The other day on my way home from work, I was forced to take a detour. The highway was backed up through the whole ‘two exits’ I needed to travel, so I took an alternate route that has a lot more traffic lights. No biggie. As I was sitting at a traffic light, I noticed a guy standing on the side of the road in the 100+ degree heat with a backpack and a big cardboard sign. I was several cars back and I strained to read what it said.
“Travelin. Broke-N-Ugly. NOT a crackhead.”
Thinking that was kinda funny, I sat there staring at him wondering about this guy. He was a good looking guy from what I could tell. He looked about college age – the same age as my boys. He was cute, just really dirty. And I found myself wondering how long he’d been out in this heat, if he really was a crackhead, where he was going, where he was coming from, and why would he be crazy enough to get into a car with a stranger (hey, it’s MY bubble). I was just in a daze staring and wondering.
That’s when I saw it. Humanity. The car in front of me rolled down his window and motioned for the guy to come over. That’s when I got a better look at vagabond dude and realized a.) how young he was, and b.) how cute he was, and c.) how desperately he needed a bath. And I was thinking, “Don’t get in the car with him. Don’t get in the car with him.” Anyway, the dude in the car handed vagabond dude a bottle of water. Aawwhh! Vagabond dude smiled a really nice smile and thanked him over and over. Even though I’m sure that he’d have rather just crawled into the air conditioned car and been given a ride, he was very grateful for the water. Then the light turned green and we all drove away leaving vagabond dude still looking for a ride.
The sap that I am was so moved that the dude in the car thought enough to share his bottle of water. And for some reason, I can’t get the kid out of my mind. I mean, he surely has a mom somewhere wondering where her little boy is and if he’s alright. Surely so. And I just wanted him to be safe. It makes me so sad when I see people like that who have no place to call home and no family to turn to, no one to call. The mom in me comes out and wants to protect ALL the children of the world.
I think I’ll buy a case of bottled water and keep it in my Jeep in case I see another homeless person hitching a ride in the 100 degree heat. I feel like doing a good deed. We ALL should do a good deed. It warms your heart just thinking about it.
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Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackMy friends, The Pointless Sisters, at church make Evangelism bags. Little bags with a cereal bar, capri-sun or juice box, 50 cents (Pay phone) and a list of the locations of area shelters and outreach programs. They give these out to the congregation to keep in their glovebox so that when they see someone at an intersection, they can reach out and hand them something that can sustain them a little while longer, while offering hope (the locations of shelters plus the payphone fee to call out for help). Pretty nifty ladies.
I gotta phone call . . . from MO and Dem, and Heather, and Kelly, and Deb, and JenMahan, and I think Martha was there, cause they were talking about her Hoo-Hoo and a bathroom incident in Vegas, and someone else was there that I didn’t get to talk to . . . but it was fun and it made my night!!!!!!!!
Boy momma’s idea sounds wonderful. We very rarely see those people sitting by the roadsides here at all in the north. Climate too bad to stay outside overnight I guess. If that was me I would have hunted a McDonalds bought him a happy meal and brought it back to him. OH YES I would have.. and told him where it was so he could wash up and rest awhile too.
I often think of the millions of stories there are in the world right now with times as bad as they are. We all are just footsteps away from being in someone else’s shoes. : )
The Evangelism bags sound like a nice idea. Around here though there are people with signs on just about every corner. I know that some of them are honest but there are just as many that are scammers. One guy was interviewed once saying that he made about $300 a day standing there – way more than he’d make in a day at a real job. That just makes me not trust anyone.
Too bad you didn’t answer your phone. Mo debated calling because of the hour and we were all like “It is DONNA – WAKE HER UP! She won’t care – it is US after all” Aren’t we nice? I just love your voice so much. It is musical and soothing. I like Jen’s accent too though to her I am sure she feels like she is surrounded by strange accents!
wow – you wouldn’t be able to survive Africa – at every traffic light (or as we call them, robots) there are beggers, people wanting to sell you stuff, people wanting to take any garbage you have for small change, blind people being led by others asking for cash, children with big eyes (and designer shoes) wanting anything they can get their hands on etc etc. Problem is you become very cynical – especially when you see the cripple you just gave cash too, flip his crutches under his arm and walk of without an ailement in the world. The beggers haul in very nice cash and most of the time its all an act. *sigh* it’s sad for the people who really are in need, everyone seems suspect when you have seen all the con’s that we have seen.
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