Alfred

I met a homeless man today as I was going to Walmart to get some WD-40 to fix my car. It insists that one of the doors is open when, in fact, it is not. His name is Alfred. The homeless guy, not my car. I bought him dinner at the fastfood place just inside. Not really sure why. All I've got is that at the time, it seemed the logical thing to do. No, not even that. I got nothing.

Anyway, the two of us sat just outside the Walmart and talked while we ate our french fries. Alfred has been homeless for about 12 years now, and this is not the first time he's been homeless. He has cerebral palsy and back pain from an injury when he was young.

I told him about my own jobless state. I got my BS degree in civil engineering. I've been looking for a job for several months.

It was just interesting. I asked Alfred about what jobs he's had and about why he isn't working now. I'm sure this means nothing coming from someone like me, living my whole life as a member of the middle class, but it sounded like Alfred was making excuses to not even try. He has cerebral palsy, so he can't do much physical labor. If he gets a job, his SS check will decrease, and if something were to happen to the job, he'd be left high and dry. He can't afford an apartment.

The whole time, I kept thinking of one of my dear friends named Michael. Michael has cerebral palsy as well. I met him in college. Currently, Michael is in law school. He's one of the brightest, kindest, happiest people I've ever met.

I wonder, what is the key difference between the two? Probably in upbringing. And if I had been born in different circumstances, what would I be like? I guess it comes back to the classic nature vs. nurture debate. There's no way to know what might have been, but at the same time, I can't help but wonder.