Yesterday I went to the 24-hour grocery store at around 11pm (23:00). As always, grocery stores that are open late like this have maybe one person working the register, so the line gets long. It's just a fact of shopping late.
So I'm standing in line, being patient. I don't know what's happening, but I look up the line to see the cashier discussing something with the people at the register. Something about a credit card. It didn't matter. The fact is, the line was held up due to something.
As usual, people started to grumble. Now I'm a pretty patient person, so getting upset during situations like this fascinates me. I did a quick scan of the line. Guy buying some diapers, probably has a reason to get home quick; two college age girls with a basket full of junk food, probably not.
Then I spotted him. The Bum. The man was obviously homeless, and I had the same reaction that every respectable city dweller has - I averted my eyes. But he wasn't looking towards me, so I did a quick scan. His clothes were torn to shreds, and probably hadn't been washed in a while, the cuffs covered in what I hoped was dried mud. He had a scraggly beard and smears of dirt on his face and hands. His hands. They held in them, as if they were trophies, 3 40oz bottles of Budweiser. I rolled my eyes. Get a job.
At this point, the line hadn't moved in perhaps 10 minutes. People were getting upset. The man directly behind the Bum, who I am going to call Mr Antsy, looked angry. I'm sure he needed to get home to consume those Doritos and 2 liter of Coke.
Suddenly, Mr Antsy has had enough. "What the fuck is the problem?", he yells, "I've been standing in this line for 15 minutes already!".
I see uncomfortable people shift in the line. Most probably agree, but Mr Antsy's lack of tact is annoying. No one says anything.
"Come on!", Mr Antsy yells again.
The Bum slowly turns around. I worry he's going to ramble at him, or ask him for change. I wait for the crazy look in his eye. Get a job.
Instead, he looks Mr Antsy directly in the eye, and pauses. Not a crazy look, but a calculating one, a considering one. I see him take a deep breath.
"Man, I wish I had YOUR problems", the Bum says.
Get a job? These are the kind of thoughts that flash through my head when I see homeless people? Get a job? As if they could help it? As if it were that easy? Do we really believe that this idea is groundbreaking to them? "Hey, get a job", "Oh shit! That's what I've been doing wrong! I couldn't figure it out! Thanks man"
I think a lot of people don't believe in these so-called "moments of enlightenment". These events that happen that make your thoughts and ideas and ideals do acrobatics to make an Olympian jealous. This was one of them for me.