Don't beg for money, Use your head!

There are some places where you may come across people who will beg you for money. I tend to avoid those places but yesterday I was caught off guard while at the post office. I was tired and frustrated and moving slower than usual. You might say that I was an easy target for what happened.

I was walking back to my car at the post office I was approached by a young man that I can best describe as being "strange" looking. He was dressed in an "urban" style except that his jeans were pulled all the way up. I assume he was in his late 20's or so and he was well spoken as he was talking to me.

But what struck me was his face. He had so many pieces of jewelry IN his head! I couldn't possibly count how many so lets just say he had every part from the neck up represented with something silver. Ear rings, studs, satellite dishes, etc. I wondered how many channels could he get!

Anyway this young man starts telling me his life story and I knew where he was going with this story. I just knew he was going to ask me for money. Also while telling his story he answered several questions I had before I could possibly get a word in to ask.

He told me that he was "not a thug" although he did appear to be one. He told me that he was new in town and it was his first time out of Chicago. And I thought that with all of this metal in his head he probably distracted flights into both O'hare and Midway and they ran him out of town. But how could he end up in a town next to an Air force Base?

Then he told me that he applied for jobs at every convenience store and restaurant along two of our major streets. He said he was very sure that he would be working at any one of them by next week. Then he said all he needed was "anything I could possibly afford" and that he was headed directly to the supermarket down the street to get something for his two babies and wife living around the corner.

It took him a fast minute to go through his life story to get to the point, he was asking for money. And I actually stood there to listen to his sales pitch. And I did not have to lie to him or be rude in telling him no. I simply said "I wish I had money myself" and he said "Thank you sir for your time and god bless you" then I got into my car and drove away while this young man approached the next person leaving the post office, an older woman who ignored him, got into her brand new Explorer and drove off right behind me.

As I drove away I was thinking about what had just happened. First, I knew I only had three dollars in my pocket. Last night I spent $37 filling my gas tank and $11 on groceries. I was broke, but I would not be hungry and I had plenty of gas. And so did my car. But this guy asking me for money had me analyzing a couple of points in his sales pitch.

He said he applied for jobs at all of the convenience stores and restaurants in the area. I already knew that was BS. Because each of those businesses are owned by someone "foreign" and they NEVER hire anyone. The same people work in those stores all day and night, Husband, wife, baby behind the counter and a relative taking shifts. Same for any Chinese restaurant. As for the other restaurants, do you really think he has a chance at getting an instant job at one of the fast food joints?

And then I found myself thinking about one of the biggest issues I have had about work etiquette. The way you present yourself when you are looking for a job is very important. No matter what the type of work, you damn sure don't arrive at a potential employer with a head looking like a metal scrap yard. Remember all of the jewelry in his head? Then I remembered that we have several pawn shops within walking distance of the location were we met. If this guy was in need of some cash to feed his family, why does he not take some of those rings out of his head, pawn the jewelry and buy some food? There is his own greatest "resource"..... He could USE HIS HEAD!

And maybe if he had used his head BEFORE getting all of the piercing and filling them with pieces of metal, he would not have to beg people for money.