what makes a day

Yesterday after a morning of paperwork and finances with Kat, I headed to Quacks to meet Kat and do some more work. Just as I was getting out of my car, I was accosted by a homeless man who told me his story. He was just out of the hospital, only a month to live, do I have any spare change? Now, I know spare change won't buy him any time if he really has just a month to live. It will almost buy him a beer and it's a start towards a $5 bag of crack. Not only did I not have any change, I decided long ago that I don't want to give out change. There's something about giving someone a dime that just feels ugly to me. I told the guy I had a blanket in the car, and if he went to Trinity I'd see that he got his prescriptions paid for, etc. He turned on me and told me I know nothing about life and death and what it's like to be in the hospital. To him, I'm just some lady with a car and a laptop about to buy a nice cup of tea. He scolded me as I walked in, mumbled at me about how I had no idea what it was like to be dying. I told him he was right, "I don't know a damn thing about death." (Kat said I should have showed him my scars, but that would have required taking off my shirt and I didn't see the point in that. ) I felt guilty and defiant at the same time. He was unpleasant, but I'm sure he felt like crap and hated me just for being who he thought I was.

This morning, on the ritual Saturday run around Town Lake, I saw my friend Homer. Homer who is a regular at the shelter. Homer who gives me a hard time while he's making jokes with me. Homer who teased me about gaining a little weight over the holidays and then the next week told me I needed to eat more. Homer who rides his bike around town and meditates when things get too much for him. Homer who always tells me he's never seen me running around the lake even though he's there every Saturday morning cause he lives there. This morning, around mile 9, I saw Homer walking toward the path from the woods. I yelled out to him and waved and he looked up and gave me the biggest grin "Hey, Stacy, It's you!, Go Stacy!" In that little moment, there was a shift and my day was made. Seems too simple.