Homeless and Hungry
I've been reading new (to me) blogs this past hour, and found an interesting post by WordsRock about people asking for money on the street. I ended up writing a long comment, so I've decided to post my comment in full here as my own post.Only daughter, you said it all.
"the only daughter said... Some people are dangerous, being cautious is prudent. Some people are hurting, being compassionate is human. Some people are homeless,being as as generous as you can afford to be is right. Some people are scamming...How do you know? How do you choose?"
I live on a street in a fairly poor neighborhood with people walking through all the time. I don't know if these people are homeless or without non-ped transportation. I imagine they have a place to live, because they usually carry grocery bags with them from the nearby market.
But, I have 'my own' homeless person. He's an aquaintance now with a familiarity that is surprising for someone I don't actually know.
He approached me the 1st time at my post office and asked for money for food. He scared me, because he came right up to the car door, and he looked a little wild with a bushy beard and hair. I bought him food instead at the dollar store next to the P.O..
The second time we met, he was drinking water at a restaurant where I was having lunch with a friend. I bought him a sandwich that day. We met two more times in that restaurant, but I didn't buy him anything, b/c I knew they were taking care of him.
About that time, we introduced ourselves. He told me his nickname and said it's the same as his grandfather's nickname.
He cut his hair and trimmed his beard. He said he was looking for work, but he needed $16 to get a new government issued ID. He asked if he could work for me for the money. I teased him about always trying to get money from me.
I told him there's a guy who hangs around on my street who's always asking if he can weedeat or mow my yard for cigarette and beer money. I mostly just didn't want to take him to my house, so I told him no. And, I did not give him any money.
At the restaurant, we talked about his living and working situation. I still don't understand. He appears to be able-bodied. He told me he used to earn a good wage as a painter. I never got the connection to why he's in his current situation.
This past Sunday, I took some blankets to a nearby laundrymat. He saw me and approached me with a big smile. His hair and beard still looked okay, but his clothes were dirty and he looked like he'd been out all day.
I called him by name. He now seems like a friend who's always trying to borrow money that you know will never be repaid.
He tried to sell me things he'd dug out of a dumpster. I told him I didn't need any belts or hair products. He begged me to buy something. "Please!" he said. I said I only brought enough money for the washer and dryer. He begged, "I'm hungry!"
I said, "Don't you have a house you live in?" Because he told me once that he had a place he stays, people he stays with. He said, "I live under a bridge."
I went home and brought back two bottles of water, three cans of soup with pop-top lids, a metal fork and spoon, a couple of cans of vegetables (without pop-top lids, I now realize) and some heavy duty paper towels.
I looked around for him, but he was gone from the place he'd been standing with the box of dumpster items. Then, I saw him running towards me. I guess he's not used to people doing what they say ("I'll bring you some food.").
He looked so happy when he saw the food and the water. I thought about what a brief time that amount of food will last. I still don't understand why he doesn't work. There is no obvious reason I can detect (by looking at him or talking with him). But, I do believe him when he tells me he's hungry.
"Where's your bridge?" I asked as he was leaving with the food. He told me the cross streets. He lives a mile from my house under the bridge next to the ice cream store.deb
posted by jordanrep.com/10522 @ 12:44 PM
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