Unexpected emails were no new to the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture, Executive Director, Leea Mechling, a 65-year-old. She received plenty until that one email which was unexpected that morning. It was one of her classmates.
Downtown Austin had a homelessness crisis. The same was run as a story in the local news for long and guess Leea one high school classmate, Coy Featherston, made it to the front page. It was surprising and shocking too as things were not the same back then at high school. “A journey to find Featherston, an old friend”, this is what one can call the same when Mechling and few of her classmates were out there to get their one old friend off the streets.
What happened of Coy?
Magical, this was how life after high school was for Coy. He was even voted All-Around Boy in his senior years and was popular among the students for his cool not just in his early days but also as an adult. Football scholarship was another add on because of his athletic talents at the University of Texas. But what after that?
Well, his job wasn’t corporate as his post-college hob was one fit for his cool-persona. He spent years working as a roadie, setting concert equipment for The Mothers of Invention and Frank Zappa. But then, a hard turn was experienced by Featherston, when all went towards the wrong direction.
Coy being one close to family and being the caring person around found it hard to face his brother’s death who was murdered in case of mistaken identity of senseless violence.
Once Frank Zappa touring stopped, Featherston too settled down in Atlanta. He had some extreme bounce offs while trying jobs and then that one layoff led to becoming his one reason for the financial downfall. No money for rent and finally landed off to streets of Atlanta where this man did fight off a lot to protect his belongings from getting stolen. Amidst the same, he was charged with a misdemeanour. Settling his legal affairs, he made a move to Austin, Texas, with a hope to start fresh.
How do we find Featherston?
Being on the front page of the article on homelessness, Leea didn’t take long to recognize his old friend Featherston. She was determined to finding Coy. As for what is known both these people go long back and were born and raised in Corpus Christi and now it seems like both of them were meant to come along in Austin and meet.
Thinking on all this, Mechling didn’t think much to hop on the truck and to look after her friend. It was not hard as all knew where exactly the homeless hang out and the search started therein. This search went along for 3 days with a picture in hand of Featherston, in downtown Austin. Everyone was asked but there was no positive sign until that 4th day when Mechling ran into Coy, who was seen feeding the pigeons outside the Catholic church. It was a long time and Featherston was happy to see her. Being in touch was undoubted since high school but now, they finally had a face-to-face meet up finally.
Help indeed
No time shall pass to waste and with same in the head, Mechling contacted along many of high school buddies in the area. They all rallied around and went out to eat together and before the end of the night, a page named GoFundMe was started for him. Some of the other bandmates offered the man a permanent room in their home and some others helped him by access over Social Security benefits.
Featherston has been homeless for 20 years, previously but the personality of gold, well it remained intact and guess his classmates were happy to aid along for his friend in need for which Featherston was very grateful. As for what they show, “Nothing holds more power than the one who has the grace of a good friend.”