Redemption: Ex-Convict's Inspiring Role as Homeless Mentor"

[The man who showed me how to survive living on the streets]

"Look Youngblood," the older man said with such grace and ease, commanding a presence like Alonzo from training Day(Denzel), "97% of all the problems on this Earth can be worked out with yo words.." We stared in amazement. Imagine Jesus in The sermon on the Mount and replace his followers with homeless people at the bus stop, that's us. "But wait Brother Mook, what about the other 3%," a rogue voice chimed in. We waited on the edge of our seats with anticipation. "Oh that," said Brother Mook, "Shiiddddd, sometime u just gotta whoop a ni**uhhs asss!" "Ha! Hailll yayuhhh," I shouted as I looked to Dap someone up, but quickly backtracked when I realized I was the only Caucasian laughing. "Aite yal be Kool!" Just like that, Brother Mook was out.

[Bus Stop] on Rundberg Lane in Austin TX, where I would frequently meet with "Brother Mook" while homeless.

Most people would assume that living on the street has no redeeming value. There's a further implication that anyone who has found themselves living on the street probably doesn't have much to contribute to society, much less any wisdom to offer along the way.

In my opinion, that type of mindset is why we are so divided on this earth. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is such a common practice yet we don't realize the potential we are wasting by adhering to stereotypes. Yes, you are far less likely to find a Rhodes Scholar or Pulitzer Prize holder living off of rundberg lane shooting meth at night. However, you ARE likely to find someone who has the capability and potential for such accolades. The disconnect comes in the form of mental illness, drug addiction, trauma and umpteen other hands that have been dealt in life which most people didn't ask for. I know this from experience because for me, Brother Mook fell into that category of "charged but disconnected." He had a "charge" on his life, some would say an anointing, plain-as-day. But for whatever reason, he was disconnected. Or was he?

When I met Brother Mook he was 67 years old. He had been in the penitentiary a total of 37 years in his life, in-and-out, the rest were spent on the street according to him. In all honesty, Brother Mook was the type of cat who came out the womb on probation. We all know dudes like this. He had more TDCJ numbers than teeth, a slower step than Don Rickles at the Oscars and a crack cocaine habit that would have impressed Whitney Houston. However, this dude carried himself with such intellectually sound grace and ease, he commanded a presence amongst anyone around him unlike anything I'd ever seen. I watched Brother Mook chop it up with other junkies scheming on how to get his next hit, cool and calmly break up fights between two young bucks, then turn around and discuss Friedrich Nietzsche with a business suit donning stranger on the sidewalk. He had an uncanny ability to relate and respond to people from all walks of life, something you don't see very often. Not only was he one of the wisest men I've ever met, he was one of the most tender-hearted compassionate men as well. He taught me how to carry myself, what to expect while living on the street, how to act how to speak how to hustle and most importantly how to not allow myself to fall victim to any number of adversaries.

[French M. Robertson Unit] often referred to as, "Rockin-Robertson", of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, is a maximum-security penitentiary which houses some of the States most violent, predatory inmates. It is rife with corruption, gang-violence, and is also where "Brother Mook" spent 16 of his total 37 years in prison.

"Aye what up Spence," Brother Mook says as I walk up to the bus stop. "Hey Brother Mook I got this gold-chain how much can I get?" You see, Brother Mook was a jack-of-all trades. Today he just happened to be the street pawn shop. Suddenly a young man caught his eye and Brother Mook's entire demeanor changed. If you've never been to jail and or prison, take what you know about jail and or prison, probably from popular culture, and imagine someone sizing you up as you walk onto the yard as a fresh "fish". That's the look Brother Mook gave this young buck. "Hold up Spence," said Brother Mook as he stood up with determination in his eyes. Have you ever seen videos of lions stalking antelopes in the wild? These poor antelopes don't even know what's coming. That's how Brother Mook was eyeing this young buck. Out of nowhere Mook jumped on him gave him four pops to the jaw stood up spit on him kicked him in the ribs and slowly walked back to the bus stop like John Gotti after being found Not Guilty. I was expecting some egotistical tough guy penitentiary victory talk. However, Brother Mook look me square in the eye and said, "Spencer the game you're playing right now is not like the game you're used to. In the world you're used to, when someone crosses you, you turn the other cheek. That's a wonderful way to live, I advocate for that type of life However, that's not how we play this game on the street. It's f***** up, it's dirty, it's grimy but if you want to survive you got to learn to do it too or else you're going to become a victim. Listen, if there's one thing you remember that I told you it's this- you can't penitentiary the world, if you want to have any meaningful kind of life."

[H-E-B] grocery store, Rundberg Lane in Austin TX, where I watch 67 year old Brother Mook chase down a man who stole from him, knocking him out with 4 hits to the jaw.

The harsh reality and sincere gravity of what Mook told me that day was like a gift that kept on giving. It was the street version of harm reduction. He was under no illusion that this life we were choosing to live was the way it was "meant to be". But, we were choosing to live it nonetheless so we might as well be smart while doing it. Brother Mook wasn't trying to change me. He wasn't trying to protect me. The hard truth was brother Mook was paying off a debt. The debt of his own conscience. The debt of his mind which consistently pestered him and reminded him of how far he fell short in life. This was his way of tipping the scales back to neutral. He wasn't going to win any Pulitzer Prizes that day but he was going to do the next best thing that he was capable of, which was using me as his mission field, something I'm eternally grateful for.

He was like a father who was rough-around-the-edges and instead of telling me all those "monsters" in life weren't real, in order to hide me like most people would do, he said look bro they're real as hell and they're coming to kill you. You can either lay down or you can fight, here's how you fight do this and you're going to live. He saw me someone who stuck out like a sore thumb who was well on his way to getting hurt in a number of ways, but in his Spirit knew he had something to offer me and he chose to show compassion while subtly preparing me by laying down the law telling me what time it was. As society we look at a man like brother mook with pity, saying oh gosh look what he's so incapable of it's so sad what's become of him. But, how many young men have you poured into today? How many young men wandering this Earth with no direction have you pointed out befriended and tried to help? We look at brother mook like he's so disconnected, could it be that we're the ones who are disconnected? How disconnected was he really? This man single-handedly gave me advice that saved my life numerous times. He also restored my dignity which I lost, he also kept it real 100% with me something most people are incapable of doing.

So, we look down on him and the likes of him as if there's something tainted and wrong with him purely because he's chosen a path that's more destructive than the ones we might have currently chosen in life. He doesn't have certain accolades or credentials on a resume therefore we discount him. But, last time I checked no one else in my life was pouring into me the way that that man, another homeless man, was pouring into me. If you claim to be a Christ follower, person of religion, or simply someone claiming to live with integrity, ask yourself this: when's the last time you spoke life into a stranger, you helped out a homeless person, you did something for someone at the expense of yourself...

Yeah , they're the ones who are disconnected right?