JOURNEY HOME | Without any transportation, Robert Magee and his fiancée, Michelle Noce, head home by foot on a snowy day downtown. The couple is used to walking multiple miles a day to their destinations.
“I said yes again,” she said, smiling. “We had a lot of fun together, we liked many of the same things and he wanted to take care of me.” Being his fiancée wasn’t too much of a change though. Noce got to know Magee better when she moved in and began going out with him to find money to bring home. Magee’s income is unreliable. His workplace is located on the corner of Harold Place and North Franklin St. He “flies his sign” there—a term for someone who panhandles. Standing by the side of the road
44 | MPJ 2012 | Working For Change
waiting for commuters to donate spare change is one of many things the couple does together. “We do everything together,” said Noce. “I’m right beside him everywhere we go, even when he’s flying signs.” For Magee, his relationship with Noce has been inspiring. “My life was extremely stressful before we met,” Magee said. “So when we got together, it uplifted me and changed my attitude toward my everyday life.” The money he gathers is a daily source of stress that Magee doesn’t take lightly. But he also doesn’t let it bring him down.
“I always go out with the attitude that we’ll at least make a couple of bucks,” he said. Magee covets his relationship with Noce, and makes certain she is safe and taken care of. “Bobby protects me from other people and makes sure nothing happens to me,” Noce said. “He also is the provider and makes sure we have everything we need. Their daily troubles and struggles haven’t bothered them too much because they know in the end they have each other. “We’ve always loved being together,” Magee said. “We’re just focused on trying to make it day by day.”