Who the fuck cares right? …
so on the way home from the tent..i run into two guys on a corner and as I pull up they are arguing but I don’t really notice it until I stop and notice it is Bryan and I say hello! By this time its too late as I am out of the jeep and saying hi when I realize they are in a heated discussion and the other man is trying to get his point across. When he finally notices me, even though he had looked he me..i think it dawned on him that I was not going away as I was out of the jeep and standing near him he quickly got one more point of his in and then addressed me. I asked the guys if they were hungry and told them I had some food and went got some.
I gave them food from my new pile of loot both given and scored the two days before! I gave Bryan some food and the new gentleman who was not hungry but put the stuff in his bag. I asked him if he needed any clothes or a blanket. He said he needed a blanket for sure as he was living in the back of a truck with a cab. I asked bryan if he needed a Back Pack and he said yes but later declined explaining he had enough bags to carry around.
I opened the jeep as he directed traffic around and I dug out a green coleman sleeping bag someone had donated! He was very happy with it. We tried to cover it with two garbage bags as the snow was starting to fall fast now and it would not stay dry otherwise. He told me his last blanket got wet but could not dry in the cold so this would really help! About this time I heard what sounded like a cop siren but looked back and didn’t see a copper only an svu speed past and a black car behind the jeep backing up, so I paid no more mind. I got a bag out for him as well and he chose which one he wanted and we loaded it with his other stuff. He wanted the bigger of the bag but took the can opener from the smaller bag, which Lib donated and the food was split between him and Bryan who wanted the pop corn! Smart food white cheddar cheese!! ymmm
I asked him his name and I told him mine. His name was George. By this time Bryan was almost done with one of the cans of sardines I gave him and when he was he just threw the fork in the street toward the jeep and wheeled back and tossed the can away from us. And there was no even one tiny bit of me that wanted to tell him not to litter. Mind you, if you know me you know how much I HATE littering, LNT (leave no trace) It is my number one biggest pet peeve about people, the second being people who do not use there damn blinkers.
So here for the first time in years is a situation where someone litters in front of me and I was not even bothered by it, cuz like my lecture would be the stupidest fucking thing he would hear all day if I did. Survival is all that is important not my dumb as green mission on this planet. But I admit I did think to myself that next time I will buy biodegradable forks and then I wont care one bit, problem solved!
Again I heard the siren go off and looked back to see the black car that had been backing up was still there and the light in my brain went one that it was an unmarked cop car. Shite I think, oh yea he was running my plates, (mental note get your tabs asap) and this was the second time today this had happened. The other was when I was heading toward the shack and had a copper tailing me way too close for way to long that I had to pass where I was going and go way out my way so as not to draw attention to where some dumb white girl with out of city plates was heading….grrr.
This time as the last the cop just speeds around the jeep and disappears without so much as a word! Thank you, have a good day.!
About this time Bryan says my name, and I like how he says my name as he drags out the ‘a’ a bit and the first ‘e’ sounds like a ‘y’, he makes it sound very southern with a Midwest accent if you will. He asks me if this is something I just do on my own is drive around. I told him yes but that I don’t do it on my own, well the driving around meeting homeless part yes, except for when he met 19. But that is the only alone part of this endeavor. I explained to him how I hit up my family and friends and co-workers and even strangers to gather the items I give out. He told me that was something else. George was very thankful. I told him without all the other people who care and donate I would not be able to do this. All three of us were grateful.
We said our goodbyes after I told them of the big storm coming, they knew as Bryan said he was trying to get some money to get to the shelter. I told him I would get out of his way so that he could.
by this time i am frozen solid, i can not feel any of the fingers on my right hand my right boot is soaked and my feet are cold and wet and i am again humbled by how these men survive...i truly do not think i could do what they do...i am amazed at the human spirit and thankful for the repeated lessons of gratitude these men are teaching me. and to think they keep thanking me...ahh no.
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