Steely
Active Member
I was driving into town yesterday and I saw a man on the freeway with a small dog and a small backpack. I thought it seemed sad.
I spent 2 hours in town, and I was driving home and I see him again right by my house. I was overcome by the need to help him. This type of conviction rarely hits me like this, and when it does I know I better follow it. I did a u turn onto a cow road since the freeway is only 2 lanes and asked him if he needed anything. He said no. I said do you have dog food and water, and he said he could use some water. I told him to meet me at the entrance to my neighborhood and I would be right back.
I got home, and felt compelled to not only get him water but to see if he needed a sleeping bag, and a hiking backpack. I put all of this in the car, and meet him up with him again. He and his small puppy are sitting in the sun, on the sand, just roasting.
I said, hey I have this backpack that was my son's do you need that? And a sleeping bag. (Both of which just happened to have come from when Matt was in the Wilderness Program in Utah.) He said OMG, yes. I am walking from Phoenix to Spokane WA. I had everything on my bike and the bike got 2 flats and I had to leave it all there. I have nothing. I just looked at him. I said, wow, it took me 15 hours to drive from here to Oregon - you have a LONG ways to go! And it is going to be cold where you are headed.
He had been working as a ranch hand in Phoenix and needed to get back home to his landscape business for the summer in Spokane. I don't know why, but his spirit just hit mine hard - I felt like I had been clobbered in the heart. I gave him some water and 20.00 and said, look dude, you know the next town is not for 66 miles? He just looked at me, really? I said yah. I mean this is just pure brutal desert out here for miles. I said the gas station right over there is the last one you will see into you get into a town in Utah.
He told me thank you and I held his adorable puppy. (Some little breed like a chihuahua mix - 5 months and maybe 5 pounds). He was so concerned about her, he asked me why I thought her nose was so dry? OMG. He had a good heart. The puppy had a big pink heart name tag. I told him it was just the desert sand, and that she had probably been rooting around in it and it chapped her nose. He said, yea, now that I have this backpack I can put her in it so she doesn't have to walk all those miles.
Wow. That is all I can say. I just walked around for hours being grounded back in reality. Where were his parents? He was only in his late 30's mid 40's. Where were his friends? And kudos to him for not giving up in Phoenix and whining and becoming homeless - but for having the tenacity to walk back to where he knew there was work. All the way through Arizona, Utah, and Idaho until he gets home to Spokane.
I don't know why things like this impact me so directly. I never have really figured that out about myself. I just can literally feel people's spirits sometimes - and it almost overwhelms me. I wish this man the best, and glad he had his baby puppy to keep him company. I think he may always be in my thoughts, for some reason.
I spent 2 hours in town, and I was driving home and I see him again right by my house. I was overcome by the need to help him. This type of conviction rarely hits me like this, and when it does I know I better follow it. I did a u turn onto a cow road since the freeway is only 2 lanes and asked him if he needed anything. He said no. I said do you have dog food and water, and he said he could use some water. I told him to meet me at the entrance to my neighborhood and I would be right back.
I got home, and felt compelled to not only get him water but to see if he needed a sleeping bag, and a hiking backpack. I put all of this in the car, and meet him up with him again. He and his small puppy are sitting in the sun, on the sand, just roasting.
I said, hey I have this backpack that was my son's do you need that? And a sleeping bag. (Both of which just happened to have come from when Matt was in the Wilderness Program in Utah.) He said OMG, yes. I am walking from Phoenix to Spokane WA. I had everything on my bike and the bike got 2 flats and I had to leave it all there. I have nothing. I just looked at him. I said, wow, it took me 15 hours to drive from here to Oregon - you have a LONG ways to go! And it is going to be cold where you are headed.
He had been working as a ranch hand in Phoenix and needed to get back home to his landscape business for the summer in Spokane. I don't know why, but his spirit just hit mine hard - I felt like I had been clobbered in the heart. I gave him some water and 20.00 and said, look dude, you know the next town is not for 66 miles? He just looked at me, really? I said yah. I mean this is just pure brutal desert out here for miles. I said the gas station right over there is the last one you will see into you get into a town in Utah.
He told me thank you and I held his adorable puppy. (Some little breed like a chihuahua mix - 5 months and maybe 5 pounds). He was so concerned about her, he asked me why I thought her nose was so dry? OMG. He had a good heart. The puppy had a big pink heart name tag. I told him it was just the desert sand, and that she had probably been rooting around in it and it chapped her nose. He said, yea, now that I have this backpack I can put her in it so she doesn't have to walk all those miles.
Wow. That is all I can say. I just walked around for hours being grounded back in reality. Where were his parents? He was only in his late 30's mid 40's. Where were his friends? And kudos to him for not giving up in Phoenix and whining and becoming homeless - but for having the tenacity to walk back to where he knew there was work. All the way through Arizona, Utah, and Idaho until he gets home to Spokane.
I don't know why things like this impact me so directly. I never have really figured that out about myself. I just can literally feel people's spirits sometimes - and it almost overwhelms me. I wish this man the best, and glad he had his baby puppy to keep him company. I think he may always be in my thoughts, for some reason.
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With people entering and leaving the neighborhood constantly as we stood there - and there was a gas station on the other side of the frwy? I mean, I guess he could have had a gun and kidnapped me, but I dont' know - I guess that one thing didn't enter my brain??? I know Star my family AND counselor tell me all the time.....WTH.....you did what? OMG. I guess I just don't have a lot of fear, it has all been sapped out of me by raising a difficult child. LOL.
