News Years Day 2009 (part 1)

News Years Day 2009

While 19 was home from med school she told me that she wanted to go with me out to distribute clothes and food to the poor. Awesome I thought, as people have told me but no one has actually set a day with me and of course I will not pressure anyone or guilt them. But she was determined!

I got up late on new years day…like most people I am sure. I called her and she told me she was on her way, no messing around I tell you. She got her and we decided to go for food as neither of us had eaten. We went for brunch at Toast (mm) with Faith and Brick but on the way to pick them up I saw a man crossing Woodward at 7 mile as I was heading north. He was heading kind of southwest so I turned around and kind of paused at the northwest corner to see where he would weave too as he was very not direct in his walking.

He ended up south of 7 mile so I drove up in front of him and grabbed some food and hopped out, 19 followed suit. I walked up to this man and could instantly tell he was having a very rough time. He was barely coherent and I am not sure if he could understand me or not but I told him I had some food and that I was going to put it in his bags, of which he was carrying two. And the way he was carrying them was in such a way that he was putting out way more energy than he needed to but once I tried to look into his eyes I figured it was taking him everything in his power just to keep them with him.

We said good-bye to him as he continued on south in the far right lane of Woodward struggling with his bags.

After brunch we headed to get fuel so I hit a gas station on 6 mile, ghetto gas is always cheaper! Pulling into the station I spotted a man in front of the door with a sign asking for money. I walked up to him and it looked like he might have Tourette's syndrome due to some visible ticks and a slight rocking back and forth. (purely a guess on my part but I have a cousin with this disorder- who by the way as a child I was jealous of cuz he got to sit on top of cars And swear..i was not allowed to do either. Parents should just try to explain to kids about disorders and that would have helped me understand! Hello!)

I asked him he if he was hungry or needed some clothes and he said yes. I told him to follow me to the back of the jeep. I opened it up and that is when I thought of the back Pack and asked him if he would find it useful. He told me it would. I told him about the contents of the backpack and put more food in it. I asked him name, it was John and I told him mine.

As we started to drive away he was back in the same spot as when we arrived with his sign up and ready. I didn’t see the backpack at first and then I noticed it about 8 feet away hung over the handlebars of his bike!

BIKE!!!!! Oh how the brain started to work at that thought… giving homeless men who can ride them bikes!! It would help in getting to shelters without needing bus fair! This idea would come up again very soon!!