Desperate For Money
I was blown away by something that I witnessed while working on the streets today. It made me sad.
I was talking with two street kids as I looked across the way at another young guy. "John" was spanging (asking for spare change) on the opposite corner. As John sat there quietly holding his sign with one hand held out palm up, a businessman walked up to him and began a conversation. Soon, John jumped up onto his feet and began yelling at the man. The man quickly ran away with his head down. John was done for the day. He walked across the street to where the three of us were standing.
He then began, "That *&#$#! thinks I'm gay or something. He thinks I'm a prostitute! He was trying to hire me." With a tear in his eye, he looked towards the ground. It was amazing how quickly this man's ignorant and disrespectful actions wrecked John's day. I told him, "You don't deserve to have people talk to you that way. You know that you aren't like that. Don't listen to him. He doesn't know you. That was his problem, not yours'. Etc. . ."
One of the other street kids standing with us spoke up and said, "Well, you know . . . I have a lot of friends out here on the streets that would have taken him up on his offer. When you're desperate for money, you'll do some crazy things. I have a lot of friends that prostitute themselves. He asked you because others have said 'yes' to him before."
John said, "Not me. Never." Then he walked away.
