Sunday, April 19, 2009

Mangia!

There's a homeless guy that has been bugging me for a while now.

He hangs out at my local grocery store (Publix Greenwise - I love you) with his dirty clothes, his hungry look and shopping cart full of useless crap. He is obviously homeless - he camps out in the evenings under the bushes near the entrance of the driveway down the hill to the store. And this is why he bugs me...

He won't take any of the food I offer him! It makes me crazy. "Would you like me to buy you a sandwich?" I asked the first time I saw him. He motioned no and waved me away. I was dumbfounded - it's clear he could use some food, there's nothing but broken pieces of flotsam and jetsam in his cart. Then I asked him if he wanted the granola bar I was holding out of my car window (I keep a stash in my glove compartment for just such occasions). Nope. Another day, an apple? Naw. Yeesh! And he never hounds anyone for cash. He just hangs out.

Maybe he goes regularly to the shelter for meals. I hope so anyway. His possibly grumbly tummy weighs heavy on my mind every time I pick up stuff for dinner.

6 comments:

Ann(ie) said...

:( I love that you do that. Keep trying. Or maybe just set it down next to him.

Stacey said...

I wonder why he's declining...? good for you for keeping at it.

I guess at some point though if he just won't take it then so be it.

But good for you for continuing to try.

Whiskeymarie said...

How odd.
I'd keep trying- in fact, I'm sure I'd see it as my personal mission to get him to take some food. Eventually he'd probably have to take a restraining order out or something.

BiPolar Wife said...

I worked at an amusement park in high school. It was in the middle of downtown and so we got a lot of homeless people sleeping on the stairs of our buildings and things. One older man would come and just watch the carrousel but never come in or take our offers of food. He finally told one of us that he used to be a very wealthy man, had a family but that alcoholism had ruined his life and his pride kept him from taking charity from people. Maybe your guy has a ton of pride and can't bring himself to accept your gifts. Just thinking.

Unknown said...

try offering him a beer. i'm sure he'll take that.

MommyLisa said...

I had that happen, I tried to give a latte to a homeless man I often saw go in with change to the local coffeehouse.

NO. he said emphatically.

I gave it to our office receptionist then...she was happy.

Some people are just not to be understood.