Lately, I have been thinking about homelessness. Not me being homeless. It hasn't come to that yet, but about all the homeless people in Downtown Miami. Its way more then I am used to seeing in Gainesville. About half the time when they hit me up for money I give, and the other half, I don't. Its Arbitrary, and it usually depends on a few factors. If they sneak up on me I generally don't reward that with a greenback. Anyways, at this point, my giving to the homeless is basically pretty random, like I say, half the time I do, half the time I don't. I have been thinking about being more systematic though.
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One thing I was thinking about, was kind of adopting a homeless person. Picking out a homeless guy and kind of making him mine. I wouldn't invite him over or anything, just give him a few bucks every time I see him. I would start off the relationship big, Giving him a 20 spot or something, and then when other homeless people hit me up I could carry around a card telling the story of how I have a designated homeless person that I give money to, No offense and sorry its not you, but that's how I am handling all you homeless beggers. Consider it the old, I gave at the office routine, only for homeless people. Instead of a designated driver, I would have a designated homeless person. Kind of like Gloria Steinam and those kids you can feed for 34cents a day. In my mind he wouldn't necessarily give me a postcard updating his life but instead, if he didn't smell to awful, I would talk with him and find out how he got where he is.
-I don't know if I need to get that involved though, Its a thought and a way to be more systematic with the thing.
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A blogger I used to read before he retired, named White Dade had his own homeless person policy. If a bum hit him up he would ask the bum for something in exchange. Kind of a way to teach them about capitalism I guess. He would give them a five spot if they gave him a shirt or something like that. I tried this the other night myself. I was at a bar on Lincoln road and a homeless lady hit me up for some jack. I felt like it was an opportunity to try out the White Dade approach, and I gave her a five spot if she agreed to take a photograph with me. 
Anyways, I told her I was going to blog about it, and put her photo on the World Wide Web, Also that I invented the Internet. I think she liked that, and we talked for a little while. Bust on me for being callous, but in the end, homeless people are people also. They have failed lives, but they also long for human interaction and connection as well. People usually brush them off and treat them like shit though. Me, I took a photograph with one and She seemed generally happy about it all. At least She was pleased with the five spot.
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Rick, thanks for the link love www.southfloridadailyblog.blogspot.com
10 comments:
A homeless guy drinking a 40 once yelled at me for not giving him any money. I might have to blog about that sometime.
Minnow- I hope you do. I have never had them yell at me for not giving them money but some of them certainly can act hugely disapointed in you when you dont, and certainly show it. but the best, was one time A homeless dude hit me up and I truly had ZERO dollars on me but I did have 50 cents, (plus some money in the bank) So I literally gave the guy All I had on me. He took it and looked at it and was almost disgusted that all I was giving him was 50 cents. basically he copped an attitude with me. (non verbally) I still see that guy sometimes and ALWAYS stiff that guy.
For about a year, my husband would give a couple of dollars almost every day to a homeless guy working a busy corner on hubby's drive to work. One afternoon as hubby was stopped at a red light, a NEW Ford F150 with 30 day tags pulled up beside him. Guess who was driving the NEW Ford F150 ... You got it ... "homeless" guy! Hubby blew his horn and waived at the driver, who didn't wave back. For a while, homeless guy didn't work that busy corner, but he's back now. Hubby doesn't give him money anymore ... figures he can sleep in his truck.
Anon-- thats funny. I actually heard about a guy who actually had a home and a car and thats what he would do is get up drive down to his corner, park the car a little ways away and work all day begging and then I guess at five pm he would take his money, get in his car and go home. -- I dont know if thats true, but I did hear it.
I have "adopted" several homeless people in Santa Cruz. I am apparently "married" to two of them. I enjoy blogging about the homeless, and as they probably are so disenfranchised as to not know about these posts, they probably don't care. Though, indeed, it would be easy to track down specific individuals and restaurants I have written about from my posts. Hmm.
I think there is alot to be said for safety on the internet but In the end the internet is part of the world. and you cant live in the world without taking some risks. I thought about some of my posts as maybe giving TMI personally about me, if you read them and you wanted to you could certainly go to the building I live in and stalk me but really who is going to do that besides Super Models and Psycho Supermodels are ok with me
Maybe it is cause I am tired and all but that photo touched me. I wonder when the last time someone cared enough about her to take a photo???
Damn Merlot, I am going to bed.
Michele, She truly seemed like she totally enjoyed the entire transaction, I think she kind of felt like she earned that five dollars, which of course she truly did. Me and the guys that I was with were respectful of her the whole time. we talked with her for about 15 minutes - I also gave her a flower from the flower girl that was nearby. Glad to see you commenting in my blog! So many of the people I know that read this never do! However I know TWO Michele's that are adjusters and live in Gainesville, a liability person and a property person which are you?
I'll give you a hint....I hope you took the thorns off the flower before you gave it to her so she doesn't prick her finger and sue you for physical and emotional distress.
PS I only have one "L" in my name the way God intended.
PPS I will be posting as Michele-a-licious from now on.
Michele-A-Licious it is! Comment all the time, I love commenters! -- I have analytics now and I see Gainesville area people lurking in my blog from time to time, but other then a few exceptions it is so rare that they ever comment, and I love when people comment!!!!
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