Avoca-Do The Right Thing

This is another story about Peter, Swiss police. He is smart, very socially impaired, but has a heart of gold. In the office, we are debating how to deal with homeless people on the street.

Colleague #1: “I ignore them.”

Colleague #2: “Sometimes I give them loose change.”

Colleague #3: “No, they just buy drugs with it. Give them food.”

That week, while going to a restaurant, we pass an unkempt woman on the ground. She has a shopping cart full of random things, like clothes and coat hangers. She looks exhausted and hungry. Peter stands in front of her, for ten or twenty seconds, while he puts his words together. Finally…

Peter: “Frau, magst du avocado?” *Ma’am, do you like avocado?*

Homeless Lady: *Smiling.* “Sehr viel.” *Very much.*

Peter puts his hand into his jacket, and hands her an avocado.

Homeless Lady: “Vielen dank.”

Peter: “Bitte.”

Then he… walked off. Peter simply left for the restaurant, as if it were normal. Seriously, it’s an expensive, exotic fruit usually used as an ingredient. Who gives that to homeless people? I’m confused as to why he even had one.

Me: “Peter, why did you give her an avocado?”

Peter: “Help.”

Me: “Yes… But why an avocado?”

Peter: “She likes avocado. I have avocado.”

Me: “Most people would give her a sandwich or 1CHF.”

Peter looks at me as if to say “Yeah, so?”

Peter: “I do not have sandwich or 1CHF. I have avocado. Sandwich is processed food. Avocado is not. Avocado has energy. Fill you all day. Most important, she likes avocado.”

I still think it’s odd. Not to Peter; he doesn’t care what people think. Avocados have a lot of energy, and it is a good, clean food. He likes them, the homeless lady said she likes them. Maybe she just accepted it out of obligation, who knows? She still said she likes avocados. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable. Everyone else’s opinion, be d***ed.

It still makes me smile. Peter still regularly eats an avocado in the office.