Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Has this ever happened to you?
It was a cold day in late November. The year was 2007. Having enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday with my family, I drove downtown (ATL) and met with a representative of the EEOC. At that time, I was having employment issues that needed to be addressed federally. After the meeting, I was walking up Alabama Street -near the Five Points MARTA station- when I saw a man approaching me. So, I'm thinking "I hope he doesn't ask me for any money. It's cold and I want to get home." As luck would have it, he respectfully approached me and said "Sir, could you spare a few dollars. I'm HIV positive and I don't have anything to eat." While I may have a heart of gold, I rarely give anyone money; I'm inclined to purchase food. So, I agreed to purchase him some food from the nearby McDonalds. Sitting at a table, he watched as I approached the counter and ordered two hashbrowns. When I turned around, he was gone. Now, if I was hungry and someone agreed to buy me some food, I would not have let the buyee out of my sight. Thinking he had gone to the bathroom, I waited outside for about five minutes. That wind was kicking my ass. I stood right by the entrance and hoped he'd show up. He never did. I walked to my car, drove home, and fed my sister. What was up with that?
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9 comments:
That is too much! You got me.
I'm so sick of the beggers in Atlanta. They get me for my food all the time.
NOT VERY NICE, LIFE. WE'RE NOT ALL EQUAL, AND NOT EVERY ONE OF US IS EXPOSED TO THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT THE INDIGNITY OF BEGGING?
Nope, never happened to me before..
Maybe the guy was p'd-off b/c you offered him food and didnt give money.
ATL is a big place, i'm sure there are charities/organisations of which hiv+ persons can avail themselves.
Si, yo he hablado espanol desde mi ninez. Tambien yo vei tu otro comentario y me puedes tutear
well I had a similar experience the other day...so I know how must be feeling...
Things happen like that. It could be because He wanted something other than food.
Q: It was a strange experience indeed.
Life: Don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed. Give only what you can. It's ok to say "no" sometimes.
Shallotte: I completely agree with your summation. I usually give because I am aware that I may be on the receiving end of someone's generosity some day (highly unlikely, but possible).
Jamie: There are agencies that provide assistance to HIV positive people, such as AID Atlanta. As far as his rationale for pulling a disappearing act? I have no idea what motivated that action. Now that you've given me permission, I will be less formal.
Gayte-keeper: I wrote this post after reading yours.
Hershey's Kiss: It's possible he wanted the cash. Unfortunately for him, I've learned to not pull my wallet out in public. You won't be smashing me over the head with a bottle and taking my ends. No way, man!
Hey!! I finally made it here! I think it's great that you offered to help and maybe the guy wasn't really looking for food? When we were in Houston last a homeless man came up to me when I was visiting JP in jail and I was nervous because I had Cameron with me and I told him I didn't have any money. When we got in the car, Cameron said, "mom, I will give him some money." I pulled up to where the guy was and Cameron handed him $10. He told me later that he didn't care what the guy did with it, but that he has a chance to eat if he wants. That really made me think and made me very proud of Cameron. I guess I will see you on Facebook now. Right??? I love you!
Big Dawn: I'm glad Cameron has inherited some of your admirable qualities. I sort of feel the same way; if a person wants to buy booze with the money, so be it. The point is that you tried to fill a need. I also think it was good that Cameron waited until he got back to the car before handling his money. Very smart. Yes, I will have to be on Facebook by the end of the month.
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