Sometimes people come together in unexpected and helpful ways. Meg set out on a walk one early morning and found meaningful connections with a police officer and an elderly homeless man.
Homeless
Hello and welcome to Uplifted. My name is Meg Luther Lindholm. And I welcome you on this journey from stories of adversity towards new insights for a better life. Today’s step on the journey is called
Homeless.
So recently, I was awakened in the predawn hour by one of our cats who was whining and scratching on the bedroom door. I knew I couldn’t sleep with the cat clatter. I also knew that getting up to relocate the cat would put an end to my sleep. Oh well. I stumbled towards the cat and took him downstairs.
On my way back to my bedroom I caught a glimpse of something magical. A luminous full moon shone through the dining room window. It hung low in the sky beckoning. Seducing me with its voluptuous, full-moon beauty. I saw it as an invitation to leave the confines of my home and join it in the great outdoors. I couldn’t resist. I said yes.
So, I slipped on my hiking boots and drove to a trail by the river. As I approached the parking lot, I saw a police car sitting at the edge of the lot near the trail. My fear antenna went up. Was there a search for a missing person or a body in the river? There must be a reason why a police car would be parked in this idyllic spot so early on a Sunday morning. As I approached the car, the officer rolled down his window. He was smiling as if to allay my concern. No there wasn’t any problem he said. He was just writing up reports. He waved and rolled up his window. It was a chilly 30 degrees out.
No sooner did I set off on my riverside walk than I saw a bench with a sleeping bag covering an elderly man like a puffy, gray cloak. As I walked past the man called out “good morning.” I turned around and said hello. I noticed that I was starting to feel slightly irritated. I wanted to connect with nature not with police officers and homeless people and fear. “Do you know a place I can get breakfast around here?” the man asked. Oy vey as my Great Grandmother Tillie would say. Here we were in a park that was blocks away from any place I could think of. I looked in every direction racking my brain. I tried to think where an elderly homeless man wrapped in a sleeping bag could possibly walk to find breakfast.
Then I noticed the police car. I pointed towards it and said there’s an officer over there who might be able to help you. He looked over, saw it and said “thank you. Thank you very much.” My heart softened a bit at his polite way of speaking to me. He seemed kind. Gentle. He didn’t badger me or ask for a handout.
I resumed my walk and soon my thoughts of him were replaced by the stark, natural beauty of my surroundings. Just as the glowing moon had been replaced by a soft, peach-colored sunrise. Five miles later I returned full circle to my starting point. As I passed the bench that had housed the homeless man, I noticed the sleeping bag was still there along with two plastic bags. But the man was gone.
I walked to my car, unlocked it and pulled a five-dollar bill out of my wallet. As I walked back over to the bench to put the money in one of the plastic bags, I began doubting myself. Why am I doing this? He might spend the money on alcohol or drugs. I don’t want to enable anyone’s addiction. But I decided I couldn’t possibly know how he would spend the money. I’d rather gamble on the possibility that he’ll use it for food. I opened one of the plastic bags to drop the bill into it and sure enough there was a big bottle of Beefeater Gin and a couple of bottles of pills. I put the money in anyway. Who am I to judge others? And why not help this man live in whatever way he can?
And then it dawned on me. The man was gone. The police car was gone. Undoubtedly the police officer had driven the man to a place where there was food. And I had helped facilitate that. Three strangers from three very different walks of life. Our lives intersected for a moment in time. And I reflected on how connection is possible even in the early hours of a Sunday morning when no one else is around. Three people. Distinct. Different. And yet, for a brief moment, we came together in a way that mattered.
Thank you for joining me on this step of the Uplifted journey. I’m Meg Luther Lindholm. You can subscribe to Uplifted on Itunes, Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. You can also subscribe to my blog on Substack. You’ll find a link on the Uplifted website. And if you like what you hear I would so appreciate your sharing it. Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.