Alex embodies the kind of strength and courage of a woman who has experienced violence (abuse, rape, poverty) and not only survived but triumphed. Little wonder her Portland friends know her as Mamma Lioness.
She also carries what she described as a light, a legacy of her late partner, George Charmley, whom she met as she was fleeing an abusive relationship.
“I’d rather be homeless,” she said, “than in an abusive relationship.” George helped her leave, and throughout their relationship, he challenged her to learn from the lessons of her past, to be her best self. “He wore me down with love,” she said of George.
George was a musician, a drummer in the band called Rocking Horse, and he was performing in a bar when he first saw Alex. “A real lady, what d’ya know,” he had said. He gave her his drumsticks.
“I’m not the kind of woman that gets picked up in a bar,” she said. “I waved goodbye with the drumsticks and left.”
Years later, deep into their relationship, Alex brought the drumsticks out and reminded George that she had been that woman in the bar that night.
Over the years of their relationship, George challenged Alex to face hard truths about the cycle of abuse.
“The cycle sucks you into the void,” she said, “because that’s what you’re from. That’s what you know. You’ve gotta heal from that abuse in order to become a different person.” Working the hard truths with George helped Alex heal.
George, a Navy Seal, was a veteran of the Vietnam War, and according to Alex, the main tragedy and truth of his life was dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and an addiction to heroin, “his way of dealing with the trauma and fear of war.” George died 13 years ago of a heroin overdose.
It was George who introduced Alex to Street Roots.
“He gave me my introduction. He was a real believer, a real supporter of Street Roots,” Alex said. “People want a fast fix. George believed in working for yourself.”
Alex has been working with Street Roots since then.
“I’m always advocating for Street Roots,” she said, “sharing information about Portland resources. A piece of information can head you in the right direction.”
Alex faces the difficulties of being a woman alone experiencing poverty, but she faces these difficulties with humor and courage.
“I’ve learned how to use humor when I have to deal with being treated poorly as a woman,” Alex said. “I say, ‘I may have this birth defect, which is that I can’t make tacos and birth babies, but I’m still wise. Don’t think that I’m not wise!’”
And the fear? “Fear is something you have to overcome. Like temptation,” she said. “You have to work through it, or it will paralyze you. If I’m afraid, I tell myself, that’s OK. But you gotta go forward at top speed.”
Alex has an abiding story for that kind of courage. When she was 9 years old, she and her sisters and cousins were given an old broken-down Schwinn bicycle. Nobody would try to ride it, so Alex said, “Never mind then; I’ll do it! I rode that Schwinn past a bank of trees right off an 8-foot cliff – that I hadn’t seen before – and into the Tualatin curves.
“I go a little slower now,” she said, “Now I say, maybe I should walk and see where that path goes. These days I err on the side of caution.”
Like so many Street Roots vendors, Alex wishes people wouldn’t judge the Street Roots vendors and look down upon the homeless.
“Just give us a chance,” she said. “I wish people would talk to us more. Ask me why I sell Street Roots.”
Why not take that opportunity? You can find Alex at the Trader Joe’s on Northeast Halsey Street near the Hollywood Transit Center.
Street Roots is an award-winning, nonprofit, weekly newspaper focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. Our newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
© 2019 Street Roots. All rights reserved. | To request permission to reuse content, email editor@streetroots.org or call 503-228-5657, ext. 404.
