The Man with the Dog
A few weeks ago I started to see a homeless man standing at the corner of 6th and Lamar every evening when I was driving home from work. He always left his backpack on the ground while he walked from car to car with his "Homeless and Hungry" sign, hoping to find some help from sympathetic people. Sitting on top of his backpack was always a beautiful dog, with the same coloring as my dog, Achilles, but I think this dog is a pit bull mix. The dog looked very well taken-care of, and it's obvious that the man makes sure the dog eats before he does. Every time I'd see them, I wanted to give them some money, but I was either too far back from the light for the man to notice me, or the light would be green and I'd be unable to stop without incurring the wrath of the rush-hour traffic behind me. And every time I'd feel horrible for failing to help, and I'd worry about them and wonder if they were okay. I started including them in my nightly prayers.
Just before Austin's big ice storm last week, I started to put a few things in my car for the man and his dog -- a bag of dog food, some dog treats, some pouches of wet dog food, some canned and dry goods for the man -- soup, crackers, granola bars, chili, tuna, some bottled green tea, a couple of plastic bowls and some plastic spoons and napkins, etc. All of the canned goods have pop-top lids so that they won't need a can opener.
By the time the ice storm hit, I hadn't seen them on the corner for a few days. During the ice days, I worried about them and hoped they'd found a shelter that would allow the dog inside. However, after the ice storm, that corner was empty every evening when I drove past. I was starting to worry that they hadn't made it through the severe weather.
Tonight as I stopped at that light, there they were, sitting on the sidewalk together at the corner. I was only the third or fourth car back from the light, and it had just turned red. The man looked dejected and had his head down, and didn't notice me waving at him and calling to him, but the dog did, and his head perked up as he looked from me to his owner and back again. The man got up as quickly as he could and approached my car, and I handed him ten dollars and then said, "I have some food here for you and your dog. I've been waiting to see you again! I've been worried about you both. Would you like some food?"
His face lit up like it was Christmas morning, and he said, "Oh, yes, please!" I handed him the three bags of groceries I'd put together for him, and he thanked me graciously and then took them back to his dog at the corner, sat down, and began opening the bags while asking his dog, "Look what we got here! Whatcha wanna eat?"
The light turned green and I waved goodbye. I smiled all the way home. I don't know who was happier about the whole thing -- me, or the man with the dog.
I'm just so thrilled at the thought that they now have enough food for several days, and a wee bit of cash, and that they know that someone had been thinking about them and cared enough to do a little something for them. I stopped on the way home and put some more groceries and dog food in the car for next time.
As Helen Keller said so eloquently:
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
Just before Austin's big ice storm last week, I started to put a few things in my car for the man and his dog -- a bag of dog food, some dog treats, some pouches of wet dog food, some canned and dry goods for the man -- soup, crackers, granola bars, chili, tuna, some bottled green tea, a couple of plastic bowls and some plastic spoons and napkins, etc. All of the canned goods have pop-top lids so that they won't need a can opener.
By the time the ice storm hit, I hadn't seen them on the corner for a few days. During the ice days, I worried about them and hoped they'd found a shelter that would allow the dog inside. However, after the ice storm, that corner was empty every evening when I drove past. I was starting to worry that they hadn't made it through the severe weather.
Tonight as I stopped at that light, there they were, sitting on the sidewalk together at the corner. I was only the third or fourth car back from the light, and it had just turned red. The man looked dejected and had his head down, and didn't notice me waving at him and calling to him, but the dog did, and his head perked up as he looked from me to his owner and back again. The man got up as quickly as he could and approached my car, and I handed him ten dollars and then said, "I have some food here for you and your dog. I've been waiting to see you again! I've been worried about you both. Would you like some food?"
His face lit up like it was Christmas morning, and he said, "Oh, yes, please!" I handed him the three bags of groceries I'd put together for him, and he thanked me graciously and then took them back to his dog at the corner, sat down, and began opening the bags while asking his dog, "Look what we got here! Whatcha wanna eat?"
The light turned green and I waved goodbye. I smiled all the way home. I don't know who was happier about the whole thing -- me, or the man with the dog.
I'm just so thrilled at the thought that they now have enough food for several days, and a wee bit of cash, and that they know that someone had been thinking about them and cared enough to do a little something for them. I stopped on the way home and put some more groceries and dog food in the car for next time.
As Helen Keller said so eloquently:
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
posted by Catherine at 12:00 AM
5 Comments:
People sometimes ask me how do I manage to continue smiling with all the evil that walks this earth. I simply say there is good in everybody. Thank you for reinforcing my faith in people.
I am here to serve! :)
Really, it made me feel so good to help them that it can hardly be considered an altruistic act, but I really think that we have a duty to help those less fortunate than we are.
that is so cool ... and the timing seemed perfect to cheer his heart, feed him & the pooch ... and also bless you ...
had me smiling ... :o)
There is no such thing as altruism, so don't feel guilty about it.
Saija, it was really cool. It made me so happy. It's a small thing to do, but the small things can be so meaningful. We can't save the world, but we can at least try to help those who are right in front of us, right?
Wino, I figured my fellow psych major would chime in on the altruism angle. :) I tend to agree -- there is no wholly altruistic act, because when we help others, we feel good about ourselves.
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