Breakfast for Normalcy

While living and working in downtown Buffalo, I quickly noticed the amount of homeless people roaming the streets. Every day while walking to or from work to the bus stop I was asked, "Ma'am, do you have any change? Ma'am?" Most of the time I either ignored them or responded with, "I'm sorry, I don't have any." Most of the time I was telling the truth - it's easier to just not carry cash. But even if I had it, I never trusted that they would actually buy food with it. Some of them were pretty rude, but I guess they're more frustrated about living on the streets than I am about them asking me for help.

Homeless people are everywhere, in every city, whether we see them or not. Once in Indianapolis I saw a guy with a cardboard sign on which was written with a black marker: "Why lie? It's for booze." And yes, people did give him money. And who doesn't want a drink or two when they're in the dumps? Why lie?

All the same, why ignore what's really happening?

Once the weather began to warm up in Buffalo I started to bike to work. One morning, while chaining up my bike, a man who was obviously homeless started to walk over to where I was. I recognized him from the area, as I'd seen him before - he was wearing the same clothes. It started out like any other morning. I was headed to work at the bank, which totally sucked. I was biking into the sun, which was extra bright that morning. I was, at the time, addicted to caffeine, so I had a headache. And if you've never been to Buffalo, it gets windy, and if you're biking you are inevitably biking uphill into the wind. Always. Anyway, while he was walking towards me, I was already forming my sentence in my mind, "Sorry, I don't have any." I just wanted to buy my iced cappuccino from Tim Horton's and get on to work.

But it was different this time. He said, "Ma'am, I'm homeless right now, and I was wondering if I could get something to eat."

I looked up, and honestly, I don't know what came over me. I smiled and said, "Well, I'm headed over to Tim Horton's. Want me to get you something?"

"They only have sweet stuff there, ma'am."

At first I thought, Beggers can't be choosers. However, he did have a point; sweet things are hard on an empty stomach. Either way, it did not sway whatever it was that made me act in the way that I did that morning. "No, they have breakfast sandwiches."

"They do?"

"Yeah, you want one?"

"Sure."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"A coffee?"

"Sure, I can get you a coffee."

"Okay, I'll just wait here."

So I went inside and found, because I was bit later, a long line ahead of me. I waited, and waited, and waited, and eventually was joined by the homeless man. "I thought you left," he said, sounding relieved.

"Nope, I'm still here," I said gently.

"Yeah, I see the line's pretty long."

We stood in awkward silence, small talking, until we got to the front. The best part was his Turrets. No, I'm not kidding you. Convulsions, shouts, etc. "Just so you know," he said, "I have Turrets. I can't really control it."

"It's alright," I said smiling. I stepped up to the cash register. "What kind of sandwich?"

"Sausage."

"I'd like a sausage and egg breakfast sandwich, a regular iced cappuccino, a coffee - what do you want in it?"

"Cream and sugar?"

"With cream and sugar."

"And can I get one of those?" He pointed to a jelly doughnut.

"And a jelly doughnut."

I paid, gave the man his breakfast, and walked out with my drink. I tried not to look at all the people that were crowded inside of the restaurant. I have no idea what anyone thought of what was happening, or if they even noticed. The man thanked me on my way out while he sat and ate his breakfast like everyone else. I said, "You're welcome," and walked to work as though nothing odd had happened, just glad I could give him a chance to eat, some breakfast for normalcy, sad that it was all I had done for him.

On my way to my cubicle I texted my friend and told her briefly what had happened. "I just bought a homeless man breakfast. Why are there homeless people, Kam?"

And why are there homeless people? Aren't we all one big human family?

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