This morning I caught an empty 10:13 train into the city. It was glorious in its solitude and silence. When I arrived at the station, a well-dressed man approached me and asked if he could walk with me. Normally Id tell someone Im running late, but something about him made me say sure. We crossed the street from Union Station, and he told me he needed a bus to Rockford, but he bought the wrong ticket. They wouldnt refund his ticket, and now his hands were swelling up from Type II diabetes. He offered me a severely swollen hand as proof. He told me they (the cops) would be happy to call an ambulance if he felt he was having a medical emergency, but he didnt want to go to the hospital in an unfamiliar city. We approached the bike stand, and I was hoping he would get to the point. He told me he just wanted to get home, and that he didnt really know whats wrong with this city or why nobody would help him. I couldnt answer that question for him, so I just listened and shrugged. I finally asked him how much he needed. He said he needed $13 more to buy the ticket to Rockford. There was a trifold informational brochure for the bus route, a few ones and a ten and a Ventra bus pass in his red and swollen hand. This was my test. My moment to be judgemental. Faded khakis, a button down shirt, a nicely trimmed goatee, the corroborating items in his hand and an earnest look in his eyes. I rarely give money to strangers, because Im way too gullible, and my wife and kids would be eating crumbs if I gave to every person who asks on the street. But I had exactly $13 in my pocket, and when I handed it to him, he teared up and asked me for a business card. I wrote my email down on a gum wrapper. He flattened it out and put it in a notebook. I dont know if that was the best con of all time for a measly $13 or if it was something divine for someone truly in need. When I rode away, he yelled after me. You sure you dont need this cash? No, I thought to myself, I dont really need it, its a security blanket for me, a little bit in case I need a cab or if I forget my train pass. I like to see the tangibles when I give. Buy someone a meal and eat with them or walk with then to the terminal and buy the ticket for them. But thats just me being judgmental and untrusting. I dont know if this guy will take the time to write me or attempt to pay me back. I dont really care, to be honest. It made me want to listen a little more and perhaps not dismiss every person in need who crosses my path every day.
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 23:21:57 +0000
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