13/01/2025
I GAVE SHELTER TO A HOMELESS MAN I SAW NEAR A DUMPSTER – I GASPED, "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE," WHEN HE CAME OUT OF MY SHOWER I'm not the kind of person who picks up strangers — especially not men near dumpsters. At 55, I've learned my lessons about trusting too quickly. But that evening, taking out the trash behind the diner where I work part-time, I saw him. He was slumped by the dumpster, his clothes tattered, face hidden behind messy hair and a scraggly beard. The cold bit into my skin — I couldn't imagine what it was doing to him. I tried to ignore him, but as I turned to go inside, he looked up. His eyes weren't dull like I expected — they were bright, filled with something I couldn't place. Desperation? Pain? Hope? "Ma'am… I don't mean to bother you," he croaked. "But if you've got anything… anything at all…" I hesitated but handed him a twenty. "Get something warm to eat," I said. He stared, then added, "I don't suppose you know where I could sleep tonight?" My heart clenched. Before I could think better of it, I said, "I have a couch. And a hot shower. If you're not… dangerous." He smiled, weary but grateful. "I promise, ma'am." Back home, I handed him a towel and old clothes, directing him to the bathroom. As the water ran, doubt gnawed at me. What if I'd made a mistake? But when the door opened, I froze. The man before me wasn't the scruffy figure I'd picked up. "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE," I whispered, stunned. ⬇️