Here's our latest installment of our Souls Of neighborhood series with Dijon from Souls of Society.
In our last post we caught up with people in the Financial District. For today, here are the people we met around the square.
“I lost my legs to diabetes. I was an alcoholic and drug user. I knew I had diabetes but I wasn’t taking care of it. I was highly depressed and wanted to die. I got a blister on my foot, and at some point I realized gangrene had set in. One time I got up to go to the bathroom and I couldn’t get back to my bed. I thought I had wanted to die, but when it came to that point I decided I didn’t want to. After I lost my legs I got clean, and straight, and sober, and found out there was more to life than partying. I thought I was having fun but I was just masking problems I didn’t want to face.”
“I moved into a place right here on Fillmore and Fulton and one of the thing that got me out of the hospital was that I started taking art classes. I had a camera, I started taking photos, I was being more social, I started getting a tan. Since I was feeling better I decided to go visit my dad. Once I made it back home he knew I was okay. When I saw him I said, ‘Hey dad! I’m gonna write a book. It’s called How to lose 35lbs in 1 day. When you open it it’s going to have my surgeon’s number in it!’ When he saw that I could laugh about it he knew I was okay. When your back’s against the wall, that’s when you get tougher.”
“We’ve been together 9 years. We’re traveling through America from Spain. We did New York, Los Angeles, tomorrow we go to Vegas.”
“How do you like San Francisco?”
“This place is like a dream.”
“What’s one of your favorite things about him?”
“He makes me laugh like no one else.”
“She’s really intelligent and always is willing to listen when I need help.”
“I’ve been here going on 7 years now from San Jose.”
“What brought you here?”
“Work. I’m in online advertising.”
“Right on. What’s your favorite thing about yourself?”
“I make really cool cards. Just random cards for mother’s day or birthdays. I’m one of the few people who still makes cards as opposed to buying them or sending an email or text. I’m kinda old fashioned that way.”
“What’s one of your greatest challenges?”
“Work life balance. Not bringing work home.”
“I can definitely relate to that. Can you tell me about the person who’s been the most influential in your life?”
“I’d say my mom. She taught me how to find art in unique places. She’s scrappy with art. She used to do seamstress stuff like make doll clothes from leftover scraps and paper pieces. She instilled that in me and I’m carrying it on.”
“What are you passionate about?”
“Just relaxing and enjoying things. That’s why I’m on my walk.”
“How do you like to enjoy life.”
“By taking pleasure in it.”
"What’s one of your favorite things about yourself?”
“My uniqueness I suppose.”
“In what way are you unique?”
“I’ve just always been comfortable doing my own thing. It’s nice.”
“That’s rare, I feel like most people are lucky to grow into that mindset. You didn’t feel like you had to conform when you were growing up?”
“I guess I got over it at an early age.”
“Any advice for how to be more comfortable for yourself?”
“Knowing yourself and being able to choose what’s important to you. It’s like ‘These are the things I care about, and I’m not gonna get too worked up about the other stuff’.”
