i met this lady. she was pulling recyclables out of the trash bins of a fuel station. i went in to pay & while standing in line i stepped back out to ask if she was hungry or thirsty. she politely declined & explained to me with a positive smile that “she survives.“ for me, that wasn’t a good enough answer so i bought her a cinnamon bun & a liter if iced tea anyways. she was extremely grateful & proceeded to tell me stories about how she & her husband (so many years ago) would end their nights of partying by stopping at the gas station by their house for cigarettes & cinnamon buns. this women was absolutely lovely & had a beautiful, raspy voice that suited her perfectly along with the oversized shirt & straw-like bangs that hung before her eyes. people like this are a reminder of how free & pleasant life can be, even if you don’t always have money or food or a place to shower or someone to love.
things will always be “okay”, mostly because they very well could be much worse.
