One fall night about four years ago, Marie and I met a group of people in the city. We did not know what we were meeting for and soon found out it was going to be a scavenger hunt. The purpose of the scavenger hunt was to step out of our comfort zones and make a difference for somebody. We were to go out in pairs and report back in a couple hours. I remember looking at the list and wondering how getting a rubber chicken and a roll of toilet paper was going to make a difference in someones life. Although, giving someone a roll of toilet paper could make a difference in their life, depending on the situation.
Then, we saw that on the list was to buy and share a meal with someone who needed it. We started walking around and saw a man pushing a cart. He was pretty tattered, had shoulder length hair and a long grayish beard. I walked beside him, said hello and asked him if he was hungry. He said he had eaten already. We asked him if there was anything else we could do for him. He said "no, I have all I need". I said alright and as we walked away, he said "Have a good evening".
We looked back and saw him busy collecting cans as he turned down another street. We were quiet, then we looked at each other and Marie said "What happened to this guy?" He was sweet and polite. He seemingly had nothing and yet when we opened up the door and asked him if he needed anything, he said no. Why was this guy on the streets collecting cans? We wanted to know what happened in Lupe's life that he ended up here. I looked at Marie an then started running down the street to catch him.
We caught up with him and started walking along-side him. I said hello again and asked him his name. "Lupe", he said. I decided to just get to the point. I said, "What happened? Why are you out here?" He looked at me and I noticed he only had one good eye, the other one was closed up.
He looked at me for a second and I wasn't sure what his reaction would be. Then, he began his story.
One night, he was on his way home when he was attacked. Someone had hit him over the head and jammed something in his eye. He was left with a concussion and ended up in the hospital. The stay ended up soaking him dry financially. He then lost his job and eventually his apartment.
Since the attach he had problems thinking and remembering things. He said he has never been "himself" since the attack. We asked him if he had family to help him and he said he didn't have anyone here. He had been on the streets for over 5 years now. He said that he was saving up money from collecting cans to get an address because he goes to fill out job applications and can't complete it because he has no address. We then offered him some money and he wouldn't take it. He said he wanted to earn his way of the streets. Wow!
We both walked away in silence and then stopped about a block away and looked at each other and just started crying. We were crying for all the judgements we make about people without knowing their stories, out of gratitude knowing that we could be a moment away from a similar fate and for Lupe, who didn't need our money or our sympathy. to this day, whenever we do something to help someone out, we call it a "Lupe". We went out that night in search of rubber chickens and found a new source of gratitude and compassion. We left Lupe that night, but he has never left us.
Then, we saw that on the list was to buy and share a meal with someone who needed it. We started walking around and saw a man pushing a cart. He was pretty tattered, had shoulder length hair and a long grayish beard. I walked beside him, said hello and asked him if he was hungry. He said he had eaten already. We asked him if there was anything else we could do for him. He said "no, I have all I need". I said alright and as we walked away, he said "Have a good evening".
We looked back and saw him busy collecting cans as he turned down another street. We were quiet, then we looked at each other and Marie said "What happened to this guy?" He was sweet and polite. He seemingly had nothing and yet when we opened up the door and asked him if he needed anything, he said no. Why was this guy on the streets collecting cans? We wanted to know what happened in Lupe's life that he ended up here. I looked at Marie an then started running down the street to catch him.
We caught up with him and started walking along-side him. I said hello again and asked him his name. "Lupe", he said. I decided to just get to the point. I said, "What happened? Why are you out here?" He looked at me and I noticed he only had one good eye, the other one was closed up.
He looked at me for a second and I wasn't sure what his reaction would be. Then, he began his story.
One night, he was on his way home when he was attacked. Someone had hit him over the head and jammed something in his eye. He was left with a concussion and ended up in the hospital. The stay ended up soaking him dry financially. He then lost his job and eventually his apartment.
Since the attach he had problems thinking and remembering things. He said he has never been "himself" since the attack. We asked him if he had family to help him and he said he didn't have anyone here. He had been on the streets for over 5 years now. He said that he was saving up money from collecting cans to get an address because he goes to fill out job applications and can't complete it because he has no address. We then offered him some money and he wouldn't take it. He said he wanted to earn his way of the streets. Wow!
We both walked away in silence and then stopped about a block away and looked at each other and just started crying. We were crying for all the judgements we make about people without knowing their stories, out of gratitude knowing that we could be a moment away from a similar fate and for Lupe, who didn't need our money or our sympathy. to this day, whenever we do something to help someone out, we call it a "Lupe". We went out that night in search of rubber chickens and found a new source of gratitude and compassion. We left Lupe that night, but he has never left us.
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