PROBABLY REPORTING THE BADGE OF
AMERICA.
♪
>> OUR COUNTRY WASN’T FOUNDED ON
THE RIGHT OF HAPPINESS BUT
RATHER THE RIGHT TO PURSUE
HAPPINESS.
THAT RIGHT IS WHAT MAKES AMERICA
THE GREATEST NATION THE WORLD
HAS EVER KNOWN.
>> STARS A COP THE TOP OF MY
HAND, IT’S A CHAINSAW.
I WAS 20, I COULD HAVE CUT MY
HAND OFF.
BE CAREFUL.
>> HEY FOLKS, WELCOME TO THE
PURSUIT.
THE RIGHT TO PURSUE HAPPINESS IN
AMERICA IS NOT A FREEDOM RESERVE
FOR THE REMARK YOU FEEL, IS
AVAILABLE TO EVERY AMERICAN NO
MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE OR WHAT
THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES MIGHT BE.
A FEW YEARS AGO I LEARNED OF A
MAN NAMED DOUG SEGER WHO SPENT
HIS LIFE LIVING HOMELESS ON THE
STREETS IN AMERICA AFFLICTED
WITH SEVERE DRUG AND ALCOHOL
ADDICTION BUT ALSO AN INCREDIBLY
GIFTED SINGER, SONGWRITER WITH A
BOTTOM BOTTLE IN ONE HAND AND
GUITAR ANOTHER, HE MANAGED TO
SURVIVE HOSTILE STREETS HE FOUND
HIMSELF LIVING IN THE MAJORITY
OF HIS LIFE SECOND CHANCES,
REDEMPTION AND THE AMERICAN
DREAM ON THE FOUNDATIONS THAT
HAVE LED TO THIS INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE CEDARS.
STORY OF THE CEDARS.
♪
I.
♪
IF THERE WAS EVER A STORY OF
PURSUING HAPPINESS IN AMERICA
AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT RIGHT IS FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US,
FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US,
YOU UP A
PLANE WITH HIS RECORD COLLECTION
COLLECTION, I WAS PRETTY MUCH
INTERESTED IN WOODWORKING,
MAJORING IN WOODWORKING AND HIGH
SCHOOLS.
>> WHEN I’M DRIVING AND PULL UP
TO A STOP SIGN UCI HOMELESS
PERSON STANDING THERE WITH A
SIGN, AS WAS A LITTLE KID
GROWING UP KICKING SOCCER BALLS
AND PLAYING BASEBALL AND GOING
TO SCHOOL, HAVING DREAMS AND
ASPIRATIONS, I WONDER WHAT
HAPPENED THAT BROUGHT THIS
PERSON TO THE STOP SIGN SITTING
OUT RIGHT NOW, WHAT LEAD TO YOU
BEING HOMELESS IN THIS COUNTRY?
AGRIPPA WITH A STEPFATHER HE
COULDN’T STAND ME, I WAS EXTRA
BAGGAGE.
MY MOTHER BEGGED ME TO FINISH
HIGH SCHOOL SO ONCE I GRADUATED
IN 1969 IN HIGH SCHOOL, TWO DAYS
LATER I WAS ON THE STREETS IN
MANHATTAN LIVING A HOMELESS
LIFESTYLE PLAYING MY GUITAR WHEN
I WAS LIKE 17, 18 YEARS OLD SO
I’VE BEEN IN-AND-OUT ABOUT
LIFESTYLE ALL OF MY LIFE.
I WAS PLAYING MY GUITAR ON THE
STREETS RUNNING PEOPLE ON THE
LOWER EAST SIDE.
>> ABOUT THE WORD I HAVE LEARNED
LEARNED.
>> MUSKIE IS BIG NOW.
>> WHEN I THINK BACK ON MY LIFE
I JUST DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO CALL
IT WHEN I WAS SINGING WITH A
GUITAR CASE FLOPPED OPEN.
>> WE WILL HAVE TO BLESS
TOGETHER SOMETIME.
>> THAT WOULD BE FUN.
[LAUGHTER]
WHEN YOU ARE OUT THERE PLAYING
MUSIC ON THE STREET, AT WHAT
TIME DID THEY ENTER?
>> GROWING UP AS A CHILD AND NOT
HAVING THE RIGHT DIRECTION MY
DAD LEFT WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS
OLD SO YOU MY OLDER BROTHER
PROBABLY HAD A LOT OF ANGER AS A
RESULT OF BACK WHEN I TURNED 16,
THAT WAS MY FIRST INTRODUCTION,
JUST AT THE TIME.
BECAUSE THE ADDICTION SLOWLY GOT
OUT OF HAND.
I THINK IT DOES STEM FROM
CHILDHOOD REARING AND YOUR
PARENTS ARE I GUESS NOT DOING A
GOOD ENOUGH JOB.
THE ABANDONMENT OF MY FATHER AND
MY STEPFATHER, A LOT OF ANGER
AND HATRED AND HE WAS AN
ALCOHOLIC SO THERE WAS A LOT OF
ALCOHOLISM GOING ON AND MY
MOTHER AND HIM FIGHTING ALL THE
TIME, IT WAS JUST A BAD PLACE TO
BE.
>> HOW DOES IT WORK BEING
HOMELESS IN AMERICA PLUS IF
YOU’VE NEVER BEEN HOMELESS,
BECAUSE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
>> ONE THING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS,
THANK GOD WE ARE LIVING IN THE
50s WHEN WE HAD A LOT OF
FAMINE AND STARVATION GOING ON
AND FOR THE HOMELESS PERSON
RIGHT NOW, I’LL SPEAK ABOUT
MYSELF, IT WAS NEVER A STRUGGLE
BEING HOME.
OUR GET UP MONDAY MORNING
WITHOUT A PENNY IN MY POCKET AND
I WOULD WALK BECAUSE I KNEW ONCE
I GOT THERE, EVERYTHING WAS
TAKEN CARE OF.
FREE CLOTHING AND FOOD AND
SHELTER AND SHERIFF’S, IT WAS
JUST TOO EASY.
>> ALMOST LIKE ROCKSTAR
HOMELESS.
>> A LITTLE BIT.
IF I WOULD HAPPEN ALMOST IN THE
40s, I WOULD HAVE DIED.
WE ARE IN WANT OF COUNTRY WITH A
LOT OF HELP SUPPORT.
>> YOU THINK THERE’S ENOUGH OUT
THERE THAT IF SOMEONE TRULY
DOESN’T WANT TO BE HOMELESS
ANYMORE FOR THE MOST PART, THEY
COULD PULL OUT OF IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THE RESCUE
MISSION, THEY BEEN HOMELESS
SEVERAL MONTHS SO SHE’S KIND OF
GIVING UP.
FOR ME, IT WAS THE SPIRIT OF GOD
THAT GAVE ME THE STRENGTH TO
KNOW IT WAS A TEMPORARY
SITUATION I WAS IN.
>> THIS IS THE EMBARRASSING PART
OF THE SHOW BECAUSE I’M GOING TO
SHOW YOU WHERE I USED TO LIVE
WITH MY GIRLFRIEND.
ONE MORNING, SHE GOT UP AND
STARTED SWEEPING AND SHE SAID
SOMETHING TO ME I’LL NEVER
FORGET, WE’VE GOT TO KEEP THIS
PLACE CLEAN, THIS IS OUR HOME,
DOUG.
I WAS LIKE HOME?
OKAY.
I’M NOT HOMELESS, I HAVE A HOME.
[LAUGHTER] >> THIS IS WHERE THE HOLE WAS?
>> THIS IS WHERE THE HOLE WAS?
>> RIGHT UP THERE I LIVED.
>> YOU RECALL HOW LONG YOU LIVED
UNDER THE BRIDGE?
>> I WAS LIVING AT THE RESCUE
MISSION FOR QUITE A WHILE AND
WHEN I GOT TIRED OF BEING THERE
I WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM THE
OTHER HOMES, I WOULD COME HERE
AS A PLACE OF GETTING OUT AND
DOING A LITTLE MORE.
>> WHEN YOU CAN’T PLAY MUSIC
BECAUSE COVID SHUT EVERYTHING
DOWN, YOU FEEL SOME OF THE OLD
ISSUES AND ADDICTIONS AND STUFF
BACK IN YOUR MIND ABOUT THE TEN
PATIENT IS REALLY STRONG.
>> THE TEN PATIENT IS ALWAYS
GOING TO BE THERE BUT YOU HAVE
TO RELY ON YOUR FAITH.
MY FAITH IN GOD GIVES ME STRONG
AND AWAY FROM ADDICTIONS.
>> YOUR FAITH AND GOD BROUGHT
YOU OUT FROM UNDER THIS BRIDGE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS BRIDGE RIGHT
NOW HERE IN 2021, WHERE YOU ARE
AT TODAY, WHAT FLASHES THROUGH
YOUR MIND?
>> FOR ME, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE
SOMETHING FROM YOUR PAST AND
ABSORB IT, RECOGNIZE IT AND WANT
TO SEE HERSELF HAVING GONE
BEYOND THAT, YOU WANT TO TURN
AROUND AND TRY TO INSPIRE OTHER
PEOPLE.
>> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT LIVING
WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND UNDER A
BRIDGE AND ON THE WEEKEND AND
GET SOME DRUGS AND DRINK, HOW
DOES GOD MAKE HIS WAY THROUGH
THAT CROWD?
>> WITH THE ADDICTION, YOU HAVE
A TENDENCY TO DISTANCE GOD, YOU
WALK AWAY BECAUSE WERE TO
EMBARRASSED ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE
LIFESTYLE.
ONE NIGHT I ASKED GOD FROM GOD,
I FEEL LIKE I AM GOING TO DIE IF
I KEEP GOING ON THIS WAY.
I ASKED FOR HIS HELP AND I WOKE
UP THE NEXT MORNING AND I
RECEIVED A MIRACLE FROM GOD AND
I KNEW AS SOON AS I WOKE UP THAT
MORNING.
>> THE BIBLE TEACHES US NEVER
TOO LATE TO SUBMIT TO GOD AND
HIS WILL.
AMERICAN SIZE THE RIGHT TO
PURSUE HAPPINESS, IT’S NEVER TOO
LATE TO TURN A CORNER AND COME