A day on Main St.

Hello, hello reader. The massive problem of homelessness in the U.S. was recently brought to my attention, and I think that it should be brought to yours as well if it hasn't already. In order to do so, I have composed a little passage for you to read on the subject. Enjoy?

        It was a dark and stormy night  No one quite understand who he is or how he got there. His unpleasant body odor leads one to believe they'd never want to invite him to a dinner party, though he seems charismatic enough to be invited anyway. Every day, without fail, this man stands in an alleyway from dusk until dawn, just saying hello to people. No one is quite sure why; the fact that he doesn't wear a shirt until well into December leads many of the pedestrians to question his sanity. A fair number of the people who've met him would describe him as a "Lady's Man," because he seems overly friendly to women.
        Take this incident for example. One day, a single mother whom I know passed by him without even acknowledging his presence. This man, slightly disheartened, followed the woman, most likely determined to get a "hello" in return. He finally caught up to her at the stoplight, and at that point he noticed something unsettling: he had emerged from the alley during broad daylight, and his previously nocturnal, homeless glory was out in the bright sun for the first time in months. He looked horrible, his dread-locked hair falling upon his bare, scarred back. The woman seemed astonished, and was unsure of how to proceed. She was terrified, to be sure, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to cross the street to evade the man, or confront him. After the initial shock, I imagine something like this registered in her brain: "this poor man probably only wanted me to say hi to him." Ashamed, and unaware of any other way to express her apology, she rummaged through her purse for a moment before finding an old, torn dollar bill to give to him. After a long silence, the man grabbed the dollar that she was holding in front of him. She promptly turned and walked away, feeling that it was the best thing that could be done at that point.
        The man walked into his cold alleyway, ashamed. He felt that the woman had effectively said "I don't want to talk to you, but I pity you: here, take this dollar and be gone... mongrel." He then remembered his position, and gained some perspective and felt less terribly about the incident. After all, why should a destitute man with only a large refrigerator box, a sleeping bag and a few dollars get disheartened? He decided right then that being homeless in America was worse than having a woman ignore him. He remembered a Rodney Dangerfield movie from his younger years and laughed a cruel laugh, saying to himself "I don't get no respect."