Gloves...

For some reason, today, I am acutely aware of all the sadness in the world. Layoffs, the economy, and just general hard times for people.

Maybe it was because of what happened yesterday:

Hot Police Boy and I decided to go to downtown Greenville for a long walk and coffee with his puppy (a demon possessed Boxer named Izzy). Well, it was really cold (barely got out of the upper 30's) but we were bundled up in coats and cashmere scarves (we forgot our gloves). It was beautiful outside! As we were walking over the bridge, I noticed a homeless man sitting on a bench. He had on pants with holes in them, a raggedy flannel shirt and a backpack. He looked so sad. We had no cash to give him (though he didn't ask) and I began wondering "Does he sleep outside?" "Where does he eat?" "I wonder how he got this way?" I felt bad for him, but pushed it out of my mind and we continued our walk.

A bit later, HPB decided he "needed" gloves asap. So he went into Mast General Store while I waited outside with the Devil-Dog. I saw a man coming down the sidewalk and he looked a little shady. I wasn't nervous as I had a very intimidating pup standing with me (though she wouldn't hurt a flea). He walked past us and then turned around and asked "may I pet your dog?". I told him it was fine and he reached out his hand and he had a little girl's pink glove on. But only on one hand. He immediately said: "Sorry about the pink glove, I found it on the side of the road. I'm homeless." He didn't say it in a self pity sort of way and he never asked me for a thing. He was genuinely very nice and seemed almost apologetic for his situation. I asked him where he sleeps at night and he told me "under the bridge". I said "don't you freeze?" He said "nah, I'm used to it. I've been homeless a long time. All the shelters around here are full, so I do what I can. The crackheads steal all of my stuff so my good gloves got taken." Before I could say anything else, he said to me "Have a great day ma'am and thanks for letting me pet your dog." And away he went.

Now why, WHY did I not ask him to wait until HPB came back so I could run in and buy him some new gloves? I was so mad at myself. I looked for him as we continued our walk and couldn't find him. I wanted to at least get him some coffee.

Listen, I know that a lot of homeless people put themselves in their dire situations due to drugs, alcohol or a plethora of other really bad decisions. But, I'm also a damn good judge of character, and there was something different about this man. Maybe it's the police officer in me, but I can usually spot a meth'd out crackhead from a MILE away. My "druggie radar" was not going off with this guy. He seemed so humble.

Once again, I'm shown how MUCH I'm blessed. And....how very much I take for granted. I put on my designer coat in the winter without a thought. I wrap that pink cashmere scarf around my neck and wonder if I should buy a new one in a different color.

There is so much suffering in the world today, but there is so much going on right here in my county, in my city. It's heartbreaking. I'm not God, so it's not my place to judge the homeless people I saw yesterday. I have no idea how they got there and I haven't walked a mile in their shoes or slept on their park bench. I also realize I could never help them all. But...if I ever see that man again, I promise I'm going to buy him some gloves.

The state of our economy is so frightening right now and bad things are happening to really good people. So, today, if you pray, say a prayer for the people who are hurting, who are getting told not to come back to their jobs, who lost their homes in the CA fires. And if you don't mind...would you say a prayer for the sweet homeless man who stopped to pet our dog? Little did he know, he left his thumbprint on my heart and reminded me of how wonderfully blessed I am (and humbled me because of how much I take for granted).

K~