“Excuse me sir, are you hungry?”

In an instant, my year-long impression of both of them vanished.

She threw her cigarette onto the sidewalk and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. I watched her stomp back into the kosher deli with her usual wide-eyed expression that always made me feel like something was slightly off. I wondered if she washed her hands before she started making sandwiches again.

His filthy, tattered clothes hung for dear life on his frail frame. His face was covered with a grey beard and dirt. So much dirt. He was homeless and spent most of his day under a tree in the park next to my morning coffee stop. It was more of a street island than a park, but people used it to walk their dogs, wait for the bus, or let their kids play in the sand. They all stayed far away from him. Most of the time when I walked by I turned my head to avoid seeing his dirt-caked butt crack. I passed him almost every day for the last year and I couldn’t tell you what his face looked like. I never once thought about asking him if he was hungry.

“Excuse me sir, are you hungry?”

That morning the sound of her voice startled me. It was soft and kind. She didn’t sound crazy. When she called him “sir” she meant it. It made me look at him. Really look at him. That morning he was no longer faceless. He was probably hungry, but he said, “No” and continued to limp by, dragging one foot slowly behind the other. That morning I was reminded how a simple act of kindness can change everything, even a year-long impression that couldn’t have been more wrong.

It took me almost two weeks to get up the courage to go back and ask her if I could take her picture. One afternoon I parked my car outside the deli, rolled down my windows, and waited. It wasn’t long before I smelled smoke and when I looked up from my phone, sure enough, there she was.

She told me Norman is schizophrenic and has been on the streets for about 10 or 11 years. She tries to help him out whenever she can. She said I could come back and find her anytime if I didn’t like the picture. I love the picture.

This is Gina.

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16 Comments

  1. Chris Payne said:

    Audra, you found your calling what a fantastic gift you have of writing! Your so inspirational and its a pleasure to read your first blog. I am looking forward to the next already

    March 24, 2015
    Reply
    • Audra said:

      Thank you Chris. I really appreciate your kind words and support!

      March 25, 2015
      Reply
  2. Barbara Koklys said:

    Dear Audra, your narrative left me feeling inspired. I hope the next time I make a snap judgment about someone, or some situation, I actually I take the time to look more deeply. Beautifully written. Anxious to read more!

    March 24, 2015
    Reply
    • Audra said:

      Thank you Barbara. You are so kind! It’s a lesson I seem to relearn quite often–kind of like my Groundhog Day.

      March 25, 2015
      Reply
  3. Stacey Christensen said:

    Audra, you always were a beautiful writer! This is what you were meant to do after having those beautiful babies of yours! I can’t wait to read more! Maybe a book in your future!!??

    March 24, 2015
    Reply
    • Audra said:

      Aww Stacey. You are so sweet. Thank you!

      March 25, 2015
      Reply
  4. Julie Koklys-Darley said:

    Truly a fantastic writer. From your FB posts about your beautiful angels, to this, you have a gift!

    March 24, 2015
    Reply
    • Audra said:

      Thank you Julie. Your support means the world to me!

      March 25, 2015
      Reply
  5. Tania said:

    Audra- I love it; beautifully written and captured via photo. Look forward to reading more of your blogs.

    March 25, 2015
    Reply
    • Audra said:

      Thank you Tania. I appreciate your support so much!

      March 25, 2015
      Reply
  6. Julie Elder said:

    So eloquently written. Inspires me to be more observant of the people in my surroundings. Looking forward to the next wonderful story.

    March 28, 2015
    Reply
  7. Linda Plummer said:

    Loved your sharing one human helping another without casting judgment. Looking forward to reading more as you look for the beautiful in the people you pass each day.

    March 31, 2015
    Reply
    • Thank you Linda. I appreciate your support (and love your description of the site!).

      April 1, 2015
      Reply
  8. Andrea said:

    Audra, I agree with everyone else here – you’ve found your calling. Your writing is amazing. I’m so moved by everything I’ve read so far. And I LOVE that you have one beautiful photo for each story. I’m looking forward to more!

    April 2, 2015
    Reply

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