me and the homeless lady.
Today I stepped out for lunch at work to get something to eat. I ordered three cookies (double chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and chocolate chip) to give to the homeless lady who sometimes sits on the bench outside of the building I work in. She was already gathering her belongings as I was waiting across the street for the DON'T WALK light to change. I watched her stuff her faded Toy Story blanket into a big black trash bag and wait at the other side of the street for the light to change. We crossed the street at the same time. As she was coming towards me, I held out the bag and asked her if she wanted some cookies. She talks to herself in a little girl voice sometimes. She was saying something about a cemetery. She snatched the bag of cookies out of my hand quickly and kept walking and talking in her little girl voice. She didn't look up at me or say anything at all. (This was just an observation, I certainly wasn't giving her cookies to get thanks.)
The other day as I passed her on my way to the parking garage after work, I held out a dollar and asked her if she needed some money. Again, she snatched it up quickly without a look or a word. She left her faded Toy Story blanket and her pile of belongings there by the bench and walked right through the busy intersection and DON'T WALK lights with the dollar in her hand. I thought she was heading for the snack cart at the corner that sells chips and sodas...but she kept walking further, past JC Penney, to the dollar stores at the end of the block. I tried to catch up with her to see what she would buy with the dollar I gave her, but I fell behind at the DON'T WALK light and lost her.
One morning, when I was coming into work, I saw her sitting in the same area. She was pretending to hold a remote in her hand and it looked like she was watching a pretend tv, going through the motions of changing the channels with her invisible remote. I slowed my pace down as I was walking past her to see if I could gather anything of what she was saying. She was talking in her little girl voice and was very animated, saying something about cupcakes. She was trying to explain what to do with them...something about frosting...kind of like a cooking show. She was completely oblivious to anyone around her.
Another time, I saw her stopping a lady from throwing food away at a corner trash bin. She made a big deal about taking the food out of the food container the lady was throwing away and dumping it onto a piece of cardboard she had. She wasn't really talking to the lady, she was just grunting and motioning. I wonder what else she does besides walk around with her belongings downtown, talking to herself. Although she smells strongly of urine, she doesn't seem too miserable at all.
The other day as I passed her on my way to the parking garage after work, I held out a dollar and asked her if she needed some money. Again, she snatched it up quickly without a look or a word. She left her faded Toy Story blanket and her pile of belongings there by the bench and walked right through the busy intersection and DON'T WALK lights with the dollar in her hand. I thought she was heading for the snack cart at the corner that sells chips and sodas...but she kept walking further, past JC Penney, to the dollar stores at the end of the block. I tried to catch up with her to see what she would buy with the dollar I gave her, but I fell behind at the DON'T WALK light and lost her.
One morning, when I was coming into work, I saw her sitting in the same area. She was pretending to hold a remote in her hand and it looked like she was watching a pretend tv, going through the motions of changing the channels with her invisible remote. I slowed my pace down as I was walking past her to see if I could gather anything of what she was saying. She was talking in her little girl voice and was very animated, saying something about cupcakes. She was trying to explain what to do with them...something about frosting...kind of like a cooking show. She was completely oblivious to anyone around her.
Another time, I saw her stopping a lady from throwing food away at a corner trash bin. She made a big deal about taking the food out of the food container the lady was throwing away and dumping it onto a piece of cardboard she had. She wasn't really talking to the lady, she was just grunting and motioning. I wonder what else she does besides walk around with her belongings downtown, talking to herself. Although she smells strongly of urine, she doesn't seem too miserable at all.