Lebron’s Story
Location: Gateway
Male, Age 77
“Today I am a happy man
Just for today I stay focus
Just for today I don’t used drugs
Just for today I help people
Today I know who Lebron is,
Today I am bless in many ways”
Daniel Enger (Interviewer) Good Afternoon Lebron, today is November 10, 2021, and we’re here at the Gateway Center in Atlanta, Georgia. My name is Daniel Enger and I have the pleasure of being here today with Lebron. Sir, thank you very much for taking time to talk today, I’m looking forward to hearing your story and to learning from you. Lebron my first question for you is a really big one namely, could you please tell the story of your life from the time you were a small child up to the present day.
Lebron: Good Afternoon, well I was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee my childhood I growed up with both parents they were very religious I had to go to church every Sunday sometimes on Saturday. When I was a little boy I was mostly alone I played by myself I had a few friends but most of the time by myself. I’d go out on Saturday I had a little tricycle turn it over like I’m driving a car during that time that was a pleasant time for me. In my elementary day 9th grade became more complicated for me especially in school you know I’m kinda a slow learner and all that you know. Eventually, I had a teacher that cared and she helped me along the way then when I got in high school that’s when I started getting high you know drinking wine, taking pills, and drinking beer that’s all we did through high school, and had parties. After I graduated from high school my parents moved to Brooklyn, New York my dad had a job there so they were just waiting for me to finish high school and we were gone move. When I got to New York look like everything just went haywire you know everybody in New York selling drugs or doing whatever, cause it’s about a mean hustle you can do in New York, so I got in that flow. I was in New York maybe less than a year and I was called to the service at that time they drafted me, so I had to go. I went back down they sent me to Fort Gordon to do my basic training after Fort Gordon I went to Jacksonville to do my AIT, then from there they sent me to Vietnam. When I was going to Vietnam, I wanted to go I had never been out the country or crossed the waters I really didn’t know what I was gettin into (chuckles.) When we got in Vietnam dudes were leaving coming back to the States they wouldn’t even look at us you know they just shake they head and get on the plane. Got there my Sergeant he started assigning peoples duties he told me I was on shit detail you know I said I haven’t did nothin why you put me on shit detail (laughter.) It really was the shit detail had to go around and take the half gallon barrel that they put up under there and pour gasoline on it and burn it and stir it. You talkin about somebody who got sick as a dog, boy I got sick as a dog. That went on for maybe about two or three days then they assigned us to a company to go out into the field after I got out there, we were securing the bridge at the time. The lieutenant he was a black dude the captain, a white dude they both was gettin high you know they smoked and did everything else and told us this the way you survive here in Vietnam. So, I just went along with the gang you know. Then they moved further out in the boonies then fire fight my first fire fight I was scared cause I ain’t never had nothin like that happen to me. I coward out and start running and sergeant told me “if I didn’t get back there he was gonna put a bullet in me hisself” you know and then he hand me a joint he say smoke this here you be alright, so I did that and show nuff I was alrightn I wasn’t scared no mo. I started firing back like everybody else. So that went on mostly every day we had to fire fight I got high with everybody else the days got better and I was lookin to kill me somebody. They take us in the helicopter you know when other people find the enemy and drop us down on top of em. Chopper didn’t never land we had to jump out, one day I jumped out and we was in a rice paddy and I got stuck out there you know my rifle all down in the mud and stuff couldn’t move, this one dude he wear the ears around his neck you know so he was the one who come and got me out der. He had two M-16’s firin and firin they was kickin up all around me, so he pulled me out the mud and hand me one of the rifles so we both start firin backin up. I don’t know what I was thinkin man I just start gettin high and higher I believe that’s the only way I made it. Then one day I got wounded I got shot in my hand and in my leg got a purple heart out of that. Then it was time for R&R so I went to Bangkok & Singapore for R&R, in Bangkok I had made arrangements for some heroine, and cocaine come back and pick it up when I got ready to leave and before my time was up the next year my father died they pulled me out the boonies and take me back home you know. I got here in the States I had the same uniform on that I was out there in the jungle in for about three months. When I got to Fort Washington, I discovered a soldier on the plane took me to a place and gave me a uniform, by the time I got to where I was supposed to go, they was on the way to the cemetery to bury my father I made it just in time for his burial. After that I had to go back to Vietnam finish out I had about three months left, I did that and did another year I did two tours in Vietnam. Vietnam you know it’s a beautiful place but all you do is smell fresh blood all day long you know, what no days change like back in the States you know when it’s Monday, Tuesday, and all that there every day was the same in Vietnam. Whatn no change in the days hot, go thru a riverbed come out and in five minutes you dry mosquitoes and leeches. I was tryin to catch Malaria keep from goin back out there I stopped takin my pills and everybody was catchin it but me I couldn’t get that thang for nothin (laughter) I tried hard. It was rough man all the fightin a lot of dudes when we had to go out on a mission, they didn’t want to go they’d shoot themselves in the foot or have somebody take some tool and brake they ankle, I was too coward to do that shoot myself or have somebody brake my ankle I just went out on a mission. When I got my second tour I was like in a special unit whatin nothin but five of em they sent us out to find the enemy we whatn suppose to make contact wit em but if we had to, we had to that’s what I did goin on up time for me to come back home. Had to go back to Bangkok and pickup my goods, I took them back to New York right through customs, I was from Vietnam, and they just said go ahead we ain’t gon check you, I went right on through wit a kilo of heroin, and a kilo of cocaine. I got back to Brooklyn I started dealin but before I could start dealin I had to get in touch with the family because they ran that you couldn’t do no business bout a day or two. I set up a meeting with one of the head bosses he laid down what I had to do I had to sell stuff for him and then I had to sell my own. What I did is I sold they stuff first and gave them their money, then I had to work on mine after I got through with mine, they brought me another package. That went on for a while I had protection from the police and the stickup boys, and they protected me from all that. And then they come and tell me I had to do about 18 months in jail just to satisfy the police. I did 18 months one time, then I had to do three years the last time, I did four and half years, so, and the last time I got out all the police knowed me they said if I spit on the sidewalk, they gon lock my ass up. I can’t do no mo hustlin here so, I had a sister lived in Cleveland, Ohio I moved there with her, but I still took Lebron with me, doin drugs, sellin drugs, I been doin that man over 50 years plus. I been sellin drugs; I ain’t neva been homeless, I took care of my family I sent my daughter through college on the drug money that I made. I ain’t neva thought I was no addict ain’t neva figured that but while I was in New York it was just like a regular job, to the black community couldn’t get no other job we sold drugs. Even my father he was a number banker I didn’t go my father’s route that didn’t seem like enough money to me so that’s why I started selling drugs. After that man I stayed with my sister for a while I went to jail there and I was on probation when I went I did about maybe three months in Cleveland violating a parole, they had busted me in a crack house they let me out in three months so I hung around in Cleveland for a little while maybe a year, year and a half then I went back to Chattanooga, Tennessee. My sister had moved down there back home where we was born and my brother, he had kids down there too, but he was in New York he had left his wife, so he had two sons and a girl there, so I went and stayed with my sister I stayed down there maybe four or five years and I had been down in Atlanta one time before. Very few jobs I had worked for this company that did outdoor furniture I worked there, man and one night I got high smoking that stuff and I went back and broke in the place and after I got in there I ran into my supervisor, and I ran back out they start calling me 50-year-old spider man I did a few months on that charge. Then I was working for a flower company where you deliver flowers to florist and stuff like that. One payday man after I got my check I had order to deliver to Calhoun, Georgia and other few places in the area when I did that I went and got high, I ain’t never delivered nothin just ridin and they callin me on the radio “Lebron where you at people waitin on their packages” I just took the truck with a whole bunch of flowers and just came to Atlanta stopped at some grocery I think it was Kroger opened up my truck and started selling their flowers around Mother’s Day start sellin then ridin around Atlanta in their truck. One day I was coming down ahhh what’s the name of that street downtown Manhattan and I ran the red light, and a motorcycle cop was standing there, and he pulled me over and they found out that the truck was stolen. I didn’t get no time out of that, they kept me for about a couple months then one early morning they turned me a loose. I got up out a der had some food stamps went and sold them and got high again went back to Tennessee got a job with the railroad driving a transportation for the train engineer and conductor what I did was, I picked them up from the train took them to the restaurant to eat then I took em to the hotel. When it was time for em to go back, I took em to the train wherever that was it might have been here in Georgia or right there in Tennessee wherever they had to go I had to take em. So I did that for a while until one night I was sittin at the light and somebody run into the back of me it was just a little tap, I had some engineers and conductors in the car you know, I said everybody alright they said yeah when they got back to the hotel everybody start talking about they was hurt and stuff you know told me I had to take a piss test I know I wasn’t clean I was dirty I said man I ain’t taking no piss test so I quit the job. Eventually I came back to Atlanta, and I had me a little money I got me a bottle I was still usein a little bit I was sittin down and dude started calling me pop I didn’t realize how old I was (chuckles) I started thinking it’s time for me to stop this stuff. This what I did, I know the case manager that worked here I called her and told her I need to come down to this program I need to stop using drugs and I’m stressed out and everything. I don’t know who I am no mo need to find out all of that. So, she told me to go check into Grady Hospital and tell them you want to come to the program up here, so I went up there, man and they helped me out tremendous they helped me to get clean you know I love Gateway cause they helped clean my life up man. Then I got into the drug program stayed in there about eight or nine months I graduated from there and now I’m tryin to get me a job I’m volunteering now I ain’t never thank being sober could be so beautiful I didn’t have to have no drugs to have fun and stuff. I thought that I would always be getting high till the day I die that was the way of life, what I’m gon do if I’m not high? I can’t have no fun if I’m not high. But I found out that was wrong. I just kept doing what they tell me to do, and I got clean man I got clean I feel good about it, I’m happy about it, things start happening for me and stuff I’m just grateful, I’m grateful for Gateway, grateful for the counselors and people that are here that helped me out. I’m 77 years old man I’m grateful I’m still able to get around without not help cane, wheelchair, or none of that. I have medical problems you know high blood pressure, diabetes. I had a heart attack in 2010 other than that I got COPD too, other than that I feel good. All that under control though I make all my Dr Appointments I don’t miss them if something goes wrong with me and I don’t I feel like it’s right I call 911. I just came out the hospital last month cause I had chest pains and couldn’t breath I had to go to Grady they kept me over night. Other than that man I’m just grateful to be alive, I’m grateful for everything man showing me there’s a better way of living than doing drugs and alcohol and all that other stuff.
Daniel: Lebron, of all of the things you’ve accomplished or overcome in your life so far what are you most proud of?
Lebron: I’m proud of man that I turned my life around, my way of thinking you know and I’m living a better life. I’m doing the things I’m supposed to do, I pay my rent on-time never late sometimes before time, all my bills I pay before time. I feel good about doing that I ain’t never been too good on paying rent or anything else., you know. I had already used that money to do somethin else wit it. Today I don’t do that man today I’m a responsible person, I’m reliable, I’m always on time for any appointment that I have to do. I’m just grateful man that I’m able to do this I don’t do drugs no more, I don’t think about em, I don’t have no flashback about doin nothin that’s not even on my mind, my mind is heaven to people like me show em that there is a different way, a better way of doing things besides doin drugs. You know I try to do that man every day of my life cause if I don’t give back what was gave to me so freely, I can’t keep what I got not unless I give it away. That’s my goal every day if I can get to one person that’s good there’s a whole lot of hungry peoples out there in the street. Especially young kids today I see so many young kids and I say now what is they doin out here. Half of em they out of they mind walkin around I just wonder why they don’t do somethin about that you know. Get em, pullem in somewhere they can get better attention and stuff like that, but it don’t look like they doin that, only thing they concerned about is keepin em out of certain spots. Downtown, they tryin to keep em out of there it’s just pitiful man I have to walk to the train I look at em I said now that could be me if I was still in that same predicament that I just got out of. That could be me laying right there on that sidewalk, I thank God man that He showed me a better way, and He stuck with me man, He been wit me, He don’t let me go. Protect me I been to war and all that and selling drugs shootouts and stuff like that I’m blessed man. I always knowed there was a higher being higher than us man He created us I ain’t never left that thought. I’m always grateful and will always be grateful. I want to do something man to help peoples out man get them off the street. When I first came to Atlanta I was working with United Way and that’s what we did helped the homeless cold nights we’d go pick em up in the bus and carry em somewhere where they can stay warm and stuff it’s amazing man some of em don’t want to leave that life, look like they satisfied the way they are that’s the part I don’t understand. How you gon be satisfied sleeping on concrete at night in the cold some of them are some of em wouldn’t even get on the bus. I don’t know man it’s just a pitiful thing and I see it every day walk outside that doe it’s right outside that doe you know It could be me sleeping out there on that concrete but for the grace of God I’m not. I’m grateful for that. When you get clean and sober man you don’t look for no pat on the back something I should have been doin from the beginning I’m just grateful that I turned my thinking around and moved on forward doing right things not wrong things. I had been smoking man ever since I was about 14 years and a while I was in this program and BAM I went to a smoking class and once I seen that film they show you I ain’t smoked since I had a butt in my pocket that I was going to smoke after class I throwed that butt away and ain’t looked back since. It’s so easy in doing the right thing than doing the wrong thing. That’s what I’m learning cause if you do right things man things happen for you, like they been happening for me man. I got my own apartment I can’t say no more about that just a clean life, and I enjoy it other peoples enjoy it too get the same feeling I get, get the same blessing that I get, and just live life man in the real world cause it’s gon show up. Every day ain’t perfect I have ups and downs like that, but I don’t let that change me from anything I just keep right on goin that’s what I do man that’s what I’m about you know it’s time to help other people to get clean and stay clean.
Daniel: Lebron, you’ve gained a lot of hard-fought wisdom from experiences in your life so far if you’re invited to share your wisdom with school kids in your community giving them guidance to live healthy, safe, stable, and happy lives what would you tell them?
Lebron: First of all, I would tell em that stayin in school and getting a education and obey they parents and doin right you know what I’m sayin, and love each other don’t have no hate in your heart for nothin cause I know it’s hard goin to school and you know you got peers and all kind a stuff goin on in school these days. I’d just tellem keep doin what they doin stay in school, you know read your books, learn somethin, figure out what you want to be and where you want to be in life and keep strivin for that. You can be what you want to be you know, all you got to do is do it put the effort in you can do it, ain’t no such thing as you can’t it can be done you know if that’s what you want you know. You want to be a doctor? You can be a doctor just go to school and read dem books and start you know you can be a doctor. Firemen, police you can be all that you know. I know I could have been in that law enforcement when I left Vietnam but I didn’t want that I wanted this other life you know, that I’d been shown to and the dudes I had respected that was drug dealers and number runners, pimps and all that other stuff you know that’s where I wanted to go but that was the wrong way but that was my choosing and you can get a choosing too for other things a nurse, doctor, president if you want to all you got to do is work for it and you can do it.
Daniel: Lebron, in what ways would you say your life is going well these days? Please talk a little bit about how life is good for you at the present time.
Lebron: Right now life is good to me man I go home in the evening after I leave here, I got a little dog at home you know her name is Lady what you call it them dogs that you have a for companionship yeah I do that man I walk her in the morning , I walk her when I get back home, feed her we have a great relationship. She know me she want to go walk and all that. I leave there and I go to meetings in the evening you know after the meeting they have a little coffee and gathering for talk to each other it’s just beautiful man. I love this place Gateway cause it’s been good to me man saved my life and I want to volunteer now but I’m tryin to get me a job also. I really got to serve and give back to Gateway what they have gave to me so freely you know I’m happy now, I wake up in the morning man and thank God for another day.
Daniel: Lebron, you just spoke about things that are going well for you in your life right now, I’d like to know how that happened who or what has contributed most to your doing well these days?
Lebron: Well, it was a couple of counselors upstairs Demetrius and a Ms. Demetrius they not related but them the two main peoples that really worked with me man through this and I love both of em to death and they love me to cause it’s not nothin that they wouldn’t do for me you know. They showed me the way man a better way than what I was doin, they saved my life and I’m grateful for that too. Every Christmas you write out a list of what you want they called me and asked me what I NEED and not what I want they said tell me your needs first the rest of it you can put down there, I gave em my needs and they do that every Christmas. Demetrius he already done invited me over to his house they have dinner or a little cook-out or somethin. Last time I was over there we had gone to one of his Grandsons homecoming football game, we stayed out there with the parent and they brought food and we ate good plenty food, yeah I love em to death man every time somethin goin on they always call me and ask me If I want to go or participate whatever it is and whatever it is I be willing to do it you know I don’t care what they ask me to do I’m willing to do it.
Daniel: Lebron, looking ahead when it comes to living a healthy, safe, stable, and happy life what are your hopes and dreams looking ahead?
Lebron: My dreams is man I wanna be helpful I wanna do something, I wanna make a statement in life man that things could be better a whole lot better than doin drugs. I be concentrating on drugs so much that’s what messed my life up you know, and I don’t want nobody else to mess their life up by doin that jes wanna show em man you can do it without that drugs you can have jest as much fun as anything in the world jest being clean and sober. I’ve asked dem man to do it to try it ain’t nothin wrong wit tryin you know cause the life you in now man it ain’t goin work you always gon fall on your face. There’s only two things in that life goin happen see jail or death. That’s the only thing you can get out of that. First of all, you got to change your way of thinkin that’s the main part right there change your way of thinkin once you do that man work on all the other stuff. There’s a whole lot of stuff you have to work on besides druggin, stop usin that’s the main thing, jest stop usin then you got stress, then your health and all that other stuff goin come to you, you know once you stop cause that’s the way it did me. I don’t know if it preserved me for this long or what while I was gettin high and stuff I ain’t never go to no doctor I didn’t even think about my health I was just doin and movin along every day I didn’t think about nothin, but once I got sober man looked like everythang was fucked up diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatism all that stuff come up man you know, after you stop usin life shows up then. Bills that you ain’t paid, bills that you owe people it’s goin come on you, you goin have to get rid of that man most of mine I don got rid of I’m still payin on some of em that’s comin to an end to.
Daniel: Lebron, as you pursue those hopes and dreams you started talking about wanting to make a statement in life, things can be a whole lot better than doing drugs. What are some of the personal strengths that you draw on as you pursue those hopes and dreams?
Lebron: My personal strengths man I draw from other people you know people that don’t use drugs, people that doin the right thing, like taking care of they family and doin the things that need to be done like taking care of their kids and showing them the right road to go, the peoples out there laying in the street I get my strength from them, cause I figure I could be one of dem that’s doing that didn’t know no better. And I get strength from all the counselors around here man willing to help people see the right direction for them. Strength come from a lot of people man just being around em, cause I’m really like a private person you know I been dat way all my life I ain’t never been no speaker (chuckles) I mean you know quiet I mean everybody ask me “why you so quiet” I didn’t have nothin to say that’s just me. I’m quiet I don’t do too much talkin, I listen, and I learn you know they tell me it’s best to listen and not always runnin your mouth you ain’t goin learn nothin. Cause that’s what I do man I listen to people.
Daniel: Lebron, what challenges and obstacles do you see standing between you and your realization of your hopes and dreams, what holds you back?
Lebron: Well at this moment man I don’t see nothin no obstacles or anythangs that would hold me back from what I want to do, I just have to keep movin go round that stuff and just keep movin forward I see nothin to keep me from what I want to do not a thang.
Daniel: Lebron, please I would like to ask for your perspective on the homeless community in Atlanta. Can you describe the homeless community in Atlanta who are the people who make up the homeless community in Atlanta? (Lebron, who is the people?) Yeah, if you were to describe the homeless people in Atlanta who the people are who are part of the homeless community who are they, how would you describe them?
Lebron: Aww man a I don’t know how to describe em the homeless community is messed up and I think they really should have somewhere for them people to go. You know they send a lot of money overseas helpin other people but right here at home ain’t no help look like don’t nobody really care cause if they did man, they’d get them peoples off the street and putting somewhere. I see a whole lot of buildings around here vacant could be fixed up and put dem peoples in them buildings you know get em off the street. Don’t look like nobody willin to do that or want to do that you know. Atlanta is the only place that I’ve been that I see so many homeless people in one place it’s not like that in New York you know you got bums and stuff hangin around a few homeless but nothin like Atlanta. I ain’t never seen a place like Atlanta wit all these homeless people. I don’t know what it is goin on somebody should step up and start doin something that’s all I know I want to be in that group that do help those people get off the street.
Daniel: Who are they Lebron how would you describe the homeless people in Atlanta? Who are they, who becomes homeless in Atlanta?
Lebron: You got mostly the alcoholics, drug addicts and you got people who don’t know just what direction to go in. They just out there they done lost someone they love and just turned to the streets you know it’s many ways for them to be homeless you know, I don’t know man I really don’t. All I know is they out there and they need help, somebody need to step up and start helpin them people.
Daniel: Lebron, when it comes to living a healthy, safe, stable, and happy life how would you describe the hopes and dreams of homeless people in Atlanta?
Lebron: Well, the hopes and dreams of most of them is gettin off the street and gettin their own place, you know becoming a good citizen man, doin thangs and havin their own and stuff they just want to live like everybody else, you know. They want to have their place to go to and not sleep out in the street, get they kids you know a lot of em ain’t but kids themselves but they got kids out there in the street they don’t know nothin about life you know and the little kids they just helpless ain’t got nobody to guide em half of em ain’t got no father figure and that ‘s what they need most of them young girls out there they just havin babies and they can’t take care of em and there ain’t nobody else to take care of em, their parents done turned their back on em I just don’t understand that man. When people don’t understand thangs they just don’t know instead of trying to get knowledge of this thang and know that it’s a sickness it’s a disease just like cough and all that stuff that’s the way you got to look at it that’s what it is really. It ain’t that they want to do this it’s a disease that they go through, and they can’t stop unless they get some help everybody need help man gotta learn how to survive in the world on the right basis.
Daniel: Lebron, when you think of the homeless community in Atlanta what are some of the strengths that you see in people who are homeless in Atlanta? What are some of the strengths that they can draw on to pursue their hopes and dreams?
Lebron: Well most of them have; I know there’s other places around here they’ve gone, come to Gateway come down and get you a counselor or social worker or somebody that’s gonna help you and show you the right road to take help you, you know get situated clothes on your back, shoes, make sure you take baths and stuff every day. A lot of them don’t have that man you know their hygiene is bad seem like they have just given up on themselves don’t care how they look, smell or nothin but they need help on that man they need to be taught. Keep your health up see a doctor and stuff doin the right thing learnin about disease and stuff, and turn that around to somethin better the same disease you taken care of now you can do it just turn it around start doin the right thing instead of the wrong thing. I think you start getting blessed you start doin the right thing man things start comin to you it’s just unbelievable if you just doin the right thing. That’s all it takes.
Daniel: Lebron, what challenges and obstacles make it harder for homeless people in Atlanta to realize their hopes and dreams? What holds people back in the homeless community in Atlanta?
Lebron: Mostly man it be they peers out there they don’t want to do right and don’t want to see nobody else do right you know. It’s mostly follow the leader but following the wrong leader that’s what keepin you out there, you don’t want to go there, you don’t want to do this they don’t want to do it so they don’t want to see you do it. Don’t want to see you get your life straight cause the don’t want to get theirs straightened out I think that’s a big hold on all of em thinkin that if they didn’t do what the other people do, they be blocked out or if they come to one of the centers and stuff they’d be looked down on probably jumped on beat up and everything else. Peoples they around and the peoples they be wit they got to get new friends not druggers and users and turn them other peoples loose cause you can still speak to em and keep movin you ain’t got to just shuttin em off completely just don’t do the thangs they doin just keep on steppin.
Daniel: How do you do that Lebron? How do you help people to overcome that problem that obstacle that you just mentioned? Like you were talking about peer pressure, kind of a bad game of follow the leader as you said, how do you get people out of that trap?
Lebron: You got to find new friends you got to cut dem peoples loose and start doing thangs different man than what you doin. Long as you get around clean, sober people in stuff rub off on you man if he can do this I can do it you know. That’s what I said I looked at them counselors there and they mostly been drug addicts and stuff if they can do it I can do it too. You know, that’s really what you gotta do you gotta cut that old crowd loose, you have to cut em loose.
Daniel: Lebron, imagine that you’re a powerful leader imagine you’re a decision maker who can really make things happen, as a powerful leader how would you change the system to help people in the homeless community in Atlanta to realize their hopes and dreams and live healthy, safe, stable, and happy lives? As a powerful leader how would you change the system to help the homeless in Atlanta?
Lebron: Mmmm that’s a hard question there. What I would do man I would a in my community I would a hold a session with the peoples in the community you know, and try to talk and say things to them that would stick, and let em know that they don’t have to live the way they are livin and that hopefully we goin find a better place to lay they head at night where they can have a decent meal, and clean clothes, a shower every day or whatever. Just have em do some community work man lot of places around here man is filthy need to be cleaned up and stuff like that der let em do some service work you know do somethin change they mind about thinkin about that other stuff helpin somebody else helpin an old lady cross the street, helpin her carry her groceries home, anything like that there. Patrol the community make sure ain’t nothin goin on and if there is call 911 you know. So many things you can do in your community man to make it a good community but everybody gotta work together on that, you gotta come up with a plan and stick wit em can’t be no half steppin. You can get a good community you gotta get all the drug dealers out of the community look like you got that everywhere, where I stay it’s drug infected even peoples in the building you know my age still gettin high, drug dealers around but it don’t bother me, quite a few of them run at me “hey pop what you want” I want you to stop asking me that cause I don’t do that you know and I keep right on steppin you know. It don’t affect me cause I ain’t worried about doin nothin like that I let em know that, it get to a point they respect me “hey how you doin today sir?” other than that ain’t no more askin me what I want just how you doin, I’m doin great.
Daniel: Lebron, imagine you had a million dollars, and you could spend it to help the homeless community here in Atlanta to realize their hopes and dreams and live healthy, safe, stable, and happy lives to help the homeless community in Atlanta how would you spend a million dollars?
Lebron: First off what I would do man is build like a housing complex you know just for them you know just dem peoples the only people stay in make sure they have a nice job and able to take care of they family and stuff, and just a community for them to get they self together. A safe community, we have guards on the gates to make sure the wrong people don’t come in there, go where you want to go where you free just every day livin. That’s what I would do man make sure they have a nice place to stay, a safe place, able to do things they would like to do like other people do.
Daniel: Lebron, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk today is there anything that I failed to ask you or anything else you would like to say?
Lebron: Only thing I got to say man Imma do my best to try to help people that’s my goal helpin somebody man that’s all I want to do hep peoples get out the street and get a better life for themselves, that’s what I want to do.