So I hear a lot of people saying they have it tough theses days. Heck even I jump on that band wagon here and there. I just had a 45 minute phone call with a my best friend telling him how horrible life was. This morning I was in the drive-thru getting my normal, #8 with a large decafe with 5 creme and 5 sugar. This lady walks up to me and trys to start a conversation with me through my passenger side window, I roll the window down and she says, "Can I start your day off with a complement?" I say sure, "You look very nice today" She then proceeds to tell me that she is not an addict but she it just "at it". She asks me if I would date her, I tell her no, sorry I'm married already. She then asks if I have kids and I tell he Yes, I have two, two dogs that is those are my kids. She stopped and I thought she was going to tear up. She then proceeded to tell me that she is not a bad person but she had to sell her cat. She was adamant that I knew she was not a bad person. I told her Shady your not a bad person. Sometimes people have to make hard decisions and Tiger (her cat) is probably in a better place and someone is taking care of him. She finally asked me for money which I knew is where she was going. She asked for a dollar and all I had was $6, she got one so now I'm down to $5, I'm thinking crap, how am I going to pay for my order? She shakes my hand and we talk all the way up to the first window. Finally she walked away as I progressed up to the second window.
As I pulled back onto the street I started to tear up thinking, my god, how bad do I really have it? Here Shady is homeless, has no money, she had to sell her pet and has to beg for money to make it from day to day. I am sure some of your are thinking, she's just a vagrant do not give her anything, it will just reenforce the fact that she can beg for money. Well as that might be, she is still a human being and I hope that my just simply rolling down my window and taking the time to acknowledge her might help her in some weird crazy way. It also made me really think very hard about if I really have it that rough? Yes I have problems, I don't know how I'm going to pay bills from time to time, I fight with my partner about stupid stuff (and it is stupid stuff!), but really I don't have it that bad. I have a family that cares about me, two dogs that adore me and friends that love me. I don't have it that bad, I just really don't.
So for everyone else out there if you are reading this, you probably do not have it that bad as Shady does. You have skills, heck you know how to use a computer, you just need to refocus on what you need to do and be really hold yourself accountable to reaching that goal. Ask your friends to hold you accountable ask family heck ask your boss at work. I think sometimes we are blind to the resources we have from time to time.
That's my few words for the day.
-Ted
1 comment:
I try to remember how good I have it in the big scheme of things. Even things I consider to be problems for me are minor compared to the problems of others.
You are more generous than I would have been, I would not have given her any money. I always assume they are going to spend it on booze or drugs, so I always refuse.
Good blog!
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