Warm Up 3: Gladhanding Godwins

Author's Note: The Following Article is taken from the May 1993 issue of Cleveland Living Magazine.

Additional Note: The drunk blogs around these parts are ridiculous. I don't know what Joel has been up to. He's been going through something, eh?

The first time I ever saw a homeless person it damn near broke my heart. My Dad and I were walking through downtown Cleveland on our way from a Rockers WNBA Game when a man approached and asked us for some money for food.

His eyes were yellow. Muddled with heartbreak, a vague yearning.

I wanted to help him but I was only 7. My Dad gave him some change and we went on our way. I wished we could take him to our home and give him a place to stay until he got back on his feet. He'd thank us when he got a job, a girlfriend, and his life back.

We didn't take him back. Looking back, it was probably the right thing to do. A home with the homeless is no place for a 7 year old.

I've liked the homeless ever since then. Today a man stopped me in the park asking if any of my rommates had left and if so, did they leave any pancakes behind.