Wednesday, December 24, 2008

THANK HEAVEN FOR THE HOMELESS



The car got stuck in the yoga studio lot at 6:25 this morning.

I was shoveling when a pair of homeless men appeared like angels, and offered to help.


"I'm homeless, not uselss!" exclaimed the 53-year-old African-American man, as he heaved with all his might.



The same cannot be said of the able-bodied young man who walked across the parking lot amid all of the spinning and striving, and walked back a few minutes later holding a giant cup of coffee. He did not stop to help.

Later I realized I knew this coffee-toting fellow - and called him on it.

"You walked by without helping!"

The white, thirtysomething fellow pleaded ignorance.

"I was in my head, I guess."

Sadly, he does not practice yoga - where the goal is to get out of the head, and into the heart.








The homeless fellows got it right, though.

They knew to help when they saw someone struggling....

Although they didn't want the homemade organic vegan cookies I offered (who could blame them?).

They did take a ten-spot though.

A small price to pay, for making my day. My week. My year.

And more impetus for making the annual contribution to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.









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Photos snapped this morning, during the rain.

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