"I'm not a divine father or anything, but I believe and stuff," this guy in a yellow t-shirt is telling me that he only wants to see a priest so he can say a prayer for his mother and it will only take a couple of minutes. I do not suspect that he is lying. "I know that all that matters anymore is money and that you used to be able to come and see a priest but it's not like that anymore, but can't I see a priest? I mean, if he can't take the time to pray with me I would think that's almost sacrilegious."
I find a priest, and the guy in the yellow shirt asks him for money.
How can you answer the door in a city and not end up suspecting everyone of lying to you?
I read the other day that 75% of homeless people suffer from severe mental illness, and then there's the guy with 100 proof breathe and the drug addicts. 75% sounds about right. I'm thinking of the guy who stood in the my office and stuck the brochure I gave him into his pocket, which was already full of papers and cardboard and maybe cigarettes and just stared at me for almost a minute before he responded to my question "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
No. He stared into space for another minute with his bloodshot eyes then walked out the door, slowly.
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