Gary.
06.27.08 (11:29 pm) [edit]
So I am at the grocery store in Portland and I am getting ready to throw yet another luxury item in my cart--I think it was some smoked salmon...when I see this guy looking at some food....
He was standing there...shaking and barely able to stand up from hunger. What really got to me was that he was counting the change in his hand. I stood there and watched for a second--maybe ten..and realized that he was counting dimes and pennies to see if he could buy some food.
Life is a fickle bitch.
I fought back tears. I hate watching people struggle. This guy could have been in the alcohol section, but he wasn't. He was looking for food to survive. People shouldn't have to do that...not in America. I had two choices...walk away and add to my cart full of food, or do something good. I chose the latter.
His name was Gary. I asked him if he was counting his change to buy food and he said yes. He told he me hadn't eaten in 2 days. He said he was there to steal food if he had to, but he couldn't stoop so low. I started to tear up. I handed him ten dollars and said....go get some food Gary...at the restaurant in the grocery...meet me at the front in 30 minutes and we will get you stocked up. He reluctantly agreed.....the man needed something.
I got all the essentials and some soap. Gary needed soap. He knew it...I knew it...he didn't have soap. When I got to the counter Gary walked up to me and had tears in his eyes. All he could say was "god bless you". I just wanted him to survive.
I drove him back to his "place" which to be honest was nothing any of us would consider home. You don't know what you have until you meet a guy like Gary. I told him that I wanted him to meet me back at the same place next week at the same time. He started to cry. I asked him if life had dealt him a tough hand and he said, "You have no idea. It's hard to get work when you are too weak from hunger." I have many faults. I am an ass, I hate people telling me what to do and I am quite selfish. 90 percent of the time I let my penis rule my thinking which has made me the guy I am today. I swear a lot, drink like a fish and think MLK Day is stupid.
Despite my many faults, I have a heart that breaks when I see others suffer. I forget who I am as a person for that moment and for some reason, do what is right by humanity. I have so much to be thankful for and I take it for granted. I always have. I've counted change before...but never to eat.
There are many Gary's in this world. We just have to open our eyes and seem them. Tonight he is eating food and gaining strength. I am sitting here worried about this and that...but my belly is full and tomorrow it will be again. On Thanksgiving Day I will be with my family eating a turkey dinner and drinking wine. Where will the Gary's of the world be?
Each and every day we have a chance to make our mark. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. Does it make me an extraordinary person? Not in the least. I just thank God for bringing Gary into my life...even for one brief moment. I hope I have another chance to do right for this world.... C
He was standing there...shaking and barely able to stand up from hunger. What really got to me was that he was counting the change in his hand. I stood there and watched for a second--maybe ten..and realized that he was counting dimes and pennies to see if he could buy some food.
Life is a fickle bitch.
I fought back tears. I hate watching people struggle. This guy could have been in the alcohol section, but he wasn't. He was looking for food to survive. People shouldn't have to do that...not in America. I had two choices...walk away and add to my cart full of food, or do something good. I chose the latter.
His name was Gary. I asked him if he was counting his change to buy food and he said yes. He told he me hadn't eaten in 2 days. He said he was there to steal food if he had to, but he couldn't stoop so low. I started to tear up. I handed him ten dollars and said....go get some food Gary...at the restaurant in the grocery...meet me at the front in 30 minutes and we will get you stocked up. He reluctantly agreed.....the man needed something.
I got all the essentials and some soap. Gary needed soap. He knew it...I knew it...he didn't have soap. When I got to the counter Gary walked up to me and had tears in his eyes. All he could say was "god bless you". I just wanted him to survive.
I drove him back to his "place" which to be honest was nothing any of us would consider home. You don't know what you have until you meet a guy like Gary. I told him that I wanted him to meet me back at the same place next week at the same time. He started to cry. I asked him if life had dealt him a tough hand and he said, "You have no idea. It's hard to get work when you are too weak from hunger." I have many faults. I am an ass, I hate people telling me what to do and I am quite selfish. 90 percent of the time I let my penis rule my thinking which has made me the guy I am today. I swear a lot, drink like a fish and think MLK Day is stupid.
Despite my many faults, I have a heart that breaks when I see others suffer. I forget who I am as a person for that moment and for some reason, do what is right by humanity. I have so much to be thankful for and I take it for granted. I always have. I've counted change before...but never to eat.
There are many Gary's in this world. We just have to open our eyes and seem them. Tonight he is eating food and gaining strength. I am sitting here worried about this and that...but my belly is full and tomorrow it will be again. On Thanksgiving Day I will be with my family eating a turkey dinner and drinking wine. Where will the Gary's of the world be?
Each and every day we have a chance to make our mark. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. Does it make me an extraordinary person? Not in the least. I just thank God for bringing Gary into my life...even for one brief moment. I hope I have another chance to do right for this world.... C
I have often walked down this street before.
06.22.08 (10:18 pm) [edit]
I may come back, I don't know.
I haven't been blogging much at all and I miss it. We'll see. I was glad to see T-blog is still around and many of the people I used to converse with are also still here.
I do need a new theme though...my page looks icky.
I can't believe I just said icky.