Conversations with the homeless
Interacting with homeless people and babies and everyone in between is one of the greatest things about my job.
Many people come in with an established purpose. They want to get in and get out, and perhaps share a smile or a conversation along the way. Others are happy to look around, satisfied with the company or solitude that surrounds them.
When it comes to the homeless, attitudes and intentions are equally diverse. Some are angry and bitter, because the world has been unfair to them. Many come in knowing exactly what they want, what they need to sustain them for another while. Some have dreams - goals and visions of things they can call their own and places they can call home. It’s not uncommon for them to come in simply to pass the time. To avoid the cold or the rain or the harshness and judgement from the outside world.
The first person who stood out to me was particularly pungent and dirty. I was tired at the end of a long day and I didn’t want to deal with him trying on everything just to leave. I was completely absorbed in how he was an inconvenience to me. Luckily my manager was there to step in and offer support, and later a cigarette to him. We set him up with a decent jacket and shoes and eventually sent him on his way. I was so surprised when he pulled out close to $200 to spend at our store. My prejudice against him prevented me from showing him compassion and kindness that he needed and deserved. I was short with him because my patience was running thin. I wasn’t actively making his life worse, but i could have done a lot more to make his life better - to ease his suffering and give light to his life and my own.
Luckily he came back a few weeks later and i was happy to see him. He still brought with him some of the unfairness and negativity from the outside world, but this time was different. this time i was open to what he had to contribute. We ended up talking about god and self improvement and we even shared some music. Amazing grace, a duet between my melodica and his gravely homeless voice.
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