Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Homeless in Seattle

There are a few constants in every big city:

Skyscrapers
Dark alleys
Strip clubs
Good food
and Homeless people

I don't know what it was about Seattle this past week, but the homeless people there loved me and I feel like giving to them was my fee to visit the city and see the sites each day. I swear I was approached by at least 3 homeless people each day asking for some type of help . (By approached I don't mean those sitting on the sidewalk with signs or shaking a cup at the corner of a busy intersection, i mean literally approached.) I would be walking with 10 other people, all of which were better dressed, nicer looking, and cooler than me, and some homeless dude would walk right up to me and only ask me for help. I swear they didn't even glance at anyone else I was with. They would walk across the street in front of oncoming traffic to ask me for money and food, they would grab my elbow from behind in the market and tell me how they just got out of prison and need help finding work or a cab to Tacoma. They would freaking block my path and only my path on the sidewalk to tell me I was a good kid and I needed to help them.

You might think to yourself, "well it's because you are a 6'6" giant sore thumb just asking for attention and beggars." I would normally agree, but I wasn't the only 6'6" sore thumb on the trip. Eric was usually there too and they didn't look at him twice and we all know he has more money than me. Then you might think, "well maybe you're just an idiot and fall into their traps easy." In this case you might be right, I guess I could have just shrugged them off or lied and said I didn't have any money.But does having compassion and being honest make me an idiot?

No it doesn't. I am no idiot.

I really have no idea why they only approached me on this trip, maybe I just look extra nice and giving? If that's it I can't complain one bit, but we all know that's a stretch. I guess I'm just a sucker for homeless peeps and I'm prob pretty easy to read.

And I'm ok with that.

Seattle was great, the company was hilarious, and the sights were beautiful.

Paying off the homeless was worth it.

Best Road trip of '09. By far.

2 comments:

McKayJoice said...

You attract the homeless, and I attract the hippies. . . that would be epic. I'll start saving my money.

Sydnie said...

I can tell you why...

Remember when we were in the Hub and we were talking about why yawns were contagious? You said that when one person yawns after seeing another yawn it means they're sympathetic.

You were probably yawning too much.