“A lot of people have no idea what it actually means to put yourself on a street corner and ask for help from strangers walking by. Being out here degrades a man’s character. People look at you funny all day and pass judgement on you. Come on man, I would rather be working, but a man has to do what a man has to do. I am a house painter, a great painter in fact, but was laid off and can’t find work. Now, I have payments to make, a son to take care of, and a sister with diabetes who needs dialysis. I am not homeless and hope to never be. I just fell on hard times and need help.
“The thing is that I don’t sit out here in rags and look all sad. I don’t want people’s sympathy and pity. I respect myself and like to look nice. I like to stay clean, shave, and sleep in a clean bed. A man who stops looking nice doesn’t love himself no more. So don’t criticize me or doubt me because I want to look respectable. And come on, even people who look clean and happy can need help too. In fact, everyone needs help at some point in their lives. I know the richest people who are miserable. Don’t tell me that money makes their problems go away. That ain’t nothing but a big lie.
Like my Momma said, ‘Love is the only thing in the world that is going to help people.’
“One thing that people need to learn is that everyone ain’t the same. Some people are more fortunate than others. Some people have good luck. Some people have bad luck. Some people have no luck. The point is to love everyone, which is what my Momma taught me. She was an amazing woman and used to walk around with rolls of quarters and pass them out to anyone who needed them. She believed in me and always wanted the best for me. Sometimes, I feel like I disappointed her because I know that I am a better person than the man sitting on this corner asking for money.
“My Momma wanted me to be a minister because I knew the scriptures so well. I took some missteps in my day and made some mistakes, which I regret. Now, I am on a different path and try and share my stories so that others can grow and learn from my experiences. Maybe the next person can learn from me and be a better person than I was.
“I just want to say again to everyone, please don’t judge me. I am not stealing and robbing. I am not lying to take your money. I never have and never will. If you want to know the kind of person I really am, I am not the man on this corner. I am an easy going father of a nine year old son. I have been married for 12 years to a woman I love. I like talking with people and having fun. If you see me, help me because it is what feels right in your heart, not because you feel sympathy or pity for me. I want to repeat that. I don’t want people to feel sympathy or pity for me. You ain’t got to go to church to know that life is about having love in your heart. Like my Momma said, ‘Love is the only thing in the world that is going to help people.’ That love helps me everyday and I do what I do to give out the love, too.”
