I walk up to my corner 7-11 just about every day for my daily intake of Soda Pop, and 4 minute microwavable Pizzas [for those of you who take the Hollywood tours, it's the same place that Hugh Grant was arrested for picking up a prostitute--not sure if that's on the "Star Maps"]. Anyway, every day as I walk into the 7-11 there’s a lady outside asking for “spare change“….She’s actually very friendly and there’s been a number of occasions that I’ve almost given in but I just sort of keep my head down as I walk in.

You see, about 2 months ago I was in the same 7-11 and I noticed this same lady was cashing in her day’s work of asking for money. It looked to be quite a bit of cash. I couldn’t help but think, if she’d only put the same amount of time and energy into a real job she wouldn’t have to stand outside the 7-11 and degrade herself to beg. –but of course, I do not know her real situation.

Now before I get called a “big ol’ meany” for not giving my spare change to this lady who appears to be homeless, let me give a disclaimer of saying that I HAVE given money to my share of people on the street who genuinely look needy. It’s just that my “Scam-Radar” goes off every time I see this lady. Now here’s the beef:

Every day I walk by her, every day she asks for money, every day I ignore , every day she says “god bless” ….[Her "god bless" somehow seems to translate into "fuck you"...though I could be reading WAY TOO much into this]..And every day I feel annoyed that the 7-11 people allow this lady to become a fixture at their entrance.

I don’t know what the answer is…I guess I’ll just keep walking on by. Part of me thinks I should give in and just be a nice fellow and give my spare change. Who knows…Maybe I’ll give it a try. Mainly, since I go there EVERY DAY, I don’t want to feel obligated to give money on a daily basis. Perhaps it’d be different if I had money to burn. Who knows.

When I lived in Detroit, I recall this one time as I was waiting in line at the drive-thru at a McDonald’s. There was a grungy looking old man outside asking me for money so he could get something to eat. I said “no”…but then when I got up to the place where the order is placed, I figured “ah hell…Let me buy the guy a Big Mac” and so I purchased one for him. Afterwards I felt like such a wonderful human until I walked up to the guy and offered the food. The response is one that STILL has me in shock.

“I just wanted the money guy…I really didn’t want the food”

Yes, I was annoyed and ended up yelling at the guy. I may have even thrown the extra burger at the guy from my moving vehicle but perhaps that was just something I felt like doing
I’m not saying every beggar is pulling a scam…I’m just very selective these days when it comes to giving out “spare change“…Truth is, you just never know.

On the other side of the coin, I did see a fellow holding up a sign not too long ago that said:

“Please spare money for a beer”

I ended up handing out some cash that day…I liked the honesty even though I didn’t think it was right.

By the way…Anyone who has ever felt some of the same way I’m feeling about any of this…there’s a sleeper movie called Interstate 60 with a FANTASTIC SCENE in it that pertains to homeless people holding up signs that say “will work for food“…Without giving away the movie to those who have not seen it…Chris Cooper’s character throw a guy holding up a sign an apple and forces him to clean a windshield or face an exploding stick of dynamite

And so today I end this blog with Cooper’s catch phrase from the film “say what ya mean, mean what ya say” …I’m just not really sure what I’m saying here

This is one of my favorite movies of all-time