Genuine

I have a board meeting every week at Assist Inc. I know I've talked about this group many times over the years. But it's a good thing that I do even though it's a bit lightweight gets me out, gets On public transit gets me downtown it's a win-win for everyone.

My meetings at 11 o'clock which means that I need to focus on getting ready and out the door really as quick as I can. Oh, it's really not that desperate but I like to have some breathing room. Fire leaves the house about 9:30 AM I can get to the train station by 10 o'clock and sometimes even earlier than that. That really only gives me an hour before my meeting. Today for example I think I left around 8:30 AM.I got down town about 930 because the used book person at the library had not yet opened up. So To kill Some time I went over to Dunkin' Donuts and got some coffee And two doughnut holes. I'm kind of fascinated with all the marginal downtown people. Especially around the library, the Salt Lake public library. I would not say the library is huge But the library is big enough. It's got water, restrooms, and a hell of a air-conditioning system plus electric outlets and of course computers hooked to the Internet. It is a homeless/hobo magnet. So course not so much at the library itself but on the corners across the street from the library are great places for panhandlers to situate themselves. The images have at the top of the page is this guy I've watched for a couple months now that I've been getting back into some of my volunteering. He's got the place in front of Dunkin' Donuts staked out. Anyone getting off the train and coming to Dunkin' Donuts has to pass this guy. He looks okay, he's fairly clean got some teeth issues I guess they call it picket fence teeth were lots of teeth are gone but he still has a great smile. Every time I pass him going in our coming out of the coffee shop he calls me box. I don't know why but this just tickles the hell out of me. This morning I watched them for about an hour. He doesn't really approach you and ask you directly for money. Just ask how you doing and I think he's genuine at least I feel he is genuine when he asks me how I am feeling. I feel it's kind of interesting that people who just brushed past him when they come in and sit and have their coffee and watch him often stop on the way out and give him some money. This morning I saw people by him breakfast sandwich and coffee. I went out on the street and took a couple pictures of him. I don't know if he noticed, I don't think so. I engaged him in a brief conversation when I told him he lucked out and got a great sandwich. He beamed and said “yeah it is great you want a bite?”. I chuckled and quickly said no no that's okay but thanks. And I could tell he was 100% genuine. I gave him a dollar. Not so much because he was panhandling the because I took his image. I should've paid him more but I am cheap. Maybe next week I will.