We all need friends

“I do need a friend,” Amera said about the sign hanging from his neck, fashioned out of a cardboard box, a shoestring and a black magic marker. “And I can’t ask people for money. I don’t want to ask for money. I’m out here blowing a trumpet so I don’t have to ask for it.”

Since 2004 Amera has crossed the country several times using Greyhound Bus Line’s Discovery Pass, which is 60 days of unlimited travel on Greyhound buses for just over $500. He’s quick to admit he’s homeless, but it’s not something he talks about lightly.

“You can’t imagine the things I’ve seen in this country,” he said. “Some of it has been incredibly beautiful and full of love, and some has been ugly and very dark. Traveling like this, as a way of life, has exposed me to the real soul of America. At least part of it anyway.”

Amera said he wasn’t staying in Hood River for long, and that he didn’t exactly know where his next stop would be. In Portland, he explained, there’s so much competition with other street musicians that it’s often hard to make much in tips. On the other hand, in more rural areas or smaller towns, he says he is often hassled or even harassed.

“I’m trying to help myself; I’m trying to do something positive; I’m trying to make it,” he said. “A lot of people put people like me down. Maybe they don’t realize it, but even bad looks are hurtful; and trust me, I get them all the time.

“You know, I’ve seen so many people who are struggling in our country. Yes, a lot of them are in that situation because of bad decisions and bad actions, but there are also a lot of good people who just ran out of options; who were cornered by circumstances.”

Pausing to take a couple photos of the street corner, Amera, clean-cut and dressed in a clean, black collared shirt and tie, said he tries to document where he plays because he has had several cases of people accusing him of trespassing.

“If I’m on a sidewalk blowing my trumpet and the manager of a business calls the cops, I have proof that I was on public property,” he said. “People judge people like me. I mean, I’m not dirty; I’m not doing anything wrong or harmful. In fact, I’m out here playing music for others to enjoy. But someone sees this bag and this case and they automatically judge me for what they think I am.

“Love and respect are important for everyone, even those of us who are poor. We are all Americans. We need one another. We need to support each other, to look out for each other and to help each other … We all need a friend.”