shit for charity....
So I have this friend...no, really. She is hmmm.... peculiar. Which is ironic, because she lives in Peculiar. She doesn't like to try new things. I am all about trying new things - I mean not even restaurants she hasn't been to before. (THAT level of not being adventurous!) so when she suggests we go to the casino and try the buffet there on one of our regular friday night dinners, I am of course...shocked and excited. ( I would like to point out that normally it takes more than the prospect of an all-you-can eat hodown to get me excited but my friendship with HR has somewhat lowered my excitement threshold).
We get off the highway and slow down at the end of the ramp to make the turn onto casino-way. While stopped at the light I notice a woman at the corner with a sign. I can't remember now what it said but insert some generic plea for money for food or some such thing and we can get back to the point of the story. From the car in front of us I see an arm extend out the window with a dollar bill attached to it and the woman eagerly shuffles over and removes the dollar, shoving it into her bra (or safety deposit box strapped to her chest).
I am rattling through my purse trying to find a dollar, all I have is 20's and a 10. I look over at HR and am about to ask her for something smaller when she says...."roll up your window."
HUH? quoi? how am I to pass the woman money through the glass? "but I am going to give her some money, hang on." I say, and continue to push aside lip gloss and pens looking for the dollar I am JUST SURE is in there somewhere.
I give up and hand her a 10. She smiles like I am the second coming of Christ and toddles off to do whatever it is 10 dollars (well, 11 if you count car # 1's donation) will allow her to. I press the button and window whirrrs to the upright, closed position.
I smile to myself. I feel good. I did a good thing. Turning to HR, waiting for the praise and adulation for my generosity that I am just positive is about to come out of her mouth.... I notice the look on her face.
I have feeling it's not going to be praise coming out.
HR for the record is also the queen of candy-coating so she never actually voiced her disgust with me outloud. But for whatever else you have to love her wonderfully expressive face. She didn't NEED to say a word.
So I guess my question is this: if you are more than 50% sure that the recipient of said charity is going to do something self-destructive or irresponsible with the donation.... does it make it not in fact charitable? Am I evil for giving the woman $10?
Here's my advice... buy this CD > lazyboy tv.... and listen to the song "underwear goes outside the pants". But for those of you who haven't heard it.... I'm sure there is one or two of you out there..... here's the words (no, not ALL of them...just the pertinent ones)
'this homeless guy asked me for some money the other day and i was gonna give it to him but then i thought you're just gonna use it on drugs or alcohol and then i thought that's what i'm gonna use it on, why am i judging this poor bastard. People love to judge homeless guys. like, you're giving him money, he's just going to waste it, he's just going to waste the money. well, he lives in a box what do you want him to do with it? save up and buy a wall unit take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a cd rack - he's homeless.'
For the purposes of this post I am totally equating drugs and alcohol to an all-you-can eat buffet. Think about it. Do I need to eat all I can eat for 19.99 ? Hell no, but it tastes good and makes me happy and even better, I get to eat all sorts of cool stuff and there is NO clean up involved. It's a rush. So is drugs and alcohol.
So HR. I love you my little neurotic friend but I like to help people and when I have an extra 10 bucks don't wrinkle your brow at me. It could have been anyone of us.
We get off the highway and slow down at the end of the ramp to make the turn onto casino-way. While stopped at the light I notice a woman at the corner with a sign. I can't remember now what it said but insert some generic plea for money for food or some such thing and we can get back to the point of the story. From the car in front of us I see an arm extend out the window with a dollar bill attached to it and the woman eagerly shuffles over and removes the dollar, shoving it into her bra (or safety deposit box strapped to her chest).
I am rattling through my purse trying to find a dollar, all I have is 20's and a 10. I look over at HR and am about to ask her for something smaller when she says...."roll up your window."
HUH? quoi? how am I to pass the woman money through the glass? "but I am going to give her some money, hang on." I say, and continue to push aside lip gloss and pens looking for the dollar I am JUST SURE is in there somewhere.
I give up and hand her a 10. She smiles like I am the second coming of Christ and toddles off to do whatever it is 10 dollars (well, 11 if you count car # 1's donation) will allow her to. I press the button and window whirrrs to the upright, closed position.
I smile to myself. I feel good. I did a good thing. Turning to HR, waiting for the praise and adulation for my generosity that I am just positive is about to come out of her mouth.... I notice the look on her face.
I have feeling it's not going to be praise coming out.
HR for the record is also the queen of candy-coating so she never actually voiced her disgust with me outloud. But for whatever else you have to love her wonderfully expressive face. She didn't NEED to say a word.
So I guess my question is this: if you are more than 50% sure that the recipient of said charity is going to do something self-destructive or irresponsible with the donation.... does it make it not in fact charitable? Am I evil for giving the woman $10?
Here's my advice... buy this CD > lazyboy tv.... and listen to the song "underwear goes outside the pants". But for those of you who haven't heard it.... I'm sure there is one or two of you out there..... here's the words (no, not ALL of them...just the pertinent ones)
'this homeless guy asked me for some money the other day and i was gonna give it to him but then i thought you're just gonna use it on drugs or alcohol and then i thought that's what i'm gonna use it on, why am i judging this poor bastard. People love to judge homeless guys. like, you're giving him money, he's just going to waste it, he's just going to waste the money. well, he lives in a box what do you want him to do with it? save up and buy a wall unit take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a cd rack - he's homeless.'
For the purposes of this post I am totally equating drugs and alcohol to an all-you-can eat buffet. Think about it. Do I need to eat all I can eat for 19.99 ? Hell no, but it tastes good and makes me happy and even better, I get to eat all sorts of cool stuff and there is NO clean up involved. It's a rush. So is drugs and alcohol.
So HR. I love you my little neurotic friend but I like to help people and when I have an extra 10 bucks don't wrinkle your brow at me. It could have been anyone of us.
posted by Lisa at 2:53 PM
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