Let me just pre-empt this post by saying that I've heard this first story from my Grandma Coke and I'm not sure if I'm getting the exact wording right... hopefully I'm close enough to do her proud (she is a much better story teller than I).
My Great Grandma Berger lived alone for quite a few years before she passed away. Down the street from her house there was a car that a homeless man lived in. Every time my grandmother would bake cookies, she would walk a plate of them down to this homeless man and chat with him for a bit. Everyone would try to warn her that it was a dangerous thing to do and that she should be careful being alone with this guy. My grandma would just shrug her shoulders and basically tell everyone that he was harmless. One day she noticed his car was gone. A few years later, Grandma was at church when a nice looking guy walked up to her and said "you probably don't remember me but once upon a time I was a man very down on his luck. I lived in my car and you would bring me cookies. That meant the world to me. I've always wanted to thank you and I feel that now that I've cleaned myself up, I can finally say that to you."
Isn't that a great story? I always loved that story.
Well a few weeks ago, our friend Rob was hanging out at our house and this story about my grandma came up. Then Rob starts telling us that he has noticed a homeless man living by his house. One night while Rob's wife was gone, he cooked himself up some mac n' cheese with hot dogs. He had a bunch left over and decided that he wanted to do a good deed and took the leftovers down to the homeless guy. When he got over to him, he noticed that the man is asleep. He nudged him a little bit and said to him "I have some warm food here for you." The man says "no thanks" Rob was taken aback thinking that it was so crazy of a homeless guy to refuse free food so he offers it to him again. The guy says "I'm not hungry, I'm just really thirsty". Rob hops back on his bike, goes home, puts the food into some tupperware and grabs three bottled waters and heads back over to this guy. The guy has fallen to sleep again so Rob nudges him once more and says "I brought you back some water", the guy says "No", Rob says "but you just told me you were so thirsty" the man says "That water isn't enough to make quench my thirst. I don't want it." Then Rob tries to get the guy to keep the tupperware of food and the water for later or for breakfast in the morning "No thanks, I really just want you to leave me alone." Wow, so much for being good samaritan.
Isn't that so crazy that a homeless guy would turn down a free meal AND a drink? Who in Florida, homeless or not turns down a cool glass of water on a hot summer night?
8 comments:
What a douche-bag of a homeless person.....wait, that was really judgmental of me to say, but seriously, what a douche-bag...have a great week with family!
Love the story about your Grandma! I won't turn down free macaroni and cheese! Offer me some anytime! But seriously....where is the gratitude?
Oh my goodness..how strange!
I love that story about your great grandma...that kindness runs through your whole fam.
Maybe it was the hot dogs in the m&c. I mean, me, I love me a little hot dog thrown in there, but homeless people may be a little pickier.
Man...I would have eaten it!
I've never heard that story about grandma Berger. Thanks for sharing it. You are an inspritation to me. I think the homeless now want money. Beggars can't be choosers as they say.
that is so interesting he wouldn't take food or water. weird. But i did love that story about your grandma. very sweet.
the first person who commented is funny. i love this post.
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