homeless people

I encountered two homeless men today. Both of them were while I was on my way to work. One of them was the typical "bum" as we know it. He had a shopping cart with all of his belongings, his paper bag with his alcohol and he wreaked of booze. His clothes were layered fairly thick for a summer morning, but I'm sure that is all he had. Every morning he makes his rounds from the liquor shop, down the main street, and to his resting place near the train tracks nearly one and a half miles from the liquor store. I have seen this "bum" for about a year now. Since I walk to both of my places of work, I've encountered this bum numerous times. There have been times where it is raining and he is laying in the dirt covered up with a blanket.

The other so called "bum" was dressed similarly. When I approached him(he was sitting down), he was preoccupied with something. I tried to take a better look without being caught staring. He was writing something in a journal and had a book and calculator in hand.

These two very different men would be categorized into the same class by most on lookers. But if you look a little bit closer, these "bums" are no different from any of us. So, when I get upset because I know the bills are stacking up and my family life is falling apart...or that I have to "put my life on hold" for a year or two....or that I'm still struggling with past relationshipS....and it just seems like its never gonna end....

.....then I think, it could be worse. I'm very very lucky to be where I am at right now.