Posted on 12/19/2016 4:13:16 PM PST by Eagles Field
A Trip To A Christmas Tree In Tennessee
The last of my shopping brought me to Pet Smart today. My furry four-legged monarchs, the captains of my existence will have a pretty good haul this year. I bent the concept of “good boys” just a bit to keep the peace. Maneuvering my way through the bustle of shining testaments of affluence on wheels and all the fuss, I turned into the parking lot.
I saw what I thought a young boy holding a piece of cardboard with writing, crying for the world to see, a dog was tied to a stop sign. I couldn’t read it while driving, but heard desperation. My shopping complete I drove back, pulled over a few feet away and put my emergency blinkers on. It now seems appropriate looking back, that warning flashing, it was like few before more important.
I motioned to come over as my window rolled down. It wasn’t a boy but a woman, she was thirty-something. Her face had eyes that fought back despite used to seeing backs turned against her. No one asked her name anymore. We exchanged greetings and I said ... “so look, um, could you use something warm?” It was wet out in Georgia today, the temperatures are dropping fast in the South now. She answered quickly “oh yes, always” ... “well, I have this leather jacket, it’s a bit worn -one of the belt loops is broken, but it’s the warmest jacket in the world ... can I give it too you?, It’s full length, you can’t be cold in this thing.” I handed it to her. “Oh thank you so much, hey this is nice!” She made a motion to walk away with another thanks. “Wait a minute, so what’s your story, why” ... She held up the wet piece of cardboard to show me, all I saw was the word “Travelin”.
She said she was trying to get to Tennessee before Christmas to see her daughter. Her daughter was 13, she beamed when she said the age ... “she’s with her father ... I’m trying to get some gas money. I don’t know if I’ll make it before Christmas” I replied “and your dog?”. Oh yes, she’s my baby! - she said ... “do you promise? - I asked ... “Always, she’s first always.” I knew she meant it and told her I’d like to help. I handed her a twenty. I lost track of who said to other “God Bless You” more to each after that with earnest unexpected from all. Two had a gift warm that wet day. She backed away from the window and I said -”Wait ... you do know that things will get better soon, don’t you?” “Oh I know that, they always do! “... she said with her head cocked to one side smiling. As if to reassure me. Her too many steps away I thought, I leaned toward the window and shouted to be heard “ Hey, that’s one pretty dog!” Her head turned and smiled quickly a proud thank you and took another step, stopped and turned around completely “I bred her myself ! “ The world had heard her.
She walked back to her girl, the last few steps quicker. She bent and rustled her head, she wagged & wiggled. And we all became a little closer to a Christmas tree, somewhere in Tennessee.
dann computer screen all blurred
Mine too, must be to cold weather.
Not to be a buzz-kill, but I notice drifters/grifters showing up at various intersections in my town of 14k around this time of year. Handwritten signs on cardboard, etc.
‘Tis the season to easily be taken in by them.
‘Tis the season to easily be taken in by them.
I agree. Several times I have heard pitiful stories about needing gas money. A few days later I'll get a whole different story about needing to get to a different place...from the same person I saw a week earlier. Then they get mad when I call them out or they deny the first story.
Wonderful story from Tennessee. I help at the local homeless shelter in town where 60 people show up from who-knows-where.
Sadly, here in So Cal, we have people with puppy-dog eyes pleading “help” at every parking lot. Every day I see ten bums, such as young ladies with sparkly signs, men in wheelchairs, and guys with the “You had better give” look on their faces.
Drugs. 95% bums use drugs. I ask to them at red lights. “Do you need money for food?” They usually say, “No.”
It’s possible, it happens ... if you heard the gratitude, saw the plea unspoken that she had worth ... you might have thought “not this one” and then repeated it to yourself.
Three or four times I’ve had women show up at my church asking for gas money to get to someplace distant. There was always a junky car full of kids. Each time I told them that they must sit through the sermon and we would then take a collection. Not long ago a woman did that at my husband’s church and he was the only one who gave her money. She got caught in her lie a few weeks later when she showed up across the county at his “other” evening church. The look on her face when she saw him was priceless. He called her by name and said,”This is the last time Debbie” and gave her some money. You know, it takes nerve to rip people off inside a church.
I think that’s what these panhandlers rely on :cuteness or other appeal, sob story that’s plausible, and any other believable tale to setarates you from your money (or coat). But bless you for your compassion. Better to err on the side of compassion, I think.
TC
“Better to err on the side of compassion, I think.”
Me, too. (He who steals my purse steals trash.) I don’t
carry a huge amount of cash; but I give and always have.
If they’re lying to me; they have a worse problem from
the Lord than I have from the few measley dollars they
con out of me.
That is how we give for charity. We meet up with a person in need and help them over the hump.
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