Happy Halloween! What's really scary, though...

Happy Halloween! I went for a walk tonight in my new neighborhood - Whole Foods was packed - with Brentwood families and dogs (yes actual dogs) in their costumes... I overheard a 20 something Yoga Bunny on her phone saying, "I guess they wouldn't want sugar free chocolate?.." lol! Later I saw some kids out trick or treating with pumpkin buckets in hand - still a bit of an odd sight as we didn't have Halloween growing up in Australia. On the way home I had a sudden craving for a BLT so I stopped at Subway. A homeless guy shuffled in and asked for a glass of water and the staff eyed him kinda suspiciously as he got a cup and shuffled out again. I paid for my sub and as I was on my way to the door, feeling for my change in my pocket, I saw the homeless guy sitting alone out the front, hunched over a duffle bag with his back to the wind that was picking up just after night fall. I thought, "I must have a dollar to give to him..." then realized I didn't have any ones left only a ten... For a split second I tensed up and thought, "one's enough, ten's too much!" Then with sudden clarity I realized, how in the world would $1 be enough? How is $10 enough?.. So I took out my ten to give to him, suggesting he get something to eat. When I got closer and looked into his face I saw he looked a lot like the dad's and grandfathers my sister, Tania, and I used to play cover gigs for at Bowling Clubs and Football Clubs in country Australia. Yellowing but combed back white hair and a ruddy, open face. My heart went out to him - no matter what chain of events led him to be without a bed or home to go to. Anyway, I looked into his eyes and gave him what must have been a bit of an awkward smile and the ten dollar note - and felt good about it. When nothing goes your way for a long time it's easy to assume it never will and so the downward spiral quickens. I don't know what else to say about that. I'm afraid of sounding preachy. But pictures of a hand, like a rudder, in the wind keeps popping into my mind - along with another of turning a canoe with one hand in rushing water. It seems to me we are in a position to slow each others downward spirals - if we want to.