Good Evening;
Well.......2 days of rain, and as the Meteorologists like to qualify, "Heavy at times".....(to which I say HEAVY Hell, Niagara Falls was a 'light drizzle' compared to a couple of the down pours that passed over!...{and because the leaks in the shed roof have to saturate the 4 inches or more of sponge-like fiberglass insulation before even hitting my 'drainage channels', the dripping is probably STILL going on! One of the reasons I wasn't plugging the computer or ANYTHING else in to the extension cord after a certain point}......[especially after Jenn had picked me up at the Giant and she, I, and Devin were in her car on I-695 & I-83 & then the narrow, twisty, and dark little country roads in East Bumf....I mean Monkton where many of the big ass old trees that literally grow on the side of the road are streaked and scarred with automotive paint accumulated over the years!]...and the couple that stalled in place in Pikesville), and a day and a night of natural and induced "fever dreams and hallucinations", {which is the title of one of my old favorite pieces of poetry, I'll have to try and find a copy....lol}, and 24 hours up at Tom's mother's house, where they now have a basement apartment, where I spent time monstersitting, which was mostly composed of a neverending 'tea party' with breaks for food, sleep, the monster's not me...lol, and "How The Grinch Stole Christmas", the ORIGINAL animated version, true to the book!, and now I'm back at Starbucks in Mt. Washington, via Light Rail from Hunt Valley, and you not only have my movements for the past few days..... but also one hell of a run on sentence, if I do say so Myself!..................LMAO!
But the real reason to write this quick update is to celebrate the quiet and unsung generosity of another average person here in Baltimore, one of the original points of this blog in the first place.
When I walked in here this evening and was just getting settled, a gentleman named Zeke, a regular customer here, whom I had spoken with a few weeks ago, for the first time after months of smiles and nods hello, and talked with about being on the street and selling the candy bars and possible ideas about a 'street vendors' license in the future, walks over and asks me if I was "the homeless guy he had spoken with a few weeks ago". Upon my confirmation and also remembering his name, he asks 'could use any money', and 'could he give me any'? As usual when someone comes up and asks like that, it sort of flummoxes me and I'm not always sure how to answer. I said, "Well I'm not asking for any from you, but sure, I can always use cash." He pulls out a couple $20.00 bills starts to put his wallet away and reaches out and pulls out another $10.00! I was pretty much speechless and finally was able to stammer out multiple thank yous and bless yous, and expressed both my amazement and gratitude at his generosity and spontaneous action.
It always both reinforces my faith in humanity and humbles me when someone acts in this manner, wanting nothing, expecting nothing and just following their heart.
Thanks again Zeke, and all those other folks who have quietly gifted me and other souls in need without fanfare or going through some sort of agency or organization, but through person to person contact recognizing a shared humanity and humility.
So many times I have heard variations of; 'I've been where you are', or 'My {insert family member} is/was homeless', or frequently.....'there but for the grace of God.......'.
Well, I've got to pack up and get ready to head out, a little richer in pocket, and a lot richer in faith.
Later..................................Dave
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