(#5114) I saw a young man yesterday who asked me for food

      At my house I usually put stuff out at the front of my driveway to give away because I have a lot of stuff here and will likely never use them. Especially clothes. I have grown out of my clothes over the last several decades and have not worn them since. So yesterday and today I have been gleaning out my dresser drawers of the too small stuff for me to wear anymore. I must say it is not easy letting go of some of these things. Yet, I am doing it because I know that if I ever get down a lesser size and I can wear some of this stuff I can always buy something inexpensively new. Yesterdays pile of stuff pretty much is gone except one item of summer wear.
     I put out the last of the winter wear stuff and some dress shirts that should be gone today as well. So yesterday this young polite respectful man, less than 25 years old by my calculation, came by and loaded up several items. I went out to let him know he could take whatever he wanted. Yet the first thing he did was tell me he was hungry and hadn't eaten for several days. I looked at the state of him and it was apparent that he was homeless. Not only that but he looked somewhat worn down and possibly discomforted from his hungered appearance. I said sure and went inside the house and grabbed some things that were easily available and put them in a bag for him. There are a lot of homeless here in my less affluent area so his plight was not a shock. I am also keen on knowing who is a con and who isn't and this young man wasn't.
     That little episode yesterday hit me hard later in the evening when it was getting colder outside. My conscience was letting me know that the angst I felt about giving away clothes that I could no longer wear was inappropriate and reinvigorated me to go through all my clothes and let go of any coat and blankets that I had too much an attachment. Almost shame on me for being possessive of material things in an abundance when others where struggling to survive. There is no excuse for me not to help where I can and give as is needed when I have more than enough. That young mans imagine will stick with me for some time because he personified what some homeless are struggling with and that is just to stay alive.