Monday 10 March 2014

Never a good deed goes unpunished (Lent part two)



4.  Well some days you just can’t seem to help people!  Went to town to deliver the food to the homeless cook lady.  At the car park there were two guys, fishing around for change.  They only needed £1, and it occurred to me to offer them change, I looked in my purse, a solitary £1.  Ok, so then it occurred to me to pay for their parking.  I approached them, just as the younger one said ‘oh, got it now’.  Foiled.

All was not lost, as I returned to my car it occurred to me that I still had over an hour’s parking on the ticket, and, casting car park requests and legalities aside, I decided I would give the ticket to the next person who came to park.  A lady approached the machine, I swung myself out of my car and approached, just in time to see a lady also approach, ticket extended with a cheery ‘would you like my ticket’ peal coming from her.  Darn, foiled again.

I went home.

But, not to be outdone, I spotted a small carrier bag that had a few items for the charity shop in it. Aha!  I would seek out some more bits and pieces and take this down to the charity shop.  This done, my box was ticked and I spent the rest of the afternoon with family and eating egg n chips.  

I went home.

No glasses.  I had left my glasses somewhere.  A search, a multi search, calls to family.  Nope.  So, in true Holmes style, I retraced my steps and discovered that the only solution to the mystery could be that, somehow, I had donated my glasses to charity.  So with my pat on the back good deed I had lost glasses that not only enabled me to see, to work and to know what I was eating, but that cost over £100.  Sad times

Two interesting things also arose.  

Initially I couldn’t find the lady who cooked for the homeless, but as I strolled around town I did notice a homeless guy sitting in a doorway.  I felt he would know where to find her for sure, but hesitated to approach.  Why?  I analysed my thoughts and feelings as I wandered around Marks & Spencer’s and concluded its because I am afraid, not of the guy, but of appearing condescending or patronising.  So I just walked up to him and asked my question.  Yes, he did know, gave me directions and I thanked him.  I felt it would be condescending to give him money in exchange and he never asked for anything, I hope I treated him as an equal.  

Lady found I handed over the food, and she told me about her particular involvement.  Her husband works in the baguette/sandwich business and they have left overs.  These she brings down to town for the homeless.  She had a lot, and they were all fresh and looked really nice.  On my return to my car I wondered, what happened to them if the homeless didn’t want them?

5. A charity collecting toiletries for the homeless, they have a wash centre where the people can go, wash, get clean, brush their teeth etc.  They needed donations.  One of my blocks of Crabtree & Evelyn soaps on the way to them.  I hope they like the scent as much as I do.

No comments:

Post a Comment