Late this afternoon I decided to take advantage of the glorious sunshine and go for a walk. There is a creek and stream nearby and as I approached it, I noticed a man on his knees engaged in what appeared to be rinsing returnable bottles and cans in the water. Some stores won't take them dirty or the bar code readers fail if obstructed.
He seemed unaware of the world around him as he worked. I watched intently as I got closer. He was about 5'11", slim build and fit.
Without thinking I reached into my pocket and took out what I had. I walked over to the guy, smiled and handed him the money. He was grateful and said "God bless you. I'm just trying to get something to eat, man." His eyes were clear but tired and, I would guess his age at late forties. I smiled again and continued on my way without looking back. I didn't want to embarrass either of us.
There is a lot right in this country yet, something is very wrong when people collect cans for their supper void of other options. Some might say "at least he wasn't asking for a handout." They would of course be missing the point.
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