1) Last night I went to get Chinese food with Paul and his friend. I always have food left over when I eat there, and get a to away container. This time I took my own container. When the waiter/owner asked if he could put it in a box for me, I felt a little awkward pulling out my container, but his face lit up.
“Oh! Very good! You care about the environment!” he said, and then talked about how he takes a zip-loc bag of detergent when he goes to the laundromat instead of buying small containers. He was genuinely pleased, so I felt good about that…I imagine at some point I’ll hear that it’s against a health code or restaurant policy or something, but not at this restaurant.
2) Tonight I went to the Warehouse a little late. As soon as I pulled in, a panhandler stationed himself outside my car door, pointing at his ears to show he couldn’t hear. When I opened the door he showed me a note saying he needed three dollars for the bus. I gave him two, because I had it, but I didn’t think he was deaf, or that he was going to catch the bus. Maybe he was deaf, but when I left an hour and a half later, he was going into the bar, so I know he didn’t take a bus. These kind of interactions, leave me feeling crappy. Someone lies to me and asks me for money. i know they are lying, but I give them money so I don’t feel cheap and mean, but that’s just about me–its not coming from any place good, and that’s what the person is preying on. And I don’t trust that they’re asking for it for anything good…it’s just both of us displaying human nature–not at its worst or anything–just at its most meaningless and mediocre.
Hi Barry,I know how you feel about people begging for money and you don’t know if what you are hearing is the truth. I am not as kind of you I say no and still beat myself up over not responding kindly. cheersMargaret