Yesterday I stopped at Irwin's for a snack and a newspaper. A fella was pushing his cart along the street towards me, and he paused to rummage through a garbage can for empties. I said hello, opened up my trunk and brought out the empties from my trunk I was planning on returning. Gave them to him instead, and he seemed very grateful. This morning, my lovely lady and I tidied up, took out the garbage, and loaded everything up from my stay at Ian and Shelley's place. Some of said items were the empties from the past couple of days. Trust me kids, you'd like to drink beer on Ian's patio as well. It's a beer drinker's Utopia. Anyhoo, I stopped again at Irwin's this morning for today's newspaper. Like clockwork, here's buddy with his shopping cart again, rolling it up the street. I once again open up my trunk, and give him what I have. We get to chatting. This fella is obviously an East coaster whose entire worldly possessions are pushed around in an old Safeway cart. I look it over behind the privacy of my shades, and notice just how tidy and organized it is. Everything has a place, from the tarps to the neatly packaged tent. He has a few Rubbermaid containers that keep everything tidy and dry. Like you would want if you're camping. It occurs to me that this man camps and ekes out a living daily. He had the clearest, bluest eyes, was tidy and neat by homeless standards, and carried on a lovely conversation with me for four or five minutes. He seemed sharp and bright, and was very likable. I've been thinking about him all morning, and wonder just how many things must go wrong to put a man like him into that situation. I gave him the few small bills I had in my wallet, to which he seemed very grateful. I don't care if he gets drunk or high with my money, I really don't. I don't know why, but this encounter is playing on my mind this afternoon - I wonder how he sheltered from the storm the other day, I wonder where the kids he played with a child are now, and I wonder if we're all only a few mistakes/situations away from such a fate. I only hope that if I were there, I'd be as pleasant and seemingly happy a man as he.
4 comments:
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I think I'm on the sidelines of watching this happen to someone. The snowball effect and helpless tangling of ones life is easier than one would think.
As much as I dislike the person it's happening too....it makes me very sad. Reading this made me look at it in a different way too...and now it's sadder.
huh.
You say you wonder if we're all a few "mistakes/situations" away from this.
I wonder what "choices" this person made to get himself in this situation. You made a great choice of helping him out.
From how you describe him he seems like a good guy who may have made some bad choices in the past. We're very lucky in this country in that we are allowed to make many "mistakes" and still have opportunities. Some people make consistently wrong choice for too long and paint themselves into a corner that is hard (I'll never say impossible) to get out of.
In any case, good on you for helping him out. You've certainly grown as a person the last two decades. I just hope next time you see him, if he's singing out loud you don't tell him, "Shut the fuck up!"
bwahah, oh Opera Man how we miss you.
Man, the opera man is getting old. I saw him a few weeks ago and he's still doing his beautiful thing.
I also found out where he lives last year. It's just up from my friend's place on 11th avenue. One block west of Jon and Cathleen's old place.
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