This past weekend, my dad and I decided to go practice basic basketball and volleyball skills. Unfortunately, the first place we looked, a playground, was locked up. The second place, a school had some kind of event going on. The third school was locked up. I was ready to give up, but my dad decided to drive to just one more school. He remembered that they had a nice area to play sports. As it happened, this school was open.
As my dad and I got my wheelchair set up, we noticed a man, probably in his 30s, wandering around on the campus. We didn't really pay much attention to him, though. I just assumed he was a worker at the school. So, my dad and I started practicing volleyball. The man ignored us at first. As I got tired, however, my serves started going every which way. The man started catching the ball and bringing it back to me. After a while, he even offered me some advice on how to serve properly. Now, normally I would be pretty creeped out by some random man coming and joining my game uninvited, but for some reason, he really didn't bother me.
Soon, I was too tired to continue playing volleyball. I asked my dad to show me how to dribble a basketball, because I figured that would be an easier skill to pick up. Boy, was I wrong! When I tried to dribble, I absolutely could not control the ball. The man, who had by now introduced himself (I'm just going to call him Mr. D), showed me the proper technique. He patiently showed it to me again...and again...and again, until I finally got it. As we were talking, I noticed that his clothes looked pretty dingy. I wasn't sure if this meant he had been working all day or what. He also made some reference to "being raised in a bar room," which sounded like a very sad existence. I started to feel sorry for Mr. D. He seemed really lonely.
After spending just under an hour practicing with Mr. D, I started to feel absolutely exhausted. I knew it was time to go home, which made me feel sad. I really enjoyed hanging out with Mr. D. Before we left, Mr. D said, "Can I ask you an honest question?" I was pretty nervous, wondering what he wanted from us. Then he said, " I'm trying to find a hotel to stay in for the night, but I need twelve more dollars. Can you help me?" And that's when it finally dawned on me. The reason he seemed so lonely and rundown was because he is homeless ( unfortunately, my dad and I only had two dollars to offer him)! I had learned how to dribble from a homeless man!
It was quite a shock. Realizing that I had had my first truly meaningful interaction with a homeless person was, for lack of a better expression, pretty darn cool. Now, I've given out meal tickets and prepared meals at a homeless shelter. I have given money to a homeless person. But these experiences didn't give me nearly the same amount of joy as just hanging out and playing sports with Mr. D. I think what made this experience so different was that I was actually interacting with Mr. D, learning about him, and learning from him, instead of just handing him food or money and saying "have a nice day!" What was so great about it was that we were acting as equals. This was an awesome, eye-opening experience I will never forget.
He was so friendly, and playing sports with me seemed to really cheer him up. I actually heard him brag about me, saying that I was "pretty good" at basketball, when he was speaking to someone else. That made me feel really good, knowing that I had made an impression on him. The woman he was speaking to didn't seem to believe his story, but I smiled and waved at Mr. D as I wheeled past, to show the woman that Mr. D was telling the truth; he really did teach a girl in a wheelchair how to dribble a basketball properly. I was glad to be able to help him, since he had helped me.
Have you ever felt that there is an attitude about homeless people where it's "us (people with homes) versus them (the homeless)?" I feel that people often act that way. In this case, there was no "us versus him;" it was just us, just a small group of new friends laughing and playing sports and having an actual conversation. I hope that when I interact with the homeless in the future, I maintain an attitude of "Us" rather than "us versus them." I hope I get the opportunity to learn more about the lives and personalities of the homeless people I encounter. Homeless people are humans, just like everyone else, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Readers, I challenge you to do something to help the homeless; work at a soup kitchen or shelter, or just give someone on the street a few dollars. When you do, try to maintain a caring attitude that maintains the dignity of the person you are helping. You will be amazed at how good it makes you feel.
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