My advice to these moochers - Squirrel away your nuts and leave the Grannies alone!

It’s Tuesday, but Monday still lingers in my mind.  Let me explain.  Before I left for work yesterday I asked Tom if he had any cash.  I had a five-dollar bill, but wanted more. Don’t we all? Tom dug into his pocket and gave me a handful of singles. Plenty . . . .  My commute was uneventful, side road to highway, a short stop for gas, find a spot in the parking garage and then a short walk to the office.

On my way into the office I stop to pick up the newspapers. We have an arrangement with a little store in Downtown Albany to have our papers set aside each day. This morning as I was walking from the parking garage to pick up the papers, a tallish dark-haired man approached me asking, “Do you have any spare change?”

Now I get asked that question a lot and have tried to figure out why.  I’m assuming I look more presentable than when I’m home on the weekends or our roles would be reversed - they’d be handing me some spare change.  So that can’t be it. Maybe it’s because I’ve taken to wearing my long hair in a bun, I always have a pin on my coat looking like the compassionate grandmotherly type or I just look like a sap.  Whatever the reason, I’m the perfect target - I have a five dollar bill and a handful of ones.

Now promise you won’t tell Tom, but this morning I handed over my five and continued on my way.  The fella who was the recipient of my fortune was traveling in the same direction I had been traveling and continued to do so. I walked into the corner store to pickup the newspapers and shortly thereafter he entered the store too. I’d gone to the cooler for a small carton of milk and when I turned around he was at the register giving his lottery ticket order to the store owner.  Hmmmm . . . .

I was stunned and disappointed.  I felt like such a sucker.  I didn’t notice if he spent the entire five spot, but I guess it doesn’t matter.  I gave him the money without preconditions.  Gosh I feel like the government giving money to troubled businesses only to have them throw a lavish party and I wasn’t invited (Side note: that’s as close to political as I intend to get here on my blog).

This incident brings a couple questions to mind.  Will I give again?  And would he have shared the winnings from his lottery scratch with me?  I can only answer the first question, and the answer is, “Yes,” I will likely continue to give to those who seem down on their luck (just not my only fiver).  Whether they are down on their luck or not is not why I give.  I give because there are those who really need it.  A few frauds may end up benefiting in the process, but that one person who needs a gesture of kindness and generosity - that’s who I want to touch. In a way this is repayment to those who have helped me during my times of despair.  Thanks are given and thanks are received without expectation. Got any spare change?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 5:54 pm and is filed under Day-to-Day, Unconventional Wisdom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.