I had just finished jogging around College Hill when I heard screaming that didn’t seem too far away. I walked toward the screaming / Hamilton Ave. to make sure everyone was o.k.?!
As I got closer to Hamilton I could see a young couple screaming at each other near the bus stop. Is this any of my business? Can I help? ahhh, I’ll try…. I walked over to see if I could help.
Upon approaching, the couple got a little more quiet… I asked them, “If they needed any help, is everyone o.k.?” My strategy was to listen and let the storm run its course.
The emphatic young man then proceeded to tell me he’s trying as hard as he can, he’s homeless, tired, pissed, and feeling like giving up… His girlfriend was quiet and not saying much — she was quietly ripping apart a McDonalds’ cup and listening. I finally was able to get her talking a bit. She told me about the boyfriend breaking a window and getting the two of them kicked out and they’re both homeless. The young man told me he was doing the best for the baby in his girl’s belly. I was caught up in all the emotions flying around that I didn’t notice the young woman was pregnant. My heart sank thinking these “kids” aren’t going to get far together and could use a little help. We kept talking and the two of them were finally able to talk.
I asked them if they needed a ride instead of taking the bus. They gladly accepted. I went to my house and grabbed my car and a few dollars. Neither of them had asked for any money. I just wanted to give 2 ‘nice’ homeless kids a little boost.
As I was driving the young man was really thankful and apologized for his actions. He said both of them were just tired and hot after a day of walking around. I proceeded to give them unsolicited “dad” advice. Most importantly that working together with their new child will be exponentially easier together than going it alone.
I pulled out the money I grabbed and gave it to them. In my rear view mirror, I could see them looking at each other in disbelief. They hugged each other and started crying — which quickly turned into me tearing up.
We could all use a little outside boost. Best of luck Chris and Quayla!
#weareallinthistogether #love #bethechange 🙂