They Ask For Money - They Deserve My Attention

my favorite picture of a beggar This morning I stopped for gas on the way to work.  It was at my favorite gas station on the corner of Loudon and North Broad.  As I was pumping my gas, I saw out of the corner of my eye a man in a camouflage jacket approach the man pumping his gas at the pump next to mine.  I heard him say that he was a veteran.  I knew the guy would say no, and I also knew I was next. When the guy approached my car, he said something about his truck being parked near downtown, and he said "they sent me to a church, but the church is locked."  He said something about where he lived being near Natural Bridge, and he wanted to know if I could give him $7. I told him my standard answer, "I never carry cash."  I then asked him who "THEY" were.  He said the VA.  I told him he should go back to the VA, but he told me they wouldn't help him with the truck since the truck is in his dad's name.  Then he asked again....

It seems I get asked for money everyday by someone in the area where I work.  On October 9, I was asked by three people for money.  It seems that the first time was downtown Lexington, but the second time was by a couple who had showed up in the parking lot of where I work.  They told me that they were on their way out of town the following day and even had bus tickets, but they didn't have food for the night.  I told them my standard answer, "I'm sorry, I never carry cash."  Just after they asked this question, a woman was running down the street high on something, and she was kind of darting in and out of traffic.  The man who had asked for money from me attempted to help get her out of the street since cars were zooming by, but I wouldn't allow him to go near her.  I told him that she could snap if he touched her, and she could possibly hurt him since she was high. At that time the police were called to try to get her help.  She really co...