I’m Miss Mary. I’m from San Francisco, California. Born and raised. I came up here in 1992 with my husband, who was actually a junkie, a door kicker and a pill bender.
In San Francisco, there’s bad influences, bad neighborhoods, and you just kind of walk into it. However, what saved me was always working legitimately. I used to work as a dietary aid at a care center and as a bar cleaner.
When we came here we stayed at a hotel called Pat's Place. And that used to be a strip bar.
I'm in transition now. I have savings tucked away. I'm trying to find a reliable roommate, which is, you know, it's a bit hard, and it’s like 1200 a month just for a room, you know? It's kind of ridiculous.
I like being independent by myself, but like I said, I’m trying to find a reliable roommate. It's not too easy, you know what I'm saying?
I have had addiction issues [myself]. I got rid of almost all kinds of drugs now, [but] I have a little alcohol, but not to excess, just to get rid of the tremors. It's a vicious cycle, addiction issues, you know, and a lot of us are going through it. Some keep it to themselves, but I want to shout it out …
My husband died on morphine, and alcohol poisoning. He was a junkie, you know, an opiate user.
In 1993, when we first came up here, he didn't have a chance. I was lucky. I kept working, so that's what saved me. But, the coroner came to my office. They called me down the office and said my husband passed at 2:00 PM. It was kind of shocking, but that's when you're a junkie or a drug user that you're walking down the line of death. And we all know that, but we still wanna feel better. Medication, pharmaceuticals, you know, somebody always takes something to feel better. I wish I could be free of that and just be normal without medication. And a lot of us are going through that.
I started getting into drugs when I was 13 years old.
And then I had suicide [attempt], slit my wrists, slit my throat, suicidal ideations. I don't know where that came from. It's just stuck on stupid, you know. And then being affiliated with just bad influences in San Francisco, we thought we were gonna go to Colorado, but then when we came here, a new methadone clinic opened, you know, that's the opioid to get you off the heroin. So we stuck here. He only lasted a year up here. I was with him like eight years.
Every morning I used to have to give him CPR 'cause he was a little greedy with the alcohol and meth, you know.
We actually got married up here in Reno. We were going to go to Colorado thinking that they would change our lives and get us clean. But like I said, the methadone clinic opened and then we got stuck and he died a year later.
I never had children. And living the drug life, you don't want to involve children with that anyway. You know, it wouldn't be fair to the child. So no children.
My father was from Russia, and my mom was from London, England. He had a job over in London and met my mom. Had my sister, Doreen, then they went to San Francisco 'cause he caught a job at the San Francisco Water Department. He studied eight years in Siberia to work in the water department, measuring water. I mean, water's very important to all of us. So very proud of him. Mom was a happy, happy go lucky English woman. Always happy, always cracking up. We had lots of company, good company, bad company. And it's just the influences of wherever we're living. Especially in San Francisco. I haven't been back in 30, 40 years. I have no idea how it is now.
My sister was totally straight. A student. Not into drugs or anything like that, but we lost touch. I haven't seen her in 30, 40 years. I've been looking for her through Instagram. She might've remarried and changed her name. I heard she was in Tahoe, Pacifica, Connecticut. You know, it's like, where's my sister? I really miss my sister Doreen, two years older than me.
I have just a handful of friends here. Not too many. You know, someone you can really trust. Yeah. Or not trust, you know, are they friends or frenemies, you know? You often wonder are they with you?
I used to catch fish in the Truckee River, but there’s no fish in there anymore. I see people with fishing poles, but they don't get lucky, you know.
Now that I'm retired, I don't have working anymore, that's why I'm being alcoholic lately because I get bored. Not enough to do. I'm thinking about going back to work. Should I volunteer? It’s hard to work if you don't get paid, you know what I'm saying?
I don't carry around too much. I don't need much. Just the clothes on my back, which I change every now and then.
You won't believe this, but I am banned from all the casinos and the Cares Campus 'cause this stupid said that I hit a security guard. What? So they banned me for life. So I can't go to the Cares Campus.
But I have enough money tucked away to get my own place.
I don't mind paying rent. I've always never not paid rent except for now. And I'm banned from the Cares Campus. Like I said, I got accused of hitting a security guard. I'm almost 70 years old. He would flatten me. Why would I hit a security guard?
Right now I'm out. I have a few places, like under the railroad tracks. There's a few places where you can hide and be safe, or just stay up all night.
I spend the Social Security money I get on food, clothes, refreshments. I need some new threads. I go to Catholic Charities to get clothes or donations, you know, there are lots of resources here in Reno, which is a good thing.
In the wintertime I usually have an apartment or room to stay in. I've been through a few places.
Hotels, motels, I tried sober living but that didn't work out. You know, now that it's summer, I like staying out, listen to music.
I like being out here listening to music. I drink a little bit, which is, I don't know … I used to be on crystal meth. I used to be on all kinds of drugs and I beat that. Now I drink a little alcohol for the tremors, for a little buzz. So I feel better, but that's not good either, you know? I don't know if I can quit at all.