Just Another Bum

There’s a man who lies on the street near the gas station/convenience store that sells cheap gas and tobacco.

He has a sign that is just a piece of worn cardboard that reads:

“Anything would help.”

Last week, I handed him a couple of bucks and he thanked me profusely and mentioned that he’d pray for me. He looked tired. The kind of tired that can’t be slept off. I guessed his age at maybe 30.

Depressed me.

Thought of him throughout the week.

On Friday, I passed by again, and he was asleep. He had a garbage bag full of clothes, I’d guess. Sleeping right beside him was a beautiful pit bull dog. Their heads were almost touching.

That made me feel worse!

The light was changing but I yelled to him, and wadded up a $5 bill.

I wanted him to feed the dog!

He scrambled and grabbed the bill and waved at me.

I thought about this country. I know a lot of people who would scold me for giving him $5. We have learned to feel ashamed of having such people living around us.

That’s depressing to me.

I headed for the job site just around the corner, and as I stepped out of my car I spotted a $10 bill just sitting there on the sidewalk.

I told the guys on the scaffold and then mentioned I was going to drop it off to the homeless man.

“Buy a lottery ticket instead,” the foreman said. “He’s just gonna’ buy booze with it.”

Maybe.

I drove away.

Lottery ticket or drop off the found money to the man and his dog?

I pulled up, got out, and petted the dog as the man told me about how much he was going to pray for me.

Hope he eats.

Or feeds the dog.

Or has a drink on me.

Salute.