"I still matter!" A story about a homeless couple. All lives mattering.

 

“I still matter.”

 
Have you ever been walking and encountered folks who are homeless? Have you ever crossed to the other side of the street, or redirected your gaze to avoid eye contact, and pretended they were not really there?
 
Come on now, be honest. I have, and I was not proud of myself when I did.

Another time, I was in downtown Indianapolis for my job and I was walking out of a restaurant after a meal. I noticed a couple quietly sitting on the sidewalk, with a sign that said, “Homeless vet. No job. No food.”
 
So this time I decided to engage, not avoid. I asked if I could sit down and talk to them for a while. I also had a bag of leftovers and asked if they minded if I left the food. The man immediately gave the leftovers to his wife.
 
As he began to talk, I just listened. He thanked me for the food and just for stopping. He went on to tell me how he had served in Iraq, came home, and worked construction. As the economy tightened, both he and his wife had lost their jobs, their home, and much of their dignity. This young man placed his life in harm’s way, for me, and for you. He thanked me repeatedly for the food, for stopping and listening to his story. I thanked him repeatedly for his service.
 
He did not need or deserve my pity, just my respect.
 
I try to no longer avoid the homeless, or pretend they don’t exist.