The Lesson I’m Not Sure I’ve Figured Out Yet

I’m always looking for lessons in my daily experiences. For example, I’ve learned a couple things from public washrooms. Below is a personal encounter I had with an interesting fellow. I’m not sure I’ve fully learned what this story has to teach me.

Recently I was waiting for a bus. A homeless man pulling a rolling suitcase crossed the road to ask me for change for food. I told him I didn’t have any, hoping he would leave me alone.

He didn’t leave.

Instead he raised his eyebrows, “Really? I’ve been trying since 5 am.”

He then lifted up both sleeves, one after the other to show me he wasn’t using. At least not anything injectable.

“Sorry friend but I don’t have any change.”

He smiled, sat down on the bench beside me and said, “I’ll take bills.”

“I don’t have any of those either.”

“Will you buy me some food?” There were no places to buy food on the block where we were waiting.

“I can’t buy you food, but I have a bag full of food and you can have some of that.” His eye brows lifted again, encouraging me to show him what I had. I don’t keep food in plastic (and neither should you) so I pulled out the first mason jar full of carrot ginger soup. “You can have this.”

“Can I smell it?” I removed the metal lid. He drew his nose in close and shook his head no.

“The other option is half an apple.” I opened the lid so he could see.

“No. I’m fine.”

“Okay.”

“My friend was poisoned in Toronto. This couple didn’t like the homeless population and gave him poisoned food. They were charged with 3 counts of attempted murder.”

“Wow,” not sure if he was telling the truth.

“So I have a no open food policy.” (I didn’t think beggars could be choosers.)

“Okay. Up to you. I will be eating this food myself later so I assure you it’s not poisoned.” He stood and grabbed the handle of his bag. I thought he was about to head on his way.

“And that apple just reminded me of snow white.” And I chuckled. It was perfectly cut in half and browned slightly.

“I’m not an evil witch,” I assured him, although I’m not sure why. It didn’t matter, he had made up his mind. He sat back down.

“Or was it Sleeping Beauty?”

“No. You were right. Snow White was poisoned by the apple.”

“Then which one was sleeping beauty?” I gave him the synopsis of the story line, “And then she fell asleep until her prince…”

“Came and kissed her,” he finished.

“You got it. Prince Charming saves the day again.”

“Unfortunately they are just fairy tales. Prince Charming, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty – none of them exist.” I was enjoying this conversation so I told him about the movie Malificent, the back story of the witch who cursed Sleeping Beauty.

“Ah. So the evil witch had a piece of the king before he married the queen.”

“Well she wasn’t an evil witch at the time. But the king broke her heart and she was in so much pain that she wanted…”

“Vengeance.” He was focused inward, but he finished my sentence again, as if he knew this story all to well, perhaps from a secret chapter in his past. Around the corner came the bus. He asked me where it was going, and I told him. He grabbed his suitcase and sauntered down the sidewalk.

I waved to his back as he rolled along.

It was such a random encounter, jamming about fairy tales and princes with this wanderer who wanted food, but not so badly that he wanted my food.

I really do hope he finds what he’s looking for.(Tweet it!)

I think there are lots of lessons in this story. But I’d love to hear from you… what do you think the moral of this story is?