Passer By

I can’t tell her I have a “charity only” gifting policy. She wouldn’t care about that anyway. And I can’t tell her that I raised $100,000 for subsidized housing in our city. She wouldn’t care about that, either. I can’t tell her that I care, either, because she wants actions not words.

But I do care and I want to give her money because there’s something real, not opportunistic, about her. But I can’t give her money; I worry about what she will spend it on. And when I have given food; it is often not appreciated. So I walk by, and I feel awful.  And she thinks I don’t care.

But I do. It hurts to see women on the street. I smile, but all she registers is that I walked past her and didn’t give her any money. This is life downtown.