Yesterday I was walking down Byres Road and saw a 'generic homeless person' (ie someone sitting on the floor by a bus stop with a cup held out) so my immediate reaction was to cross over the road. Following the example of the wonderful Alison Cook, for years I have been stopping and talking to people begging in the street and finding out their stories - which often is very elucidating and always has an element of 'there but for the grace of god'. Anyway yesterday my heart sank cos I saw this guy ahead of me, and I was thinking 'I just can't bear to stop, I feel dreadful, this is going to be horrible'. But when I got up to the bus stop, my heart LIFTED, cos it was the really nice alcoholic who used to sit at the top of the Kelvinbridge subway station, who I got to know last year when I was living here for 6 months. He was sometiimes the only person I spoke to in a whole day (I was writing up my phd and didn't want to get involved in any social activities while I was here then) - and he was always really cheery, considering his situation. He was very pleased to see me, and I was very pleased to hear he now has a flat, with his girlfriend, and is supplementing his income by sitting by the bus stop with a cup in his hand, to pay the electricity bills etc. Scotland is FREEZING in winter - I remember one day last year when I tried to walk to the gym, I was wrapped up in about 6 layers, and had to give up and go home again cos it was too cold, even with gloves on, to take my hands out of my sleeves to hold the stick I'd brought with me to keep my balance.... so i was concerned about him being out at night.
Anyway - I walked home feeling very cheered up.
