I went to the feed store today to pick up feed for my farm animals. as usual the bill was about 70$ for about 2 weeks worth of feed for chickens, turkeys, and horses. I paid for the grain like always in the store. Then I gotta drive around the block to a loading dock where the bags get loaded into my pick up. Then I drive away.

I have bee doing this a couple times a month for about five years now.

Today I couldnt drive away from the loading dock like I normally do because there was about a dozen cars parked on the street blocking my exit. I got a little irritated, not a lot. I got out to see what was going on. I live in a small farming town, so this many cars parked there is unusual.

Upon further investigation, I found out that all the vehicles were picking up food at a food bank that has been established in my town recently.

I just felt like crying! Wow! I just spent 70$ on feed for animals, my cubbords are full at home, I was getting a little pissed that I couldnt leave the feed store fast enough.

I watched some of the people leaving there with bags of food. They looked no different than me. They live in my town.

Wow! I really feel like shit.

Its hard to imagine.

I dont know what to do. I'm not selfish. I dont have allot of extra money myself. I dont have any extra money.

I just had a pretty good holiday season travelling around Central America. Man, reality bites.

I'm gonna take some can food donations down there next pay day.

I wish I could help more.

Food>dmt

i wish everyone's hearts were as big as yours, big brother...

Ditto

These are tough times. But tough times often bring good people together. I've met a lot this past year and my life is better because of these connections. The biggest problem we face right now, IMHO, is that we need to get corporations out of our government and legal systems. We will all be far better off if we can collectively figure out ways to do this.

Peace

Thanks for posting this. Everyone needs to know that things like this are going on. This is some Depression-era stuff, right here.

The government, of course, is at fault here. They need to stop worrying about abstract non-issues like the budget deficit and start helping out their people.

Yesterday something made me think about this post. It might look like a cheap christmas tale, but it hit me pretty hard and I feel like sharing it.

I'm not in the states, but the unemployment rate in my country is now above 20 percent. That becomes damn obvious moving around the city, and these holidays it hurts - unless you are good at playing ostrich and burying your head inside of your coat as you walk.

I had just returned from a rather long train trip after visiting my daughter. I was hungry once in the central station and I bought a sandwich. I ate it in front of the parking lot, by the waiting cab line, so I could roll a cigarette and have a smoke before coming back home.

Then I saw this guy walk by me, like a ghost. He approached the ashtray and started dicreetly searching for a decent cigarette butt. He was skinny, unshaven, wearing this yellow, worn biker jacket. He had a few stitches in his forehead. I remembered I had a half full pack of cigarettes in my backpack. I seldom smoke those anymore, so I took them out of the pocket and handed them to him. It just made sense. He took them warily, thanked me, pulled one and asked for a light. We stayed there for a moment, smoking in silence.

He had big eyes, sunken but shiny. He glanced at me and started talking. It was pretty obvious that he was not trying to get anything else from me. He told me he had this great job a few years ago. Sports events. He said he made quite a lot of money. "Big wads of bills. I gave so much, you know? I gave too much. Even my mom used to tell me. What about you, she said. Keep more for yourself. And there's a bunch of guys around here pìcking pockets all the time. But I'm useless for that. I don't like it. I wouldn't be able to shit food bought with stolen money. I rather eat less and shit well."

I don't know why he reminded me of myself so much. We talked for ten minutes or so. He was good people. I'm not trusting usually, but you could see that clearly. I gave him the spare change left in my pocket. Not much, maybe the equivalent to six or seven dollars. He wanted to make sure I didn't need it. I told him I'd be perfectly fine, and he took it without embarrassment. Wished each other "salud" (good health), he gave me a clean look. I don't think I will ever forget his face. He asked again if I would miss that bit of money, I told him again I wouldn't. Then he told me to never forget my daughter, no matter what. Then I knew he somehow lost his. We shook hands, and I left for the subway entrance.

It's what Ice House said. It's us. Those people, they're us. It's our reflection, and if we avoid looking at them we are making a sad mistake.

Compassion and empathy. This is what makes you human brother.

Peace.

I've been guilty of this before, a homeless man let me know my wallet had dropped out of my pocket, I thanked him profusely and gave him a couple of cigarettes and like 5 bucks and freaked out when he started talkingto me. I still remember exactly how this guy looked. He was a decent fellow and my own paranoia and fear stifled human contact because of class bullshit. I've resolved to never act in such a selfish manner again in that situation.

You are a good human being, Ice House. Not many people would bother even thinking about helping during such a scenario.

I used to live with a guy who was AGAINST giving homeless people money. I used to have massive arguments with him about it because I just did not understand his reasoning, which was that he was "feeding their habits". Even if my money is feeding one of their habits, at least they aren't robbing someone for it. Also, it's not like every homeless person is an addict of some kind. Some are actually poor from non drug related problems.

I used to live in London, lots of homeless there as you can imagine and I'd always spare some change for those in the streets. I walked past a young guy, when I was on the way to work but had no spare change (I had notes in my wallet) and said 'sorry I don't have any spare change today' and kept walking.

As I got a little bit further down the street, I started thinking about how this guy was younger than I was. How I 'couldn't spare any money because it wasn't coins'. How I was on the way to a job which pays me. How I have traveled overseas. How I may not be wealthy but I am a rich person.

I turned back and gave him my 15 pounds, croaked a 'take care, look after yourself' and when I walked away I just couldn't stop sobbing it was so upsetting.

I know how it feels Ice House, these wake-up calls. We have all got do our part.

Vodsel, that's an amazing story - I don't think I will forget it either.