Planning to stop into the market, for bananas and to look for the Elf, after yesterday’s Pain Cave workout, I instead hurried back to the complex to attend a surprise craft session.
We decorated little Christmas Ornaments.
I chose a Santa faced stencil.
Santa face now resides at the base of my horseshoe Christmas tree.
I didn’t know about crafts in advance because Activity Director, and a calendar of events, had been missing for weeks ─ causing speculation she’d jumped ship. But no, it really was a family emergency and she showed up yesterday with crafts.
Not many attended, because no one knew about it. I only found out at the last second, because The Baker said she knew I liked things like that and messaged me while I was in the Cave.
So anyway, after crafts I headed to the market.
Didn’t find the Elf and, on the way back to the car, I was approached by a woman asking for money with the plea, “Can you help me get a loaf of bread from the market?”
“Sorry, no” was my reply for two reasons. One being it’s not smart to pull cash out in the open, in front of a stranger. She could have had a partner to run up and jack me. She could have herself grabbed my little wad of rolled up cash and taken off. Two, I’ve been burned so many times with giving money to panhandlers I felt were genuinely in need, only to see or hear something shortly after that led me to believe I’d been snookered that, like the Grinch, my heart has been hardened.
But not so hardened that I did not say to myself that once I got in the car, I’d look for her on the lot and, if she was still there looking for help, I’d help her out.
Sure enough, there she was in front of the store.
From the safety of the car, I handed her enough cash for several loaves, thinking she’d immediately head into the market.
She didn’t.
Wanting to know if I’d been played for the fool yet again, I circled the lot and saw her still standing outside the market asking for help getting a loaf of bread.
Snookered!
That was such a good con, and she looked so normal, so sincere, that she probably conned enough cash from folks to cover groceries for a month or, God forbid, get her next drug fix.
The sad thing is, that particular ploy won’t work on me again and the next person to ask “Can you help me get a loaf of bread from the market” might really be in need.
If all goes as planned today, Activity Director is returning (that is if her family emergency is completely over, and it might not be because, though I don’t know all the details, it involves her father going in and out of hospital) and providing a Holiday Lunch for the residents.
Activity Director’s lunches are usually boring affairs and involve sandwiches, so I’m not looking forward to attending except The Baker was excited about it, mentioned it to me three times and that there’d be an Ugly Sweater contest, so looks like I’m going.
Not bothering with throwing together an ugly sweater though.
We give monthly to the Mission in town and we volunteer every Christmas to work at the meal. We have been told to refer anyone who says they are in need directly to the Mission. One of our Christmas guests last year was a woman who told me she had panhandled over $1,500 in the past three weeks, paid off her car and was heading to Florida ( easier to survive winter if you are homeless).
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine keeps a supply of water bottles and granola bars in her car and she will give those out.
So glad you have not lost Activity Director, she sounds like a good one.
I always gave the United way through work, when I was employed. After retiring, I started giving to Children's Hospital, BUT they sold me to every organization imaginable and began asking me for money every week, so I stopped giving except for when something compels me to take a chance, like yesterday, and give. I'd be happy to know she used what she collected, from me and others, towards something useful, like paying off her car and heading to Florida. LOL.
DeleteSorry to hear that your good deed turned out so badly. I never give money. Instead, I offer the contact information of an organization that helps people that are down on their luck.
ReplyDeleteGood idea.
DeleteI say something like - I only have plastic but if you come back in the store I'll buy you some bread. This is a lot of trouble so they have to look like their honest and down and out.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a great way to handle it. Next time, if there is a next time.
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