James “Pops” Duby is a father, a vendor, an entrepreneur, a poet, a husband and a friend. He earned his name Pops because he parents 15 or so kids on the streets who come to him for advice. He also has three biological children and one child by marriage. Prior to meeting his wife, Mama Marla, Pops had been married for 18 years and was miserable. He said he was living a lie.
“I’ve always felt male. I always rode my bike harder and climbed those trees higher. I married my ex to get out of my house, which wasn’t fair to him. I couldn’t be a wife.”
So he left. But he had no work experience, and jobs were limited – mostly fast food and stacking. Now, he uses a wheelchair and those jobs are no longer options.
He and Mama Marla, who met on an online dating site, have been married for five years. They live with two of their sons and a poodle-bichon mix named Scooby and are thankful to be sleeping inside now. Pops was homeless off and on since 2007.
He smiles with pride as he describes his son’s work ethic – biking or walking to work every day and not once calling in sick.
But Pops is a hard worker, too. Just a few weeks ago, he learned how to make knotted bracelets through Street Roots. Ever the entrepreneur, Pops researched different buckles including ones that can come in handy for someone living on the streets. He shows off an intricate rainbow bracelet with a buckle that has a compass, a piece of flint, and a small blade for scraping kindling from sticks. He’s made several bracelets that he sells alongside his papers, usually near Portland State University or at the base of the tram in South Waterfront by OHSU’s campus.
STREET ROOTS VENDORS | Craft workshop opens doors to money-making ventures
Even when people don’t stop to buy a paper, he never stops smiling at them.
“You don’t know if that one smile or that one greeting might be the turning point which stops someone from hurting themselves or someone else. Too many people are angry. I want to give the world a hug,” he said.
“I just wish people could see that being homeless doesn’t mean you’re a bad person; it just means you’ve had bad luck. It can happen to anybody. I’ve met a doctor who made a bad decision and lost his practice. I’ve met lawyers and school teachers on the street,” Pops said.
“Street Roots has given me an opportunity to make an income to support my family. I can take my wife out to dinner on occasion. I can take my family to get ice cream. A trip to McDonald’s is an outing for us. Street Roots has given me dignity and self-respect. I’m not begging for money. I’m earning it.”
And he has a challenge for readers.
“It’s almost Christmas. I’d love to challenge everyone to do what I do: Go buy several $5 or $10 gift cards, and put them in an envelope with a notecard, addressed to “just for you,” and leave them around town on park benches where you know homeless people will be. I do 10 gift cards every year. Something simple like that has so much meaning. I’ve been doing it for three years now.”