I got my butt handed to me by a homeless man.
After spending some time at FAO Schwartz we set off to find a bite to eat before we needed to head to Lion King. We found a delightful little deli just up the street and popped in there for lunch. If you're curious, and I know you are, I got a grilled chicken sammich with avocado. It made my heart sing.
I was out front by myself waiting for the rest of my peoples as they were buying cookies for the road. As I was standing there a homeless man approached me.
"Do you have any change?"
"I don't, I'm sorry." Which was very true.
"Well, you have a credit card, you can go in there and buy me a sandwich." This wasn't even said as a request, it was like it was the obvious solution to the problem of me not having change.
"I'm sorry?" I asked because I both couldn't believe I'd heard right, and because I could barely understand him through his thick mumbly accent.
"You can take your credit card, and go buy me a sandwich."
"I don't think I want to do that, I'm sorry sir."
"But, I'm hungry."
"I'm sorry, sir." Was all I had to say. I began to understand that he wasn't going to leave me alone, and my cavalry wasn't coming out of the deli anytime soon.
"So, where you come from you just let people go hungry?"
I have to admit at this point I was getting pretty defensive and annoyed. "Where I come from, people just have jobs."
"But, what am I supposed to do?"
"You should probably just get a job."
"But what am I supposed to do if people won't hire me?" I wanted to ask how this was my fault, but just shrugged and apologized again.
At this point a swanky dressed man walked up to the deli. The homeless man turned his attention to the newcomer, and asked him to buy him a sandwich. The man shook his head and went into the deli.
The homeless man turned back to me and said, "Rich guy won't buy me a sandwich, what's wrong with you?!"
Does that make sense to anyone else? I just rolled my eyes, "I'm not rich."
Finally the man sauntered off to accost more people and my crew came out of the deli with fresh cookies . We walked down the street and pssed the guy, who was now harassing another woman. I looked at him and pointedly bit into my cookie.
Maybe I am heartless, but I have a hard time giving handouts to people that don't help themselves. I'm more apt to give change to street performers rather than a guy that gives me the 3rd degree about buying him a sandwich.
What do you think? Would you have bought the guy a sandwich?
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5 comments:
i wouldn't have bought him a sandwich, not with that attitude. i would be offended that he felt so entitled. maybe i'm heartless too.
As I read this, I couldn't help but think of this one time in North Carolina when I tried to help a homeless man. My dad's girlfriend and I were on our way into the store and a homeless man asked us for change. My dad's girlfriend, Carol, said that she didn't have any change and we proceeded into the store. While we were in there, Carol and I were talking about how we felt really bad for that man. We decided to buy him a loaf of bread and some bologna. On our way back to the car, Carol walked over and handed the man the bag. He examine the items and then threw the loaf of bread and the bologna back at Carol. Apparently, he wanted the money for alcohol. Since then, I have never helped another homeless person.
Consider me heartless too.
I would not have bought him a sandwich either. If I had a piece of gum I might have given him that. I once had someone ask me for my change and I handed it to him... it wasn't enough so he ended up throwing it in the street!
Being the pushover that I am, I probably would have bought him one. Which explains where Jordan got his soft heart. :)
Oh HELL NO! Not with him standing there practically demanding it, acting like I owed it to him. That sort of attitude destroys any sort of pity or goodwill I would have otherwise felt. Not gonna lie, there was a little bit of glee in my heart over you "rubbing it in" as it were with that cookie. You are my kind of sister girl, :)
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