The alcove seemed a strange location for sorting laundry, but who was I to judge this man? He wasn't blocking the entrance or hurting anything. In fact, his sweet smile was a nicer welcome than I usually received from the security guard.
"Good morning," I said as I passed him to open the door.
"That it is," he replied. "God bless you, dear."
"And you." The door closed behind me. He was out of my line of vision as I stood to wait for the elevator, but not out of my mind.
Another employee joined me before the car arrived. "Where's security? Did you see the bum outside the door?"
It was difficult to honestly answer her question. I had seen the man, but didn't want to call him a bum. "He's a pleasant man," I said.
The elevator arrived and she continued her rant as we rode up together. "I'm complaining. We don't need bums out there blocking the door and begging every time we come or go."
"He did neither when I came through," I reported. "Said good morning and blessed me. Did he ask you for money?"
"No, I didn't give him the chance."
Grateful for my third floor exit, I wished her a good day and headed for my office. When I opened the door, I found my coworkers huddled around our frantic receptionist. "I'm calling the police," she exclaimed. "He has no business out there."
"The man in the alcove?" I asked. "Did he do something wrong?"
"He's loitering," a secretary said.
"He smells bad and he's crazy," the bookkeeper added.
The receptionist picked up the phone and I went out the door and down the stairs. "Have you had breakfast yet?" I asked the man.
He continued to sort clothes into two stacks, darks on one side and light on the other. I say light because he only had one white sweatshirt to go with the three dark items.
"Not yet," he answered. "I'm planning out my day now. Gotta get the laundry done so I'll be ready when they call." He moved the darks to the right and the white to the left. "VA's making room for me to have my surgery. Gonna call when they have a bed available."
"Sir, I have a strange favor to ask. Will you go eat breakfast for me?"
"Reverend," he said proudly. "Reverend Stanton. Army chaplain."
"Reverend Stanton, Miller's cafeteria is two blocks away. I'd give anything to run over for scrambled eggs and a bagel, but I'm already running late for work. Can I talk you into going there to eat for me?" I held three dollars out to him. "Please?"
"Gave up my place last week," he said, ignoring my money and my request. "They keep you forever at the VA, you know. No sense wasting rent money while I'm in the hospital."
"Reverend, you have to move from this spot before the police come. Some employees in the building are uncomfortable with a stranger on the premises. I'm sorry."
Reverend Stanton gathered his laundry, draping one item at a time over his arm until all four were settled. He used his other hand to hold onto the wall and struggle to his feet. When he turned to face me, he looked at my money but made no attempt to take it.
"Knee replacement. Was supposed to just pray and counsel like my first tour. Only reason I re-upped for the second one was to pray with those guys who had been there too long. Ended up getting my knee blown out." He smiled through foggy eyes. "But I can't complain. God brought me home alive."
"Then take this money as a token of my appreciation for what you did for your country," I encouraged.
He patted the clothes with his right hand. "Would you mind if I used your money for the laundry instead of breakfast? If I eat, it won't do anything for your hungry."
I opened my purse and took out another five. "Here, have breakfast and do the laundry. You can't take dirty clothes to the VA hospital."
He stuck the money in his pocket and blessed me a few more times before limping away. I watched until he crossed at the corner, hoping he'd find a friendlier alcove in which to wait for his call from the VA hospital.
Sandy Knauer
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 39
Mat 25:39 "'But when did we see You sick or in prison and we came to You?
Mat 25:40 "And answering, the King will say to them, 'Positively, I say to you*, to the degree that you* did [it] to one of these, the least of My brothers [and sisters], you* did [it] to Me.'
This was once a defining ethic of Christian people - before pointing out the sins of one's neighbor became the critical test.
thank you for writing this.
In Aus all veterans are eligible for a full pension, free medical, dental and psychiatric care. Our Resturned Services League (RSL) provides many social services the government can't.
i thought the same was true in America?
These are genuine questions Sandy, I really am confused?!?
Good article & subject Sandy!!
My husband volunteers at the VA as an orderly(more or less....he transports patients from place to place and also reads and plays cards with them.)
One guy he keeps an eye on is completely unable to care for himself. He fell off a roof and is paralyzed from the neck down, but is still able to communicate and has family visit him. He's been a ward of the VA for over 15 years.
We also know people who have service related injuries, that are unable to get appointments at all, or are currently fighting the VA for more comprehensive care. A good friend of my husband's, one of the guys from his unit in Viet Nam, was blown up and thrown from an Armored Personel Carrier(APC) and has compressed discs in his back. Even though he spent a month in the hospital in Viet Nam, because he didn't report his injury to the VA immediately when he was discharged, they are fighting taking care of him, because they are claiming that he could have suffered the injury,"back in the world." He had a decent job working for a metal fabricating company when he came home, and had decent benefits. His job was downsized about 10 years ago (after he had put in almost 30 years of service) and the company moved to Mexico. His pension is almost non exsistent and his medical insurance was cut off after 2 years with no options to buy in at a higher price. So now this guy is pushing 60 years old, has no medical insurance, not much pension and can't get the VA to give him any care, or any disability. He's persuing his case through the DAV, so there is some hope, but the nearest VA hospital to him is over 300 miles away.
Veterans care in this country is a joke in many cases. But it is not completely useless....yet. Look for privatization of the VA if the current regime stays in power.
They are going to rebuild it as a more state of the art facility. Halliburton got the contract to rebuild it. (not kidding.)
And no...they are NOT going to rebuild all the ones that are going to be shut down. It's a shame, and it's only going to become a bigger shame. : (
Now that I'm here, I'm upset with myself for not leaving a comment the first time I read it, even if only to say thanks. That man was/is very real, and -- sadly -- very familiar. I love the way you found to reach out to him, preserving his dignity.
I give money to people on the street, not caring what they do with it. If I were in their position, I might want a Coke and a cigarette instead of a hamburger. The money I give won't change a life, so I'll settle for a smile or a moment out of withdrawal.
Again, thanks for reading and for leaving a thoughtful comment.
I get sad thinking how many we are adding with this war.
It's been clear from the press that the Iraqi veterans are not getting the care they deserve. I really appreciate "knowing" one of our many vets who haven't been taken care of.
What scares me about the Iraq war is the degree of disability with which some vets have to live. Due to improvements in medical technology, we are keeping them alive with higher disability levels than at any time in the past.
If I enlisted in the military, I'd want a living will specifying how much disability I would wish to live with, if injured. To me, death is preferable to some of these injuries.
He had been very good at raising money, however.
I give money like that, too - having been down to next to nothing, I am happy to share when I can; and I remember times when I didn't share from years back, and wished later that I had.
Do you have a collection of these stories in the works? Most valuable, I'd say. MOST.
and wished later that I had That's the kicker, isn't it? I'm too lazy to deal with regret so I've learned when in doubt . . .
Thanks for reading and commenting.