On my way to school on Monday I drove into the war-zone of all construction sites. It was just crazy. It took me 15 minutes to get to the school once I was on Hargrave.... Just insane. Anyway, my point...
I was sitting at the blocked off intersection at 8:45 in the morning and out of the corner of my eye I see two dirty man walking toward all the stopped vehicles. They started at the front of the line and made their way to my car... what were they doing? Knocking on people's windows asking for money. WHY NOT, RIGHT?! I didn't roll down my window.
So, 15 minutes later when I parked my car and went to pay for parking (with change, I'm old-school like that) another grungy looking guy came up to me and asked, "Do you have any change?"
"Obviously I have change," I thought to myself. "I'm feeding the meter $7.00 in freaking quarters!!!"
"No," I said to him with a shake of my head.
Luckily he just walked away.
So, three grown men approached me in a span of 10-15 minutes first thing in the morning. Awful. Why would you ask someone who's so obviously a student (had my backpack on and everything) for money!? Why don't have money and guess what, if we did, it won't be for you!
Whatever anyway... this is four weeks in a row of being panhandled almost every day.
- insert frustrated face here -
M
Tuesday 24 September 2013
Wednesday 18 September 2013
Busy, busy bee
I don't have a story this week.
I've been living in my own mind for about six days now and frankly The Queen could cross my path and I probably wouldn't notice. I'm living off of about 4 hours of sleep a night (if I'm lucky), coffee and popcorn (except last night - I had steak. I'm hoping that gives me enough nutrients to make it to the weekend), and high hair buns (I mention this because hair makes me happy when I don't have to do it).
"Do you really have that much to do, Megan?" you might ask. The answer is probably not, but for whatever reason it feels like there's a mountain of horse poop teetering on a balance right in front of me and if I stay still for too long or forget one thing it's all going to fall on me and that would be it. I'll be covered in poop and I'll never feel clean again.
Anyway, life is good, I swear it's so awesome, but it's busy and I love but I hate it all at the same time.
Now that I think of it I do have a story. It happened late last week, but it's still current. I was walking from school to work and about to cross paths with the same homeless guy that I pass every single day. He sits there with his walker in the dirtiest clothes I've ever seen with his cap turned up for people to give him money - typical. So whatever I was just about to pass him when a guy in an SUV pulled up and offered the homeless man a cigarette. Well he jumped up so quick to grab that cigarette, mumbled a 'thank you' and was sitting down again fast enough that he still asked me for my money when I passed him literally two seconds later. The man in the SUV hadn't even driven away yet, that's how fast it was.
I probably got too mad about it and I probably gave him an angrier face than I meant to, but it just made me so mad. You can't even be grateful for two seconds before asking for something else. Greed, I question you.
That's really all I have to say tonight, I was not impressed at all.
Have a happy week everybody - it's almost officially fall.
M
I've been living in my own mind for about six days now and frankly The Queen could cross my path and I probably wouldn't notice. I'm living off of about 4 hours of sleep a night (if I'm lucky), coffee and popcorn (except last night - I had steak. I'm hoping that gives me enough nutrients to make it to the weekend), and high hair buns (I mention this because hair makes me happy when I don't have to do it).
"Do you really have that much to do, Megan?" you might ask. The answer is probably not, but for whatever reason it feels like there's a mountain of horse poop teetering on a balance right in front of me and if I stay still for too long or forget one thing it's all going to fall on me and that would be it. I'll be covered in poop and I'll never feel clean again.
Anyway, life is good, I swear it's so awesome, but it's busy and I love but I hate it all at the same time.
Now that I think of it I do have a story. It happened late last week, but it's still current. I was walking from school to work and about to cross paths with the same homeless guy that I pass every single day. He sits there with his walker in the dirtiest clothes I've ever seen with his cap turned up for people to give him money - typical. So whatever I was just about to pass him when a guy in an SUV pulled up and offered the homeless man a cigarette. Well he jumped up so quick to grab that cigarette, mumbled a 'thank you' and was sitting down again fast enough that he still asked me for my money when I passed him literally two seconds later. The man in the SUV hadn't even driven away yet, that's how fast it was.
I probably got too mad about it and I probably gave him an angrier face than I meant to, but it just made me so mad. You can't even be grateful for two seconds before asking for something else. Greed, I question you.
That's really all I have to say tonight, I was not impressed at all.
Have a happy week everybody - it's almost officially fall.
M
Tuesday 10 September 2013
Have you seen the hotdog man?...
Hello,
Funny story about today... well maybe it's not funny, but the mood I'm in is making me think it's hilarious.
It's hot outside. We all feel it. It didn't seem like it was going to be this morning, so a lot of people, myself included, dressed for cooler weather. We dealt with it, right? Striped off layers, had a cold drink... all the things you're supposed to do when you're hot.
What are the two things you didn't do today? Did you jump into a downtown fountain fully-clothed? No? Me neither. Did you accost a hotdog vendor for a free drink because you're "f*cking hot, man"? No? Me neither.
Apparently this is typical behaviour downtown. I seemed to be the only giving a "what the..." look to the two men who were walking through the fountain, and I was certainly the only one (aside from the shocked vendor) who gave a disgusted look to the seemingly drunk man cursing to get a free drink.
I try to be understanding. I really do. I try to see the good in everyone and see things from both sides of the fence and all the other garbage second grade teachers teach us is necessary to be a good person. But I can't for the life of me understand some people. I know it's part of life to take the good with bad, the happy with the sad, blah blah blah, but this is unreal.
I don't get people who feel like they can do whatever they want and that the world owes them something. The world doesn't owe you anything unless it wants to owe the rest of us something as well. Period.
Maybe I'm being insensitive. Maybe I'm just jaded. I don't see how it became acceptable to ask people for freebies. I feel the same way about panhandlers and people like that; what are you doing that makes you think you deserve a handout? If you're going to be standing on the side of the road with your hand out every day, maybe put your time to good use and learn to play an instrument. Or a bucket turned upside down like a drum. Be creative. Do something that will make people think that you're actually working for their money. I would never in a million years think to ask a stranger for their money or anything that belongs to them. I feel bad enough going to my parents and asking them for money (not that I don't from time to time).
Anyway, again, maybe this is all insensitive of me. Maybe I missed the memo that said we’re all supposed to give people things. Maybe when I was working in retail I was supposed to let those girls hide clothes in their bags and just walk out of the store with them. Maybe when I was working in a restaurant I should have given people food for free just because they didn’t feel like paying. Maybe now that I’m working in an industry that bills people monthly, I should just let them know that they don’t have to pay this month or next or the one after that just ‘cause. Same mentality, right?
I guess all that I really have to say is people work hard for their money. I know this from experience. I don't go to school all day and work all night to walk outside and hand out the little bit of extra cash I have to someone who sits around all day. I have no problem giving to charity, or to buskers, or balloon artists for that matter, they just have to do something, that's really all I can say.
Thank you for reading my rant.
M
PS - on a side note, I'd like to tell a funny story that my grandpa told me. One day, years ago, he was walking out of the CBC building and a homeless man approached him and said, "Do you have any money?" He extended his hand, expecting my grandpa to give him some change, but instead my grandpa said, "Of course I do. Do I look poor?" He continued on his way (a little quicker than usual) and left the homeless man in shock. I wonder where I get my attitude from... :)
Funny story about today... well maybe it's not funny, but the mood I'm in is making me think it's hilarious.
It's hot outside. We all feel it. It didn't seem like it was going to be this morning, so a lot of people, myself included, dressed for cooler weather. We dealt with it, right? Striped off layers, had a cold drink... all the things you're supposed to do when you're hot.
What are the two things you didn't do today? Did you jump into a downtown fountain fully-clothed? No? Me neither. Did you accost a hotdog vendor for a free drink because you're "f*cking hot, man"? No? Me neither.
Apparently this is typical behaviour downtown. I seemed to be the only giving a "what the..." look to the two men who were walking through the fountain, and I was certainly the only one (aside from the shocked vendor) who gave a disgusted look to the seemingly drunk man cursing to get a free drink.
I try to be understanding. I really do. I try to see the good in everyone and see things from both sides of the fence and all the other garbage second grade teachers teach us is necessary to be a good person. But I can't for the life of me understand some people. I know it's part of life to take the good with bad, the happy with the sad, blah blah blah, but this is unreal.
I don't get people who feel like they can do whatever they want and that the world owes them something. The world doesn't owe you anything unless it wants to owe the rest of us something as well. Period.
Maybe I'm being insensitive. Maybe I'm just jaded. I don't see how it became acceptable to ask people for freebies. I feel the same way about panhandlers and people like that; what are you doing that makes you think you deserve a handout? If you're going to be standing on the side of the road with your hand out every day, maybe put your time to good use and learn to play an instrument. Or a bucket turned upside down like a drum. Be creative. Do something that will make people think that you're actually working for their money. I would never in a million years think to ask a stranger for their money or anything that belongs to them. I feel bad enough going to my parents and asking them for money (not that I don't from time to time).
Anyway, again, maybe this is all insensitive of me. Maybe I missed the memo that said we’re all supposed to give people things. Maybe when I was working in retail I was supposed to let those girls hide clothes in their bags and just walk out of the store with them. Maybe when I was working in a restaurant I should have given people food for free just because they didn’t feel like paying. Maybe now that I’m working in an industry that bills people monthly, I should just let them know that they don’t have to pay this month or next or the one after that just ‘cause. Same mentality, right?
I guess all that I really have to say is people work hard for their money. I know this from experience. I don't go to school all day and work all night to walk outside and hand out the little bit of extra cash I have to someone who sits around all day. I have no problem giving to charity, or to buskers, or balloon artists for that matter, they just have to do something, that's really all I can say.
Thank you for reading my rant.
 |
M
PS - on a side note, I'd like to tell a funny story that my grandpa told me. One day, years ago, he was walking out of the CBC building and a homeless man approached him and said, "Do you have any money?" He extended his hand, expecting my grandpa to give him some change, but instead my grandpa said, "Of course I do. Do I look poor?" He continued on his way (a little quicker than usual) and left the homeless man in shock. I wonder where I get my attitude from... :)
Friday 6 September 2013
Good, bad, and decent
Hello there,
This week's post won't be nearly as interesting as last week's, mostly because this week has been crazy and I haven't really had a second to pay attention to life outside of school and my head. What I can say about this week is that too many people walk aide-by-side, four to a line on the sidewalk. Oh my Gosh, I thought I was going to rip the heads of a group of four girls who refused to make room for the people coming toward them on Princess Street, causing the oncoming people (me) to step into the busy traffic to continue along their way. Note to those girls - MOVE IT OR LOSE IT(!!!) figuratively, of course.
Another note on the wonderfulness of downtown, on the way to the car after school today, my firneds and I followed a disgusting trail of eaten chicken wings. They were just sitting there on the sidewalk waiting for some innocent puppy to come along, eat them, and choke. Not cool, low life who left them there. Be ashamed of yourself.
If you haven't yet noticed, I'm a little bit on edge today. It's Friday, I should be happy, and I will be in 30 minutes when I go home to watch Harry Potter for the rest of the night. Seriously, I cannot wait.
To lighten the mood a little bit here, I'll tell a nice story. Yesterday on my bus ride home from work I was lucky enough to get a seat that allowed me to close my eyes and drift in and out for the entire ride home. I was sitting beside a young guy who was listening to his music and staring out the window. Now, usually bus rides are long and conversational-less, but last night, just before this guy got off the bus, he looked at me and said, "I'm not trying to be creepy... you have a nice looking profile." Now, who doesn't love to hear a random compliment like that?! I responded in my usual awkward way - confused face and "Oh? Thank you."
Anyway, it was really nice to hear, and made me feel a little bit better about "bus people".
I hope you all have fabulous weekends and sleep a lot; if this week has been any indication of what the rest of the year is going to be, we're all goingto need as much sleep as we can. Whenever and wherever we can get it!
M
This week's post won't be nearly as interesting as last week's, mostly because this week has been crazy and I haven't really had a second to pay attention to life outside of school and my head. What I can say about this week is that too many people walk aide-by-side, four to a line on the sidewalk. Oh my Gosh, I thought I was going to rip the heads of a group of four girls who refused to make room for the people coming toward them on Princess Street, causing the oncoming people (me) to step into the busy traffic to continue along their way. Note to those girls - MOVE IT OR LOSE IT(!!!) figuratively, of course.
Another note on the wonderfulness of downtown, on the way to the car after school today, my firneds and I followed a disgusting trail of eaten chicken wings. They were just sitting there on the sidewalk waiting for some innocent puppy to come along, eat them, and choke. Not cool, low life who left them there. Be ashamed of yourself.
If you haven't yet noticed, I'm a little bit on edge today. It's Friday, I should be happy, and I will be in 30 minutes when I go home to watch Harry Potter for the rest of the night. Seriously, I cannot wait.
To lighten the mood a little bit here, I'll tell a nice story. Yesterday on my bus ride home from work I was lucky enough to get a seat that allowed me to close my eyes and drift in and out for the entire ride home. I was sitting beside a young guy who was listening to his music and staring out the window. Now, usually bus rides are long and conversational-less, but last night, just before this guy got off the bus, he looked at me and said, "I'm not trying to be creepy... you have a nice looking profile." Now, who doesn't love to hear a random compliment like that?! I responded in my usual awkward way - confused face and "Oh? Thank you."
Anyway, it was really nice to hear, and made me feel a little bit better about "bus people".
I hope you all have fabulous weekends and sleep a lot; if this week has been any indication of what the rest of the year is going to be, we're all goingto need as much sleep as we can. Whenever and wherever we can get it!
M
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