Let's take a break from all the gloom of our AD lives and remember moments in our lives that inspire us. Of course there are always those moments that take our breath away but for me two very profound moments will forever have an impact on my life. One occurred just yesterday. I couldn't even relay the story to a friend last night without getting teary eyed and choking up. Because there is always more to a story, I hope that my short versions of it at least come across as the beautiful life changing moments they were for me.

My DM and I were on our way grocery shopping, I exited the off ramp and as usual there was someone there with a sign asking for money. I rarely donate to them as I feel most are just scammers. But I as I waited for the light, I tried to read the sign the young man somewhere between (late 20's early 30's) was holding, Because there was a car between him and I I just got part of what it said. He was a working father of two children and his wife worked as well. They were short $17 dollars for their rent. That's all I could read. Told my Mom what it said, and said that I wished I could reach my purse, which was in the back seat covered up, she grabbed a $20 and I honked and he came over, of course said Thank You, and Bless You! several times, (that's not what got me!) What got me was, he didn't return to his spot on the side of the road to beg for more. He walked home from there. I got my green light only to get stuck at the next so I watched him walk several blocks rather than returning for more handouts. He truly need just the $17 bucks. (At least I am going to always assume) It touched my heart that in these times that our country is going thru that this guy only took what he needed. For that I won't be so fast at driving past these people anymore. Understand I am not a sucker, but I won't be such a harda$$ next time I come off the offramp.

And only because this event has forever changed the way I look at tattooed, body pierced people, I will try to tell of this event. Dh and I were on a road trip and pulled into a fastfood restaurant to grab a bite to eat, the drive thru was lined up around the building so I just parked and ran in. When I walked in the building everyone inside was standing up, NO one was eating, only after scanning the table area did I see what was going on. Tables were being moved, chairs were all over the place, but there in the middle of the dinning room stood a older gentleman (whom I found out had AD) looking towards the floor. On the floor lay a women whom I will assume was in her 70's with two men doing CPR on her. It was not so much the fact that these two people were preforming a life saving procedure as much as who the two of them are. One being a Youth Group leader (that's what all those Church Vans in the parking lot where for) and the other was a young 19-20 year old tattooed, body pierced rocker. Of course I was touched by the event but more so by the fact that God/the Higher Power/ the Universe had brought these two men together to help save a life. What are the chances of them ever meeting? Odd's are very unlikely! From that day I look at the world differently! Of course there is more to this story, but it was the power of the sight of them together making a change in a moment that took my breath away.

RK -that was a very inspirational post. it would make even the hard core think twice.

i can hardly ever pass those folks asking for money on the corners either.. sometimes i give coins or sometimes bigger bills. i feel its not my right to question if its a scam or not. if they ask i try to give something and let them struggle with the if/ands of whether its right or wrong.

one of the moments you are talking about for me does have to do with AD. i was at the gas station filling my car and there were frantic couple looking for their dad who left the house and had 'dementia'.all i could think was how sad. paid and left. i was over a mile away down the road and stoped at a red light. on my left was a gentlemen nicely dressed looking rather tired and alone. i drove forward on the green lite. 2 blocks later i turned around and went back he was still standing there. i pulled ovr and asked him if he was lost - he was confused and dehydrating-i knew he had AD. i looked for a wallet or info. nothing but an empty wallet with an old id -he was a pediatrician in his 'other life'...he willingly got into my car and i drove him back to the station and handed him over to the manager there who did have the persons contact tel looking for him.
it was a sobering moment to see how so very vulnerable this poor soul was on his own. i only hope if any of ours get lost like that a good person will take them under their wing and offer help.
i felt like it must have been a devine intervention for me to turn around and go back. i normally wouldnt take the time...my own DH was diagnosed sometime later after this happened. it has always made me wonder- divvi

I was shopping in a grocery story with my daughter. I had a $5 off coupon if $50 was spent. We were buying wine and goodies and we saw a fellow shopper trying to count the number of chicken quarters in a 10lb bag that was on sale for $4.90. She loaded her cart with chickens. Daughter and followed her through the store and gave her the coupon. She was shopping for an outreach program to feed the hungry. Pay it forward.

I asked the same question, RK..about why they don't get a job at a burger joint..anything...if they can stand on the street corners. It was suggested that since they are homeless, they have no place to shower and change..or they may not even have a change of clothes. It's a Catch 22..they haven't got enough money toafford a place to shower and get clean and no one will hire them because they are so smelly and dirty.. That made sense., but surely there is some place where they could bathe and wash their hair. But not their clothes. It's very sad. I'm afraid we will be seeing many more just like them.

On the other hand, a local newspaper did an "in depth" investigation and found that there are a few who make a reasonable living by panhandling. Some even use their children to run up to the cars to get the money, endangering their young lives in the heavy traffic. You just never know ..............

That's a great idea!!!!! Same goes for grocery stores or 20% off coupons in department stores.

Our newspaper did an in-depth story about the "homeless". Some are not homeless at all. Some rake in upwards of $60,000 per year ... tax-free. Many of them clean up when they're not out panhandling. One guy who lives in a tent even has his own computer (taps into a nearby hotel to get electricity and internet) and acknowledged that he lives much higher on the hog than most homeowners since he pays no rent or utilities, as well as pays no taxes.

There are places for the homeless to go for help, and I've seen it suggested by many charitable organizations that donating to panhandlers simply encourages them to stay on the street rather than accepting the help that's there.

That said, I was approached one time at a gas station by a young woman carrying a tiny baby. She said she and her husband were trying to get to family in Los Angeles and asked if I had any spare change to help them pay for the gas to get there. She was clean and neat, and well-spoken, and the baby was adorable and appeared healthy. Her husband (at least, a young man) was standing near a car parked to the side of the station lot, looking decidedly unhappy. The car was packed to the roof with bags and furniture. I paid for the gas.

(Another time, we were approached in a mall parking lot by a couple in their early twenties. I don't remember exactly what sob story they gave -- again, it had something to do with needing money to go somewhere -- but it struck me as a bit fishy, so I said no and pulled my husband away. A few minutes later, I saw a police car going by, flagged it down, and told the officer what had happened. The couple had been working the neighborhood for weeks and were suspected to have been involved in several robberies. The policeman took off in a hurry in the direction I'd seen them going...)

...and I paid for the gas. The young man looked like he would rather have slit his wrists than let his wife ask for help.

There are times when you believe the people who approach you. Maybe you're right, maybe you're not, but you sleep better at night.

One year my husband and I were serving Thanksgiving dinner to street people from a tent. We soon realized that many of the folks were asking for second meals to take to "poor granny" who couldn't get out of bed. Of course they were selling the meals for who knows what. When we mentioned this to the host his response was-we are here to meet their needs-not to judge them.

You can give them food. Unfortunately there are many panhandlers who are living well. In 2005 there was a family in Ashland, OR profiled in the newspaper. they had moved from Colorado I think. The lived in the most expensive hotel in town, their kids went to private school in new clothes, the drove a new car paid for with cash. They had their 'poor folks' clothes on while on the street corner (with kids in tow). They also collected welfare and food stamps. Go figure.

Okay, I paid for a guy's dogfood, of all things, a few months ago. He didn't have enough money and had just opened a new bank account and didn't know his pin number. He asked the cashier to hold it while he went outside and tried to call his wife to get their pin number. I paid for it while he was outside and went on to my car. He came back in to put the dog food back because he couldn't reach his wife. The cashier told him it was paid for and pointed to where my car was. He came running out to my car and said "why would you do something like that?" I just smiled and told him to help somebody else some time.

Another time, I asked a friend of ours if he would come over and help me move the frig so I could clean behind it. I knew he had been out of work for several weeks so I folded two $20.00 bills and handed it to him after he was finished. He didn't want to take it but finally did. He called me later to tell me that he was completely out of food and didn't have anything in the house to eat. He thought I had given him $20.00 and was going to get some potatoes, milk and a bag of dried beans. When he found he had $40.00 he could actually buy some fresh fruit and vegetables.

Does make you feel good, doesn't it?

Oh, divvi, what a fantastic story! And, yes, good does pay off!