Encounter At The Grocery Store By Jessica C. Bryan -

When I went to the store for laundry soap this morning, I parked my car at the far end of the parking lot because it was shady. Noticing a large pile of cardboard boxes and tarps piled up against the building, the thought occurred to me there might a homeless person sleeping there. I mentioned it to a clerk inside, and when I returned to my car, a worker was already taking the pile to a nearby dumpster.

Then I noticed someone sitting nearby on a concrete step. He was wearing a dirty hoodie and there was a backpack and several paper bags on the ground next to him. To my dismay, I realized the pile of “trash” being hauled away had, in fact, contained a human being who was sleeping.

His head was hanging low and his shoulders were slumped almost to his knees. He projected the energy of someone who has lost everything, a person who has nothing to eat, no money, no place to sleep, and worst of all, no hope. Sitting in my car, I was faced with the decision of whether to approach him and give him money for breakfast, or leave and pretend that nothing had happened and forget that he might still be sleeping if not for my speaking to the Safeway employee about the “pile of trash.” I thought about the millions of people around the world, who are in despair and dying because they have no food and nowhere safe to sleep.

But there was something about the man and his intense sadness and the aura of despair around him. I decided that even though I cannot help the millions who are destitute, I could do something for one.

I got out of my car and walked over to him. When I said “excuse me”… he looked up and I saw him, his face, I mean I really saw him. And he was nothing like I expected. He was young and seemed healthy and his beautiful long, brown hair peeked out around the edges of his hoodie.

I handed him $8.00 and said something stupid like, “Buy a cup of coffee or something” Heck, I don’t even know if $8.00 still buys a cup of coffee, much less breakfast. As I was getting back into my car, I noticed him picking up his meager belongings and beginning to walk away.

While driving home, I listened a song I’ve loved for a long time: USE MINE by Steve Seskin. In this song, Steve writes about several incidents with his father, beginning with how at age eight he wanted a bicycle, but as he sings in the song: Dad was out of work and there was no money for a bike. So his father tied wooden blocks to the petals of his Schwinn, rolled out the “clunker” and said with a grin: Use mine. Go ahead and take it. What else is it for? I wish I could do more …This is what life’s all about, use mine.

In the last verse, Steve sings about how his dad has grown old and is struggling to walk, and: The doctors don’t give him much time. He’s trying to stand up, but his strength is all gone. So I say to my hero as I offer my arm, Use mine. Go ahead and take it. What good is it for? I wish I could do more…This is what life’s all about, use mine.

Back home, I told my husband about my experience at Safeway and his immediate response was, “It was an angel sent to test you.” Come to think of it, the man did have a certain glow around him, so perhaps he was an angel.

* * *

Many of us are discouraged by the deterioration in the quality of life on Earth and our relationships with each other. We feel helpless in the face of so much suffering, and limited in our ability to offer assistance. A few years ago, I decided to do something; I would try to make one person smile every day. This “volunteer project” has been well-received, mostly at the grocery store while standing in line. I simply smile at the person next to me in line at the check-out counter and start joking around. Try it and see how it feels to create positive energy with another person, even a stranger. It can only add to your human experience in a positive way.

Jessica’s Book