The Woman Who Pushes Her Cart
I would see her walking roadside a few times a month, pushing her cart, and going somewhere. Or going nowhere at all.
Among the dizzying array of colorful fruits and vegetables and stereotypical millennial shoppers in the Whole Foods Wellington produce section, a woman emerged through the double doors pushing a dolly cart about three times the size of an average store cart. She was an impressively tall woman, with strong-looking and tanned arms, wearing eye-glasses, with her long gray hair tied back in a pony tail. She looked sporty, in a way; perhaps an athlete, even, in her younger years.
She was quick as she moved through the berries, apples, bananas— but not quick enough. A store associate made a beeline for the woman. Words appeared to be cordially shared, and the woman left. As most anyone would guess, her oversized dolly cart covered in a large black tarp was too big to be in the store.
Surely a few people in the produce section that day had seen her before. For years, in fact, she’s been pushing her cart, most noticeably, along the busy road of State Rd. 7/441 from Forest Hill Blvd. to Southern Blvd. Once you see her, you can’t unsee her. She is striking. She doesn’t belong on the streets, alone with her cart. She belongs in a home of her own, in a garden planting flowers or trees, surrounded by grandchildren or loyal and loving pets. She doesn’t belong where she always seems to be—the streets are no place for a woman.
According to recent reports, The Woman Who Pushes Her Cart is one of 2,126 individuals and families who lack permanent shelter in Palm Beach County. Often these individuals are homeless for a short period of time, or they bounce between shelters, or couch surf. And maybe that’s what she does as well. But by all accounts, she is chronically homeless—a situation often attributed to those who experience complex and long-term health conditions, such as mental illness, substance use disorders, physical disabilities, or other medical conditions.
But The Woman Who Pushes Her Cart does not appear to have any physical disabilities—on the contrary— she has many obvious physical abilities. She walks fast, she doesn’t stumble or limp, her upper body shows strength, and her posture equally appears strong. If she does have other medical conditions, they seemingly do not affect her physical movement and outward appearance.
This, of course, leaves the very real possibility of mental illness. And perhaps it is the case. Or perhaps not. Because even though mental illness can be highly complex and not necessarily a stereotypical health disorder, there often are certain physical symptoms that align with deteriorating mental health. Signs such as neglecting personal hygiene or disregarding self- care, showing confusion and disorientation—all play a role in mental health conditions.
Yet, The Woman Who Pushes Her Cart rarely looks to be in a state of disarray. And her cart, for example, is impeccable, at least from my view. You already know how big it is, but just to add a few specifics, it’s wide and tall, almost as tall as her, and she looks to be a few inches shy of 6 feet. The black tarp that covers her cart is spotless and stretches, like a protective glove, over her possessions. Not one item protrudes from the cart, all seem to be neatly packed in organized precision. If her cart is her home, then her home is highly efficient, clean, and orderly.
All these tiny but important details makes you wonder about her past life. Surely she lived in a home at some point. Maybe she was even married or had children, as is often the case with other homeless women. Maybe she was a victim of domestic violence, a constant concern not only for women in general, but specifically for homeless women. In fact, one out of four homeless women have experienced domestic violence, highlighting the realities of those struggling in unstable and dangerous relationships with no where— but the streets— to go.
And let’s face it, shelters in Palm Beach County and elsewhere in Florida, are a mixed bag and tough to stay in. Or they only have space for those who meet certain criteria like veterans, families (with minors), substance abusers or people in recovery, and individuals with disabilities. There are a few shelters that do cater specifically to women and there’s a real possibility that she may have stayed at one—but only temporarily. Most shelters do not offer long term stays.
That also might explain her frequent absences. As mentioned previously, The Woman Who Pushes Her Cart has been walking the streets for years. But there are times when she seems to disappear. This happened recently, in fact.
Just two weeks ago, as I was walking my neighborhood in the midday sunshine, she popped into my thoughts, for no reason at all. But I couldn’t remember the last time I saw her—it had been a while. “Where could she be,” I said to myself. Where could she be?
The universe answered and I saw her the very next day. The same strong-looking and tanned arms, the same long gray hair tied back in a pony tail. The Woman Who Pushes Her Cart was going somewhere—or she was going no where at all. Either way, Godspeed.
Author’s Note: I decided to write this story after I saw her a few weeks ago. It seemed like a fate moment or something. And sure enough, on Sunday of this week, I again saw her and her dolly cart inside Whole Foods, but this time she was in the cafe, a place big enough for her and her cart to rest. I didn’t want to bother her, she was enjoying a nice lunch from the hot bar, but I did take a picture of her cart from a distance.
I wish her safety and goodwill.
