Perhaps to dispel the gloom of the previous post, your feel-good story for today, lifted from the Bleat:
Prior to relocating Online Insurance Brokerage World Headquarters to it’s new swanky digs last October, I had seen a middle aged fellow on a a rather routine basis near our old building from 2006 through 2011. Every time I saw him, he was pan handling. I always declined to donate to his situation. Every time, for almost five years. The last time I saw him pan handling, he seemed near death. It was just heart-breakingly horrible to witness it. I finally relented, and gave him the $40 from my wallet, on the conditions that he go get some food, and then get to an emergency room: And that if I he drank the $40 or got a $40 high, that I would summarily beat the tar out of him. Saw the fellow again in December as we removed the last of our surplus network gear from the old building. Did not recognize him. He had gone to the ER – found he had pneumonia, got treated for three weeks, got himself into a shelter, and was working on staying sober. He was doing the sign spinner gig for cash on the barrel for a sandwich joint a block over.
I normally never give anything to panhandlers – We all make choices in our lives, and I don’t want to contribute to self-destructive behavior, for anyone’s sake, theirs’ or mine. But something about that moment called me to do things differently. Haven’t seen the fellow again since that last week in December, as our new offices are about eight miles away. Hope he’s doing okay.And I still don’t give anything to panhandlers.
So there. And yes I am that wierdo that actually reads the comments on a blog post.