Family Activities
Items For Sale
Hobbies
Derek's Blog
Forum
Contact
Home
I work in SF. I went to a Del Taco for lunch yesterday (I know, it's not good for me, but I occasionally treat myself to something), and I saw a man with his face in his bowl of beans (or something that looked like beans). He wasn't moving, and looked like he was passed out (sleeping).
He was wearing a long leather jacket (in what looked like almost new condition), baggy pants, and hiking boots. Basically, he didn't give me the impression of being homeless.
My first inclination was, "Do I want to eat here, or should I go somewhere else". I decided to stay and eat, but to sit as far away as possible from that person.
Then, I started feeling bad. Normally, I consider myself a relatively kind and caring person. In this case, I started feeling ashamed of myself for not saying something, or going up to the man to see if he was alright. If you've ever been in San Francisco for any length of time, you'll find that they have a very large homeless population, and seeing people sleeping on the sidewalk or peeing in an alley is pretty common. I see it every day. I don't really know how to explain the feeling, but I think I've become "hardened" to it, and I don't like that feeling.
I started thinking "what if that was me?" I would definitely want someone to check on me. What if I had a heart attack or stroke?
I grew up in a small town, and I actually prefer a small town. Growing up, I would never believe that I would just see someone face-down in their food, and not say anything. What else can I say? San Francisco has changed my behavior, and in my opinion, not for the better. This is not who I want to be.