Missoula Rabble, Mercedes, 23, befriended Lou Reed without even knowing it. She was raised in Missoula but decided she needed to leave it for the big city to pursue dreams of working in the fashion world. While living in New York she worked at a cafe that Jake Gyllenhal and Lou Reed frequented. A coworker informed Mercedes she was being friendly to the Lou Reed. "Once I realized who he was I became shy," she said. Mercedes called it quits in NYC saying she needed more space. "I get why my parents live here now," she said.
Missoula Rabble, Richard is a man of very few words. He was standing on the sidewalk watching people walk by when his hat and leather jacket caught my eye. I asked him what he was doing. "I'm being a part of the community," he said. Richard grew up in Montana on a farm. Most of his family has passed away. He calls himself a loner. "I never have that much to say."
Missoula Rabble, Mike has built many friendships around death. He grew up across the street from the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery and has managed it for 42 years. He grew up helping his father run and take care of the cemetery and took over once his father decided to retire. I asked him how he dealt with death. "Each [death] is a little different," he said. "There are certain ones that hurt more than others. You grieve just like anybody else."
Missoula Rabble, Mills, left, and Stef met about a month ago in Missoula. "We just walk around and drink and listen to Justin Timberlake," Mills said. They both ran away to Missoula at different times in their lives. Mills says she moved here for a fresh start. "I moved here for myself," she said. Stef says she came here for a boy. "I was supposed to meet a boy here, but I ended up meeting another boy," she said.
Missoula Rabble, I asked Joe to tell me something about himself. "I met my biological father when I was 22," he said. I asked him how it went. "He mailed my mother an iPhone with his number in it. I called, flew to meet him. It didn't go that well. It seemed to be more about relieving himself." Joe, 24, came to Missoula from Chicago. He has been homeless since January. He stays at the Poverello or sleeps in the woods a few miles out of town. He wants to be a writer. "I feel like somewhat of a voyant," he said. "I need to experience these things to be a better writer, but it isn't always pleasant."
Missoula Rabble, I knew if I ever ran into Donnie I'd have to ask him to be in the rabble. Donnie serves drinks as well as his ears to many lost Missoula souls at one of it's best known watering holes. "They tell me I'm the face of Flippers," he said. Donnie has worked at the bar for 16 years. "People get to let there stuff out here," he said. "I hear all the stories, young and old." He says he hasn't gotten sick of the drunk sob story yet. "I still like to listen. I can't judge. I've been there, too."
Galan hitchhiked all the way to Missoula from Florida with a person he just met on the beach. "He asked me to go to Montana," he said. "I could tell he'd give me attributes and things I wanted so I thought it'd be a good idea." They camped the whole way here. When I asked Galan about his troubles along the way he dropped a scripture from the bible that says, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers..." I asked him what it meant. "We don't fight people. Your enemy are those that are possessing the people."
Jason and Aurelia call themselves traveling vaudevillians. Vaudeville was variety show entertainment at the turn of the century like juggling, acrobatics, magicians and music. They dressed in steampunk garb and had a variety of instruments before them. The two are partners and work as traveling street musicians. Jason explained the difficulties the pair have had competing against panhandlers and street kids in Missoula. "You're witnessing something authentic when you watch us," he said. When they aren't traveling street musicians, Jason works on an organic farm and Aurelia teaches circus arts. "We are committed to a creative lifestyle that allows us to be who we are," Aurelia said.
Marlo and I got to talking about hair. She shaved her head 7 years ago and her boyfriend at the time broke up with her. "When I shaved my head he was't attracted to me anymore," she said. Marlo studied abroad in Malta years ago and met two Kenyan women who wore wraps around their heads. "I think it's admirable in a culture that removes that element," she said. "That it was more about the connection with how they looked you in the eyes." We talked about different hair styles, dyes, and cuts and how much emphasis people can put on someone's hair. Marlo says her current cut she named the "poomboom," shorty, flowy, and shaved on one side. "Ultimately, I dont want [hair] to be what expresses who I am."
Brian is a hunter and a mountain climber. He almost lost his life this past winter ice climbing alone up Holland Peak of the Swan Range in Montana. "I had to perform self arrest," he told me. He explained to me self arrest is when a climber falls down a snow or ice slope and sticks an ice axe into the slope and maneuvers his body in such a way he can hang from the axe to avoid falling down the mountain. He made it, as you can see.
I found Brett, 26, sitting on a skateboard, eating a Jimmy Johns sandwich as music blasted from his headphones wrapped around his neck. He recently moved to Missoula after being stuck in Great Falls for five years for legal reasons. He was spray painting graffiti on churches and got himself into trouble. He currently plays drums in a two-man grindcore band called Grunt. "People either really love us or really hate us," he said. "I can't tell."
Meet Pepper Wilson. I was putting gas in my car when I saw her stroll by on Higgins Street. It took effort to get her attention and when I did she told me I must have caught her daydreaming followed with laughter. Pepper was more than excited about my project. She immediately started to tell me about a fashion show she's going to be in for Betty's Divine. I asked her how old she was and she told me 85. Shocked, I asked her how she manages to look so good. "I don't know what I do'" she said. "I'm just lucky." Pepper moved here 21 years ago from New Jersey. She became a widow at 49 and retired shortly after. That's when she decided to move here. "Once I became independent I told myself it's time to do what I want. So I moved out here and do whatever I want to do."
Missoula Rabble, Yuriko moved here 11 years ago from Hokkaido, Japan. She knew very little English. "I knew enough to communicate," she told me. Yuriko's first and only job in Missoula has been at Sushi Hana. She started as a dishwasher and is now the head sushi chef. "I like making sushi so that's why I keep doing it." Straightforward enough. She told me she also likes working there because of the people. "They're fun to be around," she said. "They are real, honest people."
Missoula Rabble, Carol was confident, cute, and content sitting in her chair next to her booth this morning. She has been selling her jewelry and knitted materials for the past 5 years now. What was once a pastime hobby turned into a job because she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a syndrome that causes long-term body pain, while pursuing a graduate degree in social work. "Between [fibromyalgia] and everything else, I had to quit," she said. "I could work but I couldn't be dependable." She started selling her crafts to pay the bills. "It's called making ends meet," she told me. Carol is a woman of strong faith and told me that is what keeps her strong. "I try to give something to someone every market," she said. "It's a way to give back."
Missoula Rabble, This man is an inspiration. As soon as I saw him
walk into the gym this morning, I knew I had to approach him. Erwin
Byrnes works out three days a week at 6:30am. He turns 85 next month.
"I've come down with Parkinson's and its been an ongoing battle," he
said. "If you don't workout at my age you lose your ability to do a lot
of things." Erwin retired as a property manager and also worked as a
school teacher and administrator for many years. He refereed local
football and basketball games for 38 years and said he has always
prioritized his health.
Missoula Rabble, Mackenzie, 30, saved Canner's life. Canner was a severely neglected horse, terrified of anything people, and was considered a "lost cause." Mackenzie adopted Canner before he could be put down and has worked with him for a few years now. "He can still get antsy, but he's nowhere near where he used to be," he said. "I can chase him around and it isn't the end of the world." Mackenzie is a dog trainer and a certified poet. He has an interesting view on how poetry and animal training can overlap. Almost so brilliant I hate paraphrasing it. But I will try. He said a good poem can make him change how he sees something he's already seen before. He said you can do that for an animal, too. All said, this guy is a very passionate person. He really cares for these animals. Check out the live web cam at the Dunrovin Ranch to watch Mackenzie work with the animals. You'll surely be impressed.
Missoula Rabble, Clay, 41, retired
from the military last October and has been growing his beard out since.
"I haven't been able to grow a beard for 20 years," he said. I
couldn't pass this beard up. I'm sorry. He sported beard tails
and zebras with wings flying around the word Z-Bird on his shirt. He's
clearly a cool guy. He was taking El Cazador carry out home to his
family when I caught him. Clay is currently working on getting his
degree in energy technology and paints for work during the summer.
Missoula Rabble, Mike, who informed me he's "old enough to know better," is a member of the Montana Libertarian Party. He caught my eye at the grocery store tonight. He had a raggedy salt and pepper beard, wore a red shirt tucked into his forest green pants, and topped it off with a felt hat that had a red, white and blue Libertarian bumper sticker stuck on front of it. He told me he campaigns for individuals rights to their freedom of liberties. They're preparing for the upcoming election currently. "We're selecting candidates right now." He's been living in Missoula since the 80s and campaigning with this group for the past 5 years.
