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A homeless man restores the faith of an avid angler
By Ed Zieralski, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
December 27, 2002
Last Saturday during the height of our wettest winter storm in years, a homeless man searched in vain for a house in a San Diego suburb.
His clothes were soaked to his bones, nothing new for a man without an address.
Though he was tired, wetter than usual and colder than ever, he kept looking for the home of a man he didn't know. His only connection was that he'd found the man's wallet.
Yes, he could have used the money and credit cards.
Yes, that's what some folks might have done.
But not this guy. That wasn't the right thing to do for this man, homeless, but not without dignity and principles.
So he looked and looked for the address. He asked bus drivers, but they were no help.
Meantime, the owner of that wallet, Dr. Ken Morris, a pediatrician and medical director at North County Health Services, wasn't having a wonderful month.
A colleague and friend recently had fallen gravely ill, and now Morris was without his wallet filled with credit cards and identification.
His friend's illness devastated him, and the lost wallet seemed to put him over the edge. Morris, a fit 36-year-old, began having sharp chest pains Saturday. He was taken by ambulance to the emergency room, and fortunately, the diagnosis was that the pains were stress-related.
All this has to be heartbreaking to anyone who knows Morris, because, if anyone deserves a good month, a good year, or a wonderful life, it's Ken Morris.
Few San Diegans have donated as much time and energy in recent years to enriching the lives of kids facing life-threatening illnesses. An avid angler and sportsman, Morris led ocean fishing trips for kids at Children's Hospital throughout the 1990s, often taking youngsters out on what was the last fishing trip of their lives.
This past September, Morris was chairman of the 12th annual Make-A-Wish Tuna Challenge that raised a record $91,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
It was the third year that Ken and his father, Marty, a retired physician, and mother, Carolyn, were involved in the Tuna Challenge. Each year they've helped make it a better, more profitable fund-raiser.
Karma? Ken Morris would lead any league in karma.
So that's why it's not surprising that he found an unmarked package in his mailbox when he checked it on Christmas Eve.
"In that package was my wallet with a letter that speaks volumes and helps restore my faith in humanity," Morris wrote in an e-mail.
The homeless man's short letter, we share here:
"Mr. Morris: I found your wallet Friday night in the harbor area. I myself am a homeless man. I tried to find your house the next day to hand deliver your belongings to you, but it was raining and I only got as far as Talmadge Canyon Drive, and none of the bus drivers seemed to know where your street was.
"So, wet and frustrated, I gave up and decided to mail your belongings to you, Merry Christmas.
"I didn't tamper at all with your credit cards. I also tried to get the cash to you at first. Also, the money that was in the wallet, I decided to use for food, etc., being homeless and wet, and at times quite desperate, I decided to use the cash. But I also decided to reimburse the money to you in several payments in the mail. It was a total of $78.
"I'll send a couple money orders in the near future to reimburse you. I get a little money every now and then.
It was signed, "A Friend."
Morris said his eyes filled with tears as he read the letter.
"As the medical director of a community health center in San Marcos that caters to the underserved and the homeless, I am no stranger to the plight that many members of our community face on a day-to-day basis," Morris said. "Despite my own experiences, I was left in tears and am in awe of this person's selflessness and goodwill while facing his own battle to survive on a daily basis.
"While I cannot find and thank my holiday angel, I can give thanks by helping the homeless during this holiday season, and I urge everyone to do the same for those that are not as fortunate as us."
Ken and Marty Morris won the 12th annual Make-A-Wish Tuna Challenge this year for the second straight year. Marty caught the biggest fish, and their boat, the Ken-Dan, was the top boat for the second straight year.
And that's not all. Back in the summer, Ken fought a swordfish his father estimated at 350 to 400 pounds for eight hours before turning it over to his father. An hour later, the line snapped and the swordfish, considered the catch of a lifetime by ocean anglers, swam away.
Ken Morris didn't get his swordfish this year, but the message he received on Christmas Eve . . . that was the catch of this or any season.
By Ed Zieralski, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
December 27, 2002
Last Saturday during the height of our wettest winter storm in years, a homeless man searched in vain for a house in a San Diego suburb.
His clothes were soaked to his bones, nothing new for a man without an address.
Though he was tired, wetter than usual and colder than ever, he kept looking for the home of a man he didn't know. His only connection was that he'd found the man's wallet.
Yes, he could have used the money and credit cards.
Yes, that's what some folks might have done.
But not this guy. That wasn't the right thing to do for this man, homeless, but not without dignity and principles.
So he looked and looked for the address. He asked bus drivers, but they were no help.
Meantime, the owner of that wallet, Dr. Ken Morris, a pediatrician and medical director at North County Health Services, wasn't having a wonderful month.
A colleague and friend recently had fallen gravely ill, and now Morris was without his wallet filled with credit cards and identification.
His friend's illness devastated him, and the lost wallet seemed to put him over the edge. Morris, a fit 36-year-old, began having sharp chest pains Saturday. He was taken by ambulance to the emergency room, and fortunately, the diagnosis was that the pains were stress-related.
All this has to be heartbreaking to anyone who knows Morris, because, if anyone deserves a good month, a good year, or a wonderful life, it's Ken Morris.
Few San Diegans have donated as much time and energy in recent years to enriching the lives of kids facing life-threatening illnesses. An avid angler and sportsman, Morris led ocean fishing trips for kids at Children's Hospital throughout the 1990s, often taking youngsters out on what was the last fishing trip of their lives.
This past September, Morris was chairman of the 12th annual Make-A-Wish Tuna Challenge that raised a record $91,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
It was the third year that Ken and his father, Marty, a retired physician, and mother, Carolyn, were involved in the Tuna Challenge. Each year they've helped make it a better, more profitable fund-raiser.
Karma? Ken Morris would lead any league in karma.
So that's why it's not surprising that he found an unmarked package in his mailbox when he checked it on Christmas Eve.
"In that package was my wallet with a letter that speaks volumes and helps restore my faith in humanity," Morris wrote in an e-mail.
The homeless man's short letter, we share here:
"Mr. Morris: I found your wallet Friday night in the harbor area. I myself am a homeless man. I tried to find your house the next day to hand deliver your belongings to you, but it was raining and I only got as far as Talmadge Canyon Drive, and none of the bus drivers seemed to know where your street was.
"So, wet and frustrated, I gave up and decided to mail your belongings to you, Merry Christmas.
"I didn't tamper at all with your credit cards. I also tried to get the cash to you at first. Also, the money that was in the wallet, I decided to use for food, etc., being homeless and wet, and at times quite desperate, I decided to use the cash. But I also decided to reimburse the money to you in several payments in the mail. It was a total of $78.
"I'll send a couple money orders in the near future to reimburse you. I get a little money every now and then.
It was signed, "A Friend."
Morris said his eyes filled with tears as he read the letter.
"As the medical director of a community health center in San Marcos that caters to the underserved and the homeless, I am no stranger to the plight that many members of our community face on a day-to-day basis," Morris said. "Despite my own experiences, I was left in tears and am in awe of this person's selflessness and goodwill while facing his own battle to survive on a daily basis.
"While I cannot find and thank my holiday angel, I can give thanks by helping the homeless during this holiday season, and I urge everyone to do the same for those that are not as fortunate as us."
Ken and Marty Morris won the 12th annual Make-A-Wish Tuna Challenge this year for the second straight year. Marty caught the biggest fish, and their boat, the Ken-Dan, was the top boat for the second straight year.
And that's not all. Back in the summer, Ken fought a swordfish his father estimated at 350 to 400 pounds for eight hours before turning it over to his father. An hour later, the line snapped and the swordfish, considered the catch of a lifetime by ocean anglers, swam away.
Ken Morris didn't get his swordfish this year, but the message he received on Christmas Eve . . . that was the catch of this or any season.
