Conversations with a Bum

You see all sorts of bums and beggars in NY. Some of them come on the subway and rap, some are comedians and are hilarious, and some have a boombox and start popping and breakdancing - right there in the subway. The marjority, however, simply ask for spare change on the street.

Today, I had my first full length conversation with a pan handler. This guy was a war vet who served for 20 years, from 1975 to 1995. He'd been blown up, shot at, stabbed, and came out of service with two medals, post traumatic stress disorder, and diabetes. He had no family because his father died in the Vietnam War, his mother died in 1995, and he was an only child. His story was that he needed $4.50 to get a meal so he could take his diabetes medicine. He claimed he didn't do drugs, he can't drink anymore... all he said he needed was food for his medicine. In his hand, he did in fact hold a big Duane Reade (the CVS of NY) bag.

I declined to give him any money, like I always do, but I did offer him a person who would listen. I talked him through his options for making his situation better but I just felt this wave of negativity flowing out of this guy. Most likely he embellishes a lot of his story to play up the sympathy card, and that's the source of his entire problem.

This guy has become a beggar and spends almost every waking moment of his life telling people how bad his life is. When you do that, it becomes your reality. That's all you think and talk about, so that's all you see: dispair.

After he told me about his (brief) life's story, I told him I'd just moved to the city. Then he started telling me how much cheaper it is to live in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Then he rattled on and on about the girls there, his preferences in women, and a number of other things... but by the end of the conversation, he did said he felt better. I got him out of his negative mindset and he started dreaming and hoping for a better day again. I think that's all a person really needs.