a little observation.
i was driving down broadway the other day trying to get home from work as soon as i could, windows down, blasting my radio as usual (a bad habit i acquired.. i'm nearly deaf now). nearing the intersection, i saw a guy standing on the corner with a ratty old cardboard sign--the type of guy that you think of when you think "homeless." i turned the radio down almost in an instant and the loud music became a quiet hum. maybe it was out of shame for being the middle-class kind of girl i am, born without want and driving a car that her mommy and daddy bought for her.

have you ever passed by a guy on the street corner who asks you for change? you avoid eye contact, try not to pause and continue on your way, just so you don't have to feel guilty. the problem is, when you're stuck in your car stopped at a red light, you can't hide from it because you have nowhere to go. two individuals in a car in front of me, an old red chevrolet, had pulled over before. i saw the window open, and the passenger leaned over--maybe exchanging some words or giving the man some spare change. they then drove off when the light turned green.

i was still stuck at the red light waiting to turn left, so i watched in my rearview mirror as a new batch of drivers lined up next to the man. he walked up and down the sidewalk, possibly trying to get their attention. most drivers ignored the man, kept their eyes straight ahead of them and pretended that he wasn't there. then the driver of a shiny, black bmw leaned over his passenger seat as the homeless man passed by--to lock his passenger door.

funny.