Canned Goods
[random words]
I went out into town earlier and I decided to stop by the AMT to pull some money out, you know just to have cash on hand in case I wanted to stop somewhere that didn't accept credit cards. I find an atm by the Jacksonville airport/hair care/and tire center right off base. (it was actually a gas station/kwiky mart that had a McDonald's built into it. As I am pulling in, I am thinking about how hungry I was because I didn't eat breakfast and I skipped lunch and I didn't eat supper the night before. I park my car next to the atm and I see that there was an older man standing near the machine (around the back of the machine). There was another elderly man using the machine, so at first, I assume that the man standing behind is with the other just waiting for him to pull his money out. I am sitting in my car just to give the man at the atm some privacy while he does what he needs to do when I notice the other man pointing at my car and then saluting me (without a cover may I add). He starts to say something and then decides to come to my window to say it. I roll down my window as he starts to tell me how much he appreciates the work we do and all the other stuff people like to say when they find out that we are in the Marines. He goes on to tell me that he has HIV and all those other bad acronyms and pulls out a list of medicines that he has to talk as I ease my hand down toward the razor blade in my back pocket. I'm thinking that he is going to ask me for money, but he just continues to talk to me. He tells me that he lives down the road a ways (he said the street but I don't remember it) and about his wife, that he is 76 and she is 72 and that all the medicine is really hurting them financially (but not in such sophisticated words) and that he only has 7 cents to his name while I'm thinking "Oh, here we go. He's about to ask me to spare a few dollars", but he surprised me because he asked me if I had any food. He never once asked for money. I start to think while he is still talking "Hmmm, he wants food... He doesn't look like he is on drugs, doesn't smell like alcohol... and he is too old to be shifty trying to get information from me. Food... let's see, I have a pop-tart in the back seat, but that's not sufficient food for him and his wife..." I start to think of something I could do for him. He sounded pretty legit to me. I remember a story that Beck told us one time about Bro. Mike and how he tried to help someone out that was on the street begging for food. I remember him saying that if he is truly hungry and not just trying to get money, that he would gladly accept a meal. So, I told him that I was about to head in to McDonald's and that I could get him something if he'd like. But he kept suggesting canned foods. I thought "It would make sense that if he is trying to get food for him and his wife and they had no money, then they probably didn't have power in their house for a microwave or fridge, so canned goods would be better than a meal that would only be good for a few hours. I asked him how long he would be there and if I could go to Wal-mart real fast and bring him some canned goods. He said that he would wait for me, so I left and headed in the direction toward Wal-mart. I started thinking to myself that this could be my chance to get away from the beggar, but I couldn't any faults in his story. It all seemed reasonable and probably what I would if I had no other choice than to beg.
I went to Wal-mart and got a basket to put some canned goods in. I picked out different types of non-parishable foods I could fit into his situation. I thought about how they would need foods that were healthy, filling, and bearable in taste. I got some with added salt, some without. I know that some people can't eat salty foods. I thought about meats, they had to have meat... Already cooked. ready to serve. I got canned fruits, and veggies. Then I thought "how are they supposed to open the cans?" ... ...[(A little off-subject...) DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND A CAN OPENER IN WAL-MART!?!] I ended up spending $20.19 for canned goods for this man and his wife. When I drove back to where he was, he told me that he was afraid that I wasn't going to really come back. He seemed surprised and extremely thankful when I got out of the car with 3 bags full of canned goods. He told me "God Bless you" and "Thank you very much" among other things of the sort.
I honestly don't know if he was telling the truth or not, but I believed he was and I tried to help the best I could. Hopefully, I helped someone in need today. Maybe I was their maracle in a way. Maybe I was that first step they needed to help them to their feet. Maybe I just helped a junky save money on food so that he could buy more drugs. I guess I'll never know from this side of Heaven. I did what I felt was right, hopefully, it was. I don't know.
Until next time,
B.Henderson
I went out into town earlier and I decided to stop by the AMT to pull some money out, you know just to have cash on hand in case I wanted to stop somewhere that didn't accept credit cards. I find an atm by the Jacksonville airport/hair care/and tire center right off base. (it was actually a gas station/kwiky mart that had a McDonald's built into it. As I am pulling in, I am thinking about how hungry I was because I didn't eat breakfast and I skipped lunch and I didn't eat supper the night before. I park my car next to the atm and I see that there was an older man standing near the machine (around the back of the machine). There was another elderly man using the machine, so at first, I assume that the man standing behind is with the other just waiting for him to pull his money out. I am sitting in my car just to give the man at the atm some privacy while he does what he needs to do when I notice the other man pointing at my car and then saluting me (without a cover may I add). He starts to say something and then decides to come to my window to say it. I roll down my window as he starts to tell me how much he appreciates the work we do and all the other stuff people like to say when they find out that we are in the Marines. He goes on to tell me that he has HIV and all those other bad acronyms and pulls out a list of medicines that he has to talk as I ease my hand down toward the razor blade in my back pocket. I'm thinking that he is going to ask me for money, but he just continues to talk to me. He tells me that he lives down the road a ways (he said the street but I don't remember it) and about his wife, that he is 76 and she is 72 and that all the medicine is really hurting them financially (but not in such sophisticated words) and that he only has 7 cents to his name while I'm thinking "Oh, here we go. He's about to ask me to spare a few dollars", but he surprised me because he asked me if I had any food. He never once asked for money. I start to think while he is still talking "Hmmm, he wants food... He doesn't look like he is on drugs, doesn't smell like alcohol... and he is too old to be shifty trying to get information from me. Food... let's see, I have a pop-tart in the back seat, but that's not sufficient food for him and his wife..." I start to think of something I could do for him. He sounded pretty legit to me. I remember a story that Beck told us one time about Bro. Mike and how he tried to help someone out that was on the street begging for food. I remember him saying that if he is truly hungry and not just trying to get money, that he would gladly accept a meal. So, I told him that I was about to head in to McDonald's and that I could get him something if he'd like. But he kept suggesting canned foods. I thought "It would make sense that if he is trying to get food for him and his wife and they had no money, then they probably didn't have power in their house for a microwave or fridge, so canned goods would be better than a meal that would only be good for a few hours. I asked him how long he would be there and if I could go to Wal-mart real fast and bring him some canned goods. He said that he would wait for me, so I left and headed in the direction toward Wal-mart. I started thinking to myself that this could be my chance to get away from the beggar, but I couldn't any faults in his story. It all seemed reasonable and probably what I would if I had no other choice than to beg.
I went to Wal-mart and got a basket to put some canned goods in. I picked out different types of non-parishable foods I could fit into his situation. I thought about how they would need foods that were healthy, filling, and bearable in taste. I got some with added salt, some without. I know that some people can't eat salty foods. I thought about meats, they had to have meat... Already cooked. ready to serve. I got canned fruits, and veggies. Then I thought "how are they supposed to open the cans?" ... ...[(A little off-subject...) DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND A CAN OPENER IN WAL-MART!?!] I ended up spending $20.19 for canned goods for this man and his wife. When I drove back to where he was, he told me that he was afraid that I wasn't going to really come back. He seemed surprised and extremely thankful when I got out of the car with 3 bags full of canned goods. He told me "God Bless you" and "Thank you very much" among other things of the sort.
I honestly don't know if he was telling the truth or not, but I believed he was and I tried to help the best I could. Hopefully, I helped someone in need today. Maybe I was their maracle in a way. Maybe I was that first step they needed to help them to their feet. Maybe I just helped a junky save money on food so that he could buy more drugs. I guess I'll never know from this side of Heaven. I did what I felt was right, hopefully, it was. I don't know.
Until next time,
B.Henderson