New York, New York

I was accosted yesterday in quite a minatory manner, where a person actually followed me into a very very small restaurant after asking for money. He was yelling at my roomate, so I bought him a sandwich, and he still continued yelling at us. It was very difficult for me. I've had family members that have fought and died in wars, and this person, who there was a strong chance he never has spent a moment serving our country in that manner, had given the "Vietnam" speech for so long that he was able to run it on autopilot, and didn't even need our reactions or questions to do so.

It gives rise to a question of legitimacy. To what percentage are we able to give to those who are homeless or in need the ability to act for themselves and find a way out of their difficult situations. I make an argument that there are actually a number of people who don't even want help, or choose to ignore the help that is offered. I saw an advertisement for NY sending out homeless teams to reach out and help, and it seemed like a very awesome idea, but I wonder their plan of action if met with resistance.

I'm all about building relationships with the people you can, and then being better able to intimately meeting someones needs, and not just buy a sandwich, but meet the deeper emotional needs that someone has, which is to be known, and to have people who legitimize what you say and think, and value you and your contributions to any discussion, work, or life experience.