Looking in her eyes.

When we first arrived in the city it was 10PM and I must say I was leery. I am not sure I had seen so many homeless people on the streets. They were digging through trash cans and fighting over their street corner. I was overwhelmed. Then morning came and things were different. Yes there were still homeless people out and about but not to the magnitude of the night before. They weren't the only ones on the street this morning. I was more compassionate and less scared and leery.

So we went about our day and then the woman stopped me in my tracks. Standing in line for the cable car she came up to us and ask for a dollar. I honestly didn't have a dollar on me. I looked her in the eyes and said sorry. As I looked in her eyes she was desperate. And yes 10 minutes after she ask me for a dollar she ask someone for a cigarette. So she probably wanted to buy a pack. The thing that makes me remember this woman was that she had an infection in her eye. I am guessing she could hardly see out of it. It was swollen and green puss was coming out of it. Yeah it was gross but she probably doesn't have a family doctor that she can go to and make it all better, like I do.

People who live on the street I am sure get sick all the time and get infections and such. They have probably built up an immunity to somethings but when it comes down to it there is something that will probably get the best of them and there will be no recovery. There will be no doctor to go to or family to fight for them.