Homeless Is Where The Heart Is, Part 7

(I am traveling by bus to downtown Phoenix, and miss my connecting bus by about one minute. That means another 29 minutes until the next bus comes along, so I go into the convenience store on the corner to get a drink because it’s an exceedingly hot day. As I am waiting on line to pay for my drink, an obviously homeless man stepped into the store.)

Homeless Man: “Excuse me, but do you take food stamps?”

Cashier: “Sorry, but we don’t.”

Homeless Man: *dejected* “Oh…Okay.”

(I pay for my drink and step outside to find the homeless man simply standing there.)

Me: “Hey… What were you hoping to buy with your food stamps in there?”

Homeless Man: “I was hoping to get a hot dog or something, ‘cause I’m really hungry and haven’t eaten in a couple of days.”

Me: “Well, the first thing you should know is that you can’t buy prepared food with food stamps. The second thing I’m just willing to share, and that’s that I was once homeless myself. That brings us to the third thing, and it’s that I want you to go inside and grab two hot dogs and a drink, because it’s REALLY hot out here. Water would probably be best.”

(We go inside and he gets himself all of the food I suggested. I pay for all of it, which amounted to under $4.00.)

Homeless Man: “Thank you SO much. I’m not used to people being this kind.”

Me: “Oh, this wasn’t free.”

Homeless Man: *worriedly* “It wasn’t?”

Me: “I have only one requirement. The next time you run into someone that needs help, and you can actually help them, do so.”

Homeless Man: *smiling* “You got it.”

(I left him to his inexpensive meal, and hope that he paid it forward eventually.)