Will work for food

I would like to think that I am a pretty compasionate person, but some time we all lose sight of just how lucky we really are.

Today I was on my way to my physical therapy appoint. I've been feeling pretty down on myself because I can't do much because of my back. I haven't been to work since Thanksgiving and I am waiting on word that they are going to do surgery. To me most days this has been the end of the world because I will be 24 next week and I think that as an almost 24 year old I shouldn't have to go throught all of this. Then on December 20th my beloved car that I owned for 3 months ended up getting totalled, no fault of my own, and I am still trying to settle it with the insurance company. But today was a little different,

On my way to the chiropractor in my rickety old truck, that is rusting every where and the tail pipes keep falling off of, I passed a man sitting in the snow on the side of a little road just out of town. The man was wearing a green army style jacket with the hood up, sitting on his small green back pack, holding a sign that simply said "Homeless." My heart immediatly went out to him because I know what it's like to be down on your luck, not to that extent though. My heart hurt for him even more when a car passing by honked the horn and gave him the finger. I thought to myself how could people be so heartless? I didn't have any cash on me, so there wasn't much I could do to help. I went on about my day thinking what could I really do?

I was at physical therapy doing my exersizes and the mans faces kept creeping into my mind. I felt guilty for doing nothing. I went on with my day anyway. I finished up PT and had an hour or so to kill until my chiropractors appointment so I headed over to the beauty supply store to get myself some new nail polish. As I browsed the warm store his face crept into my mind again, and I still felt guilty. I felt like just as bad of a person as the one who gave him the finger. I left the store, nail polish and debit card in tow and headed towards the chiropractor when my own guilt overwhelmed me. I had to atleast try to do something. I stopped off at a gas station with an ATM and withdrew a 20 and headed back in the direction I had seen the homeless man. with any luck he would still be sitting there.

When I got back to the spot where he was sitting he wasn't there, but as I looked up the road I saw a man walking, sign hanging in one of his hands. I pulled up along side him and rolled down my window. I simply said "sir, I want to help and this is the only way I know how to" and handed the 20 in his direction. At first he refused, saying he couldn't take that much but I insisted. I told him it was the least I could do and that he must take it, and he did. He said God bless and smiled as I rolled up my window.

I drove away feeling satisfied, I didn't know his story and I probably never will. He very well may have gone straight to the liqour store with my money and bought himself some booze, but that isn't important to me. If that man could swallow enough of his pride to sit along side a road with a homeless sign then he clearly needed that money more then I did. His smile was enough to warm my heart and make me see the good that I am truely blessed with in my life.

As I drove home after the chiropractor my "low fuel" light in my truck came on. I thought about the mans smile and I smiled. The "bad" I have been dealing with didn't matter anymore. What mattered today was making some one elses day better, which I truely hope I did.