Comments on: Oh, Think Twice

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:14:16 +0000

I’m like a magnet for beggers…you know that. Anyhow, I also rarely carry any cash on me because it burns a hole in my pocket… But I had a guy approach me at a gas station asking for money for food. I told him I had no cash, but that I had a jar of peanut butter and a box of crackers in my car. (I always have lots of snack in my car in case I get hungry) Anyhow, he said, “Forget it” and started to walk away. I yelled over to him, “Did you know you could live off peanut butter alone?” I then extolled the virtures of peanut butter and how some elderly people live for years eating just a tablespoon of peanut butter a day! He looked at me real strange and then shrugged his shoulders and said, “Okay, I’ll take the peanut butter and crackers.”

By: Stange and Shouty Thanks | Desperate Working Momma™

Stange and Shouty Thanks | Desperate Working Momma™ — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:56:36 +0000

[...] did it! I stopped and smiled at the strange, shouty man on the corner (sorry, Jake, but he IS both strange and shouty, and that is how I shall describe him), and I put something in [...]

By: cat

cat — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:42:04 +0000

I did it! I stopped and smiled at the strange, shouty man on the corner (sorry, Jake, but he IS strange and shouty, and that is how I shall describe him), and I put something in his outstretched cup (again, none o’ your business). He said (or, rather, shouted), “Yeah! Yeah! That’s right! Ha ha! Thank you! Thank you! That’s what I’m talking about!” And I could tell he totally meant it.

It was kind of awesome.

By: RC - Rambling Along...

RC - Rambling Along... — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:27:32 +0000

Sent a little bloggy love your way, since I so liked this post and you reminded me how fortunate I truly am. I already shared my other ideas on how to help via Facebook (clean blanket/coat, meals, etc…), and it sounds like you have a plan for what you want to do. Good luck and let us know if you make it over to meet him.

By: Grateful « Rambling Along…

Grateful « Rambling Along… — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:07:36 +0000

[...] We have a house, and, as another blogger pointed out, it isn’t a cardboard box. [...]

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:47:36 +0000

Mr Bennet, P&P!

No matter what, it’s a difficult situation. During my 2nd pregnancy I was driving to get my weekly blood test (gestational diabetes) at 6AM, and drove by a homeless woman. She was sitting on a park bench on this two-block stretch that is a very folksy yet trendy shopping area. I never saw her there again.

Fast forward 5 years to this past Xmas, when I volunteered the family and I to ring Salvation Army bells at the corner down the street from that park bench. As my two young ‘uns were getting their long underwear and snowpants on, my oldest asked why we were doing this anyway. What did it matter? And I said that we were ringing bells because that woman didn’t have anywhere to go at 6AM on a cold November morning. And I thought, “Really? Aren’t we just doing this to ease my conscience?” But then I thought that the bell-ringing was better than nothing, and that we had to start somewhere. I was just sad that we only started this past Xmas.

Anyway. Thanks, Cat. You have a way with words.

By: cat

cat — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:12:18 +0000

Thanks, y’all. All great comments, all great suggestions. I know people care on an individual basis, and you reaffirm that for me. And, Jason, every so often I DO stray from the snark. Perhaps I will create a category for that, so as not to shock… Don’t worry. I am not afraid of being overpowered by the impression. It will pass away soon enough. (Booyah! Name THAT quote.)

By: William

William — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:48:39 +0000

You suck Cat. Making me think about homeless people and what not.

Here are some lyrics form G -Love and Jack Johnson from the song Rodeo Clowns.

Lights out shut down
Late night wet ground
You walk by, look at him but he can’t look at you yah
You might feel pity but he only feels the ground because
You understand moods
But he only knows let down
By the corner there’s another one
Reaching out a hand
Coming from a broken man
Well, you try to live
But he’s done trying
Not dead but definitely dying

If you want to be charitable. Dont give them money. Buy a wawa gift card or a Mc Donalds gift cert and give them that. I am not saying that because “they will buy booze with your money”. You know becasue hey..if they buy booze good for them. I say the gift card and certs because after dealing with a homeless dude panhandler guy for a few years I aksed him and he said money is good but a man wastes money on the street. He does not waste food or drink. Oh I could go on and on…I also knew a lot of fake homeless too who were just out there to make a buck.

By: jasonlmoore

jasonlmoore — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:19:24 +0000

Great post Cat, odd to see you deviate from the snarkiness so much but it was thoroughly impressive, enough said.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:40:14 +0000

Shouty man, sleeping man… You use your adjectives to distance yourself from the people. Don’t ask for strategies for getting past level three on the avoid the homeless game. Nobody wants you to make a joke about them. It’s entirely up to you how you deal with what you’ve encountered. Might I suggest treating them like human beings, looking them in the eye and speaking to them? They are not machines programmed to accept only money and ignore all else. They’re people. Say hello. Don’t be afraid.

By: cat

cat — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:44:09 +0000

Okay, that’s it.
*steely resolve*
I will do it, Bente. Tomorrow I will do it.

By: Bente

Bente — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:37:43 +0000

Great post and this is something I think about all the time.

And if you do ever pass one of these guys by and happen to have some spare change or bills you can give it to them and they’ll say thank you and that will be it. They won’t expect it everytime. I’m pretty sure most of the homeless have come to expect next to nothing from anyone. (Obviously there are exceptions.)