It should have felt good

I was out grocery shopping today. After I loaded my stuff in the car, I struck out for home. Where the parking lot entrance empties onto the street there was a gal about 30 or so with a dog and a sign that read: We're hoping for a miracle.... There were other smaller words I could make out. I buzzed past her and dove for a hole in the speeding traffic, but her sign and her obvious plight tugged at me. Next light, I took a right and doubled back. I got a ten outta my wallet as I worked my way to that exit again. This time, I had the passengers window down as I pulled up to the curb and stopped. I told her I didn't believe in miracles and that there's only us to help each other or look the other way. I also gqave her the extremely short version of my own times of hardship - where I lived outta my truck. She allowed as how "they" ( I took that to mean she and a companion besides the dog) had weighed trying to sell the truck that had stranded them in this blood red district of California. I allowed as how tghey'd picked a bad place to have a breakdown - what with my having lived and seen what folks are like here for 20-some years.
She took the ten-spot and thanked me dearly. As I drove off, I felt like a chump for not giving more. I sure to hell hope they make their destination of LA. They'd have a better chance of making it there than here.

It should have felt good - handing her that 10 bucks. But it nagged me that I hadn't handed her a 20 or whatever. I could have.

when I handed him a benjamin. he was a vietnam vet with a dog, it was christmas. that felt really good. it was my dinner buget for the family gathering, we had shepherd pie instead.

I am you and you are me and we are all together!

my partner and I live "on the road" and I hurt a bit everytime we see and/or talk to someone in the street asking for help. We gave our spare change to a woman today in Phoenix. Driving through northern California last week we gave a large bag with all the food we were carrying (and a $20) to a family at a rest area along the highway, and on... we could never possible give enough to every person we see and talk to.

After 6 years of doing this the stories seem endless. This is a concern that must include all of us committed to working on and solving


San Francisco last week...

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I see it has not improved any as of recent. Sad to see.

To the OP: I like the suggestion that you can perhaps give the other $10.00 to someone else that needs it.

You done good. :D

You did good. Maybe the other $10 can go to someone else.