its raining today.
i woke up in a sort of a daze - a mixture of grey skies and grey goose from the night before. after many snooze breaks, i find myself at work, still not awake. take a solo stroll on over to Peet's for a fix, my usual coffee bud casey has a department meeting. on the corner of santa clara and market, i came across an altar full of flowers, doggy dishes, peet's coffee cups, newspaper clippings, and letters. i wonder in thy ugly downtown nightlife fashion, perhaps there was a drunk driver the night before? sigh, even worse, downtown's beloved Cornelius and his best friend Boo-Boo were no longer sitting on their normal corner...

I just recently came to know Cornelius and Boo-Boo while walking to Peet's one morning. There was Cornelius, with an American flag poking out of his sly, tilted cap. He sat on the concrete ledge, hugging his dog Boo-Boo with a small grin, staring out into the day. I was taken away at the gesture, as he just sat there and let the day pass with his chum in his grasp. I remember how badly i wanted to capture the moment with my camera, but worried that it might ruin the moment. Cornelius was considered "homeless"- his van as his home - but he showered quite regularly and was both polite and a conversationalist. Many people looked forward to starting their day with a friendly exchange with Cornelius and Boo-Boo - or at the very least, expected to see them at the turn of the corner.

But just before noon on Monday, Cornelius was put to rest, after a scuffle with another homeless man turned into a brutal attack. I saw him and Boo-Boo around 9:30 that morning, not knowing what was about to happen. Now, all that is left of Cornelius is his surviving Boo-Boo, in an animal shelter off of Monterey Road, and a large altar on the corner of Market and Santa Clara, made by all those he touched. I am left with a memory of a man, happy as can be with his basic necessities - a best friend, and a place to rest and watch the day pass.

http://www.mercurynews.com/columns/ci_5788212