A helping hand...

I was spending the day with my Great Aunt taking her to the doctor and running some errands. Our last stop was Rite-Aid so I could run in and grab 2 things of ice cream for her. There was a man sitting on the curb out front who started talking to me as soon as I got out of the car. When I see someone like this, it depends on the situation, location and the person themselves if I decide to converse with someone who looks like they are going to ask for money. I couldn't understand him at first so I got closer and asked him what he said.

He was trying to hand me his Rite-Aid Wellness (discount) card and asked if I could buy him some headache medicine. I was kind of caught off guard by the question and stupidly, but politely, asked, "Why don't you just go in and get some yourself?" to which he replied, "Because I don't have any money.". DUH?!?! I think the fact that he had a discount card, wasn't asking for cash, and wasn't dressed like a homeless person (but possibly disabled), it kind of threw me off.

I told him I would give him a dollar, and he was very thankful. Once inside getting what I needed, I thought to myself, why didn't I just offer to buy him some? So I went and grabbed a 24ct bottle of Excedrin and added it to my cart. When I went to go back to my car, he wasn't around though. Oh well.

But then my Great Aunt, who had been waiting in the car, thought of something else she needed so I went back inside. The man was inside and approached me with an outstretched hand full of change when he saw me. I was very surprised, but just told him Thanks, but just to keep it. And I asked if he got some medicine like he was wanting, he said yes. I had already put the Excedrin in my trunk, or I would have handed it over. According to my Great Aunt, he had received a little money from some others after me, so must have gotten enough to buy some.

By the time I did my quick second shopping trip and got back in my car, the man was crossing the street in front of me after going to the gas station across the street. He had some packaged donuts/cookies/candy/something in his hand and again reached out toward my car as if to say, would you like some? I just shook my head No, smiled, and waved.

So it just made me think that sometimes there are people out there that just need a little help for whatever reason. He wasn't asking for a handout to buy drugs, he just had a really bad headache and needed some medicine. I guess the moral of the story is to not treat everyone asking for help as a second class citizen. Some of them legitimately just need a helping hand.