Blogger Entry #1

“Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover”

By: Alexis Rodriguez

                        Every time you’re outside your house, you see homeless people all the time. Whether you’re going to the corner store or to grab a bite to eat in the nearest restaurant. They are always there to ask for money and sometimes you give them a couple dollars or so, sometimes you don’t have anything to give because you only have enough money for the things you are going to buy and you feel bad. Unfortunately, not John. Last week I saw a homeless man on his wheelchair. He was on his chair on the sidewalk just relaxing. He wasn’t your typical homeless man with a bad odor or long hair and dirty clothes with a shopping cart. This homeless man had a nice pair of converse, a nice shirt and a clean pair of pants and a decent haircut. I did see a lighter around his neck so I assumed he was homeless because he probably made bad decisions with drugs and maybe got kicked out of his house. When I approached the man I expected him to ask me for some change, like every other homeless person does. Instead, he introduced himself and said his name was John and next thing you know we started talking about each other's lives. He asked me some questions and so did I. I asked him to tell me more about himself, so I can get an idea of how he is and the things he used to do before he was homeless. He said that he was a civil war veteran and is a father. I was shocked at the fact that a civil war veteran was homeless. He started telling me more and how he had a brother and how close they were. I asked John where his brother was and he said that he passed away and died in battle. So turns out that John’s brother was a veteran as well. It was very sad how he fought for our country and put his life on the line and people who don’t know that just think he is you’re typical homeless man who made bad decisions and don’t treat him with respect. Not every homeless man is a drug addict or an alcoholic. Maybe, they don’t want money; they probably just want to have a nice conversation like our friend John. So next time you see a homeless man who seems to have completely nothing, have a conversation with him lunch. You’ll be surprised at what you find out. Remember, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”