The Power of 33 Dollars and 26 Cents

Today, I spent 33.26.

I could have spent it on:

A dinner out with a few drinks...

A new season of a TV show on dvd...

A couple albums on iTunes...

Some new clothes I've been itching to get...

A new pair of work shoes...

Put it in my London vacation fund...

Instead of doing any of these things, I spent it on groceries.  Groceries that aren't even for me.  In my driving to and from one of my work locations, I often see the same homeless man on a certain street corner.  He holds a dilapidated cardboard sign, begging for any help people can give him.  And yesterday, driving to work, he was there again.  I don't carry cash, so that option was out.  And I quickly appraised how much food I had and if there was any I could spare.  Unfortunately, I usually pack just what I need.  I don't even have my usual backup granola bar...

Then driving home after work, noticing that I hadn't eaten my apple (nausea from medication), I was really upset.  With myself.  With the way services for the homeless go often ignored.  There are so many people in this world that make more than they need to (I'm looking at you, pro-athletes), but how many of them live on less to help others?  I'm not saying they are solely responsible for saving the disadvantaged.  But it would be nice if more wealthy people thought this way.  JK Rowling lost her billionaire status by giving away a ton of money.  That's beautiful.  Sure, she's still living large, but think about how much she did.

With the 33.26, I bought toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, razor), a gallon of water, box of cereal, bag of apples, peanut butter, bread, wheat thins, graham crackers, two boxes of granola bars, and a reusable Meijer bag to hold it all.  

And I'm leaving it in my car until I can see him and give it to him.  I don't know his life story.  Alcohol, drugs, lost his home, lost his job: it doesn't matter.  All I know is that he is in need of help.  I'm not looking for praise or accolades for what I did.  All I'm saying is that, I may not be able to change his life.  But 33 dollars and 26 cents can make it better.  If I can spare that, what could we all spare to make the world a better place?

UPDATE: He wasn’t on the corner on the way home.  But I’m planning on going around tomorrow to see if he’s there.  And if after a while I don’t see him, I’m going to drop the stuff off at a local food bank.

UPDATE: I never saw the guy on the street corner again.  I pulled the bread and apples out to eat before they went bad. I had every intention of going to a food bank this week on one of my days off.  Then, it happened Sunday night.  On the way home from Leslie, I saw a girl standing out in the rain.  Her small cardboard sign said, "Struggling. Anything helps. God Bless."  So as soon as I could, I threw my car into park and prepared to run the groceries over to her.  But the light turned green and I had to go, lest people behind me decided car horns were necessary.  I walked over to her and gave her the bag.  She asked what was in it and I said a few of the items.  Unfortunately, the toiletries were male scents but given her situation I'm sure she won't mind.  I cried the whole way home.  And I don't know if it's because I'm off my meds and generally more emotional lately or the situation itself.  I feel like the world is bleeding and instead of giving it proper treatment, we slap a band-aid on it and fix other things that are deemed "more important."  I know I can't change the world by myself, or even that I changed her world.  I'm sometimes just sick of feeling like one of the only people trying.