When helping hurts

LOL- I always used to say to Gina "when helping hurts, Gina...when helping hurts!!" whenever she was trying to "help" or explain something to me at MTW and it wasn't making any sense. Hilarious. She would always get frustrated and laugh. I have no idea how anyone puts up with me.

So today, I had another "incident" with helping....hurting, I guess. I went to CFA on my lunch break from MARR. The guys are all off-site on Wednesdays, so typically the day is more laid back and you have choices about how to spend your time. I had to make some late-afternoon phone calls that would put me over my hours, so I took an 1 1/2 and went to CFA to eat lunch and work on my take-home final that's due Friday. I had a great lunch and got the final done- score. I got another refill on my Coke Zero (the CFA on Buford Hwy has Coke Zero, how about that) and left.

I was parked really close to the door. As I walked to my car, there was a guy sitting on the ledge outside of the CFA. In hindsight, he may have been sitting on a tipped over newspaper stand. But anyway, I caught his eye and he asked "can you buy me some food?" I was shocked he didn't ask me for money. But he did look homeless. Or poor. Actually, he kind of looked like Brent, with a worn out backpack. Anyway, I said "sure, what would you like?" And his eyes lit up. "Chicken salad." I said ok, and went inside and ordered him a chicken salad sandwich and a water. I realized after I ordered that he may have meant an actual salad. But I comforted myself by thinking he's probably just hungry and would take anything. So I get the food and bring it to him, saying:
"I realized that after I ordered you probably meant the salad and not the sandwich, but I figured it would probably be ok."
He says: "No, I can't eat that, I would throw up."
I say: "You're sure you don't want to eat it."
He says: "No!"
I say: "Do you want the water at least?"
He says: "No"
I say: "Ok, that's fine. Well, I guess I'll keep it and eat it myself." I head into my car. He proceeds to get his stuff and walk into CFA. With what intentions, I don't know.

On my 6 min drive back to MARR I contemplated this situation. I had a $2.45 sandwich and a water and a full Coke Zero in the car. My stomach was already full with my number 2 combo. I did not make a poor person happy as planned. I am not poor, but am happy to eat the sandwich later, now that I have it. I also thought a lot about Kenya, and how the kids there were so happy to get any food, even worm medicine tablets.

It's possible he may have been ill, or not with it cognitively. I don't know. I don't want to judge. But I know that it does happen, with a variety of explanations I'm sure, that even the poor in this country can feel entitled.

Oh well. I left the sandwich accidentally in the fridge at MARR, so I don't know what that makes me. I just hope it's still good tomorrow.