Currently, I have posted just the photos of Vaughn and a link to the web site he made for himself. Vaughn's Home
I am working on finishing the story but I have the initial outline available as a Microsoft Word document The Story about Vaughn outline.zip
The Story about Vaughn this was too wordy but I shall post it here for the time-being
Feb 26, 2005 inside my house
Feb 26, 2005 on the sidewalk outside my house
March 26, 2005 with the Renaissance Center in the background
March 26, 2005 with another veiw of the Renaissance Center
Posted April 20, 2005 at 4:20pm. Next version to be posted April 20, 2005 by 9:00pm.
The following is the story about Vaughn. I refer to other parties by their familiar relationship to Vaughn or their official titles. However, after I check with my lawyer I may add actual names. When I refer to what others' have said, understand that that is accurate as to what they said to me but may not necessarily be the objective truth. In places where I speculate it will be clear that it is ONLY speculation. This story is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and the speculation only upon a preponderance of evidence. If you desire more details or corrections to what I have written here phone me at (313) 882-8874 and ask for Douglas Ladney, my real name, or E-mail me at AjiSabaki@hotmail.com. Please put “Vaughn” in the subject line.
6 years ago I moved to my present address in Harper Woods, Michigan. I became aware of a disheveled man frequently wheeling his grocery cart at various times of the day and night on Harper Ave, I-94 service drive and other streets near here. I frequently saw him over the last 6 years. I rode my bicycle frequently during the 6 years I've resided here in Harper Woods so I've seen him at least 50 times or more than at least 3 times a month on average. A couple of times I stopped my bike to strike up a conversation with him. However, he was standoffish and I didn't want to be pushy so I just rode on. When I would pass him I would wave to him and say "Hi." and he would wave back.
On December 24, 2004 I happened to be looking out of the kitchen window of my home which is 2 long blocks away from Harper and saw this man pushing his grocery cart on that part of Hunt Club that is merged with Dupree. It was dark outside and, as I recall, about 7:00-9:00pm. I went outside and asked him if he would like to come inside to warm up. To my surprise he accepted my offer and also accepted my suggestion to park his grocery cart inside my locked automobile garage so no one would mess with it while he was indoors. He told me his name was Vaughn. My girlfriend was staying across town with some friends of hers that night so I had no concern for inviting a stranger into the house that night.
I ushered Vaughn into the living room and he sat down on the love seat. I offered to fix him dinner and after he accepted I found out what he preferred to eat of what I had available. He told me corn is one of his favorite vegetables and he also likes to drink milk with his meal as I do. The meat dish was either beef, pork or turkey and we also had some sharp cheddar cheese. After the meal we had cookies and coffee.
I notice that Vaughn liked to look at the colorful catalogs and junk mail that was on the dining room table and grand piano. I asked him if he would like to watch TV. His eyes lit up at that so I brought in the cable-ready TV I had in my bedroom into the living room where he watched it while went back downstairs to work on my computer. I showed him where the bathroom was and came back upstairs about 11:00pm to check on him and he was asleep. Since my live in girlfriend was staying with friends on the other side of town I decided not to disturb his sleep. I turned off the lamp in the living room and turned on the hall light so if he woke up and needed to find his way to the bathroom he could.
We both woke up early the next morning and I fixed him an omelet with onions, green bell peppers and Velveeta Cheese. We also had toast made from some very good nut bread, milk, and, after the meal, coffee. I proceeded to raid my kitchen for various fruits, baby carrots, chips, milk in washed plastic soda-bottles with the screw on cap, a carton of orange juice and some AA batteries for his Walkman. I also made him two sandwiches made with honey-roasted ham from Supreme Ham on Harper and put them in zip-locked plastic bags for him to take.
I told him to come tomorrow night about dinner time and I would fix hamburgers for dinner and the chocolate milk that was frozen in my freezer at this time as he told me he really liked chocolate milk. He failed to show up the next night.
About two weeks later I answered my door and Vaughn was there with his grocery cart. He asked if I would like the snow shoveled from my sidewalks. I told him that would be great but asked him to step inside first to warm up and get something to eat. After dinner he went outside to shovel the snow. After half an hour I asked him to come back in for a break as living in a corner house I have very long sidewalks around the house. During conversation he mentioned he wanted to learn more about computers so I had him come downstairs where my girlfriend and I have our various computers hooked up to the local area network or LAN. I used a pointer to instruct him on the basics of Windows and then found a picture puzzle game program he could play. Cheryl was again staying with friends across town so I invited him to stay overnight. He took me up on the offer after which I located an extra pillow and comforter.
[Editorial note: This story is getting too long so I shall just try to stick with information pertinent to the situation at hand. I will probably end up cutting most of the forgoing later.]
The third time Vaughn came back Cheryl was here and got a chance to meet and chat with him. She had more luck in having him assent to taking a shower than I had had previously and also gave him some clothes to wear while his were in the washing machine and dryer. Cheryl noticed his feet looked in bad shape that he had a Medicaid or Medicare card so she made an appointment with her podiatrist the next day. The next day the podiatrist told Cheryl and Vaughn that if he had gone another year like this he probably would have lost his toes. He prescribed an iodine-looking medication to be mixed with hot water and have him soak his feet twice a day for two hours followed by scrubbing with pumice stone and brush for the next two weeks after which he should return to the podiatrist.
[Note: end of first version]
