Thankful for: Train Friends and Not Worrying

Today is not about the train. It’s about being thankful (Well, kind of about the train since I am thankful for my train friends) I have been seeing all over Facebook people posting every day what they are thankful for. They are thankful for their BFFE, Friends, Perfect Husbands … they are even thankful for FACEBOOK! I am NOT by any means discounting these things because I am thankful for my BFFE. She is super woman and if I asked her to fly, she’d find a way to do it! I am thankful for my husband because he lets me be ME and doesn’t try to restrain the goals I have. I am thankful for friends because without them, where would I be? I’d be lonely on the train, I’d have no one to share martinis with, I’d have no one to share laughs with. I am, surprisingly thankful for Facebook…how else would I keep up with everyone’s busy lives?

However, I am most thankful that I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from! Yesterday I was at a conference. I saw a disheveled guy come in who was in his late 20’s, early 30’s. He had on jeans and a hoodie. I assumed he was a bike messenger since the place was swarming with business types and lots of documents were movin’ and shakin’. I looked at his pant leg and saw that he did not have his pant leg rolled up or that bike strap thing that makes it so your pants don’t get caught in the chain. So, that ruled out bike messenger. He shuffled around the lobby area nervously and then disappeared. Once the men in suits went into their meetings and the presentation rooms and it was just me manning the registration desk, I saw this man sneak by me and head into the hospitality suite where the last of our buffet lunch was sitting. I almost got up and asked if I could help him but then I saw what he was doing. He had paper towels in his hand and from my vantage point I could see him. He opened the paper towels and wrapped a few sandwiches in them. He grabbed a couple cookies and a soda. When he walked out, he had his head down and tried to sneak by me again. I saw his jeans up close. They were dirty. His hair was tattered. His sweatshirt was grungy. I almost cried. This guy wasn’t a messenger, he was finding lunch…and maybe even dinner. I have never been put in a situation where I don’t know where my next meal is coming from and I am very thankful I haven’t. To see it up close and personal though, makes me appreciate the fact that I don’t have to worry.  

No Matter How Bad You Have it (UPDATE)

As some of you may remember, I had an encounter with a man at the train station who touched my heart tremendously. (Link Below)

No Matter How Bad You Think You Have it Someone Else Has it Worse

Today, I had the day off. I took my dog on a great hike in the morning and then wanted to head into the city to get a few things. Everyone wondered why I'd go into the city on my day off but I wanted to grab fresh veggies at Haymarket and dessert for tonight at Mike's Pastries in the North End. I caught the 12:35pm train into the city and rode along with all the tourists who were heading into the city also. I got into the city at about 1pm and went straight to Mike's. After that I flew through Faneuil Hall to pick up a few things and then straight to Haymarket. 

After getting everything in Haymarket that I needed, I had minimal time to get back to the train which was leaving at 2:10pm. I walked to North Station. I was in an exploring mood so I took a different street that runs parallel to the normal street I take. I am walking briskly when a man screams out "HEY!!" I am caught off guard. I look at him trying to place how it is that I know him. I do a quick top to bottom once over and it isn't until I see his shoes that I know who it is.

It's the guy from the train station back in February! The homeless guy who was going to kill himself after he relished his last meal, a slice of pizza. He sat next to me that day by chance. I told him that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that I really hoped he didn't take his life.

I look back up at him standing in the street. He's got a brand new jacket, is holding a cell phone and has gel in his hair. I smile at  him "Hi there! How ARE you??" I am so excited to see that he is alive!!

"You remember me right? I had... " he looks around to see a few people walking by "pizza next to you a while back"

"How could I forget? I am so glad you're ok! How are things panning out?" I reply.

"You were right. I can't thank you enough for just talking to me. I have my room at the shelter. I am working part time. I have my own cell phone again. Thank you! You heading to the train?"

"I am. Catching the 2:10" I say with a huge smile on my face.

"You better run. I'm glad I bumped into you. I can't thank you enough. I was in a bad place and you, a strang-ah pulled me through. Thank you."

"No problem! I knew you had it in you! I'm glad I bumped into you too. Enjoy your weekend." I wanted to cry with tears of joy. HE IS ALIVE! HE IS OK! I was so happy I practically skipped the rest of the way to the train!

Eight Dollars!

Friday I get on the commuter rail to head home and I over hear a girl on the phone saying “Can you believe this guy? I mean seriously!” I perk up to listen because I assume she is talking about a date gone wrong. “I buy the guy breakfast and he doesn’t even say thank you.” My immediate thought was that this guy spent the night with her, she pays for breakfast and he ditches out. “What a loser!” I think to myself. I am equally as angry at this guy as she is.

She goes on. “I walk by him and he asks me for change. I told him I didn’t have anything but I had a gift card to Dunkin’s and I’d buy him breakfast.” She pauses to let the other person speak. “He told me to give him the gift card and he’d go himself. Then I said ‘There is thirty bucks left on that thing. I’m not just handing it to you. I’ll go with you.” The two of them, I assume head off to Dunkin’s. She carries on her story “I obviously let him order. He orders a coffee and sandwich. I assume he’s done but then he orders a donut and a juice. He totally took advantage of me. That’s like two breakfasts not one. I almost cut him off but that would be rude. It’s not like I can be like ‘OK, you got a sandwich and coffee. You’re done.’ So, I pay for breakfast with my card. Eight dollars! Eight dollars, I paid for this guy to have breakfast and the guy doesn’t even say thank you! Can you believe him? He full on took advantage of me.” So, the guy is homeless. Now I feel bad for being angry at him.

I am floored at how ridiculous this girl sounds. I turn around to see what she looks like. She is tastefully dressed and sporting a beautiful brand new Vera Bradley hand bag. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but it looked like she was doin’ alright for herself.

She keeps repeating over and over “Eight dollars. All I wanted was a thank you!”

Now, here is my logic on this. Yes, the homeless guy should have said thank you. However, this woman offered to do something nice for someone. I think that when you offer to do something nice for someone, it is out of the goodness of your heart and you shouldn’t expect anything in return for it. He probably did take advantage of her just a bit but in the grand scheme of things, what is eight dollars to her? He was probably thirsty, wanting something with substance, something sweet and needed caffeine all at once.

I am all for doing nice things for people who are in need. I don’t always expect a thank you or anything in return. However, I don’t like becoming a door mat either. In this instance, I think she could have chalked it up to a pay-it-forward experience and learned from it (after all, she did use a gift card someone else probably gave her). Not everyone is going to say thank you whether it be that they forget to say it at the sight of food and all they can think about is eating or they just have too much pride. Either way, I am sure it was appreciated and she could have taken away from this the satisfaction of making someone’s morning and taking the “how am I going to eat today?” worry out of this poor guys head.