Oct 15 2007
Of Cherry Trees and Coffee Grounds
Last night I was waiting for someone outside of a corner Starbucks. I stood under a tree and watched the world go by.
Across the street I noticed a woman in a wheelchair.
Her lap was full of stuff and she was propelling herself forward by pushing off with one foot. That right foot was really shuffling!
She scooted down the little ramp, across the street and back up the little ramp not far from me. She paused at the top of the little ramp, catching her breath.
I said, “Hey! You made it!”
She flashed me a delightful smile, warm and genuine. Most of her teeth were gone.
She caught her breath and then wheeled and few feet and spun around to face the Starbucks. I walked a few steps towards her.
She had on several shirts and one thin fleece sweater. Baby blue. I had on my heavy fleece jacket. It was a cold evening.
I asked, “Wow, aren’t you cold?”
She replied, “Yeah, I am, a little. I wasn’t expecting it to be so cold.”
I said, “I know. It was very nice earlier.”
She was a small woman with thin brown hair cut in an uneven bob. She had pale freckled skin. She looked just a few years older than I but I wasn’t sure.
She had a bag or purse on her lap and she had secured the straps to an armrest. She held a small white plastic mug in her right hand. Two stacked paper cups were nestled in her lap. She was homeless.
She arranged herself a bit and said, “I have teabag, and I’m going to see if they’ll give me some hot water so I can warm up.”
I said, “Can I get the door for you?”
She replied, “Yes, thank you.” She shuffled towards Starbucks with her right foot.
She went inside and I went back to waiting for my friend.
A few minutes later she comes out with her plastic mug filled with hot water. She was drinking Lipton.
She wheels back into position, facing towards Starbucks.
“I have my hot water…and this!” she says and pats this large insulated bag on her lap.
“What is in it?” I ask.
“Coffee grounds!”
“I heard that Starbucks gives the used grounds away. Are you going to use it for compost or fertilizing?”
“No. I’m going to use it to make coffee!”
Oh. She looks pleased.
I said, “How are you going to do that…it’s already used.”
“Well, I figure it’s pretty fresh, they make lots of coffee and I have reused grounds when I’ve run out before. I figure with this much coffee grounds I can make a few cups at least!”
I looked at the large sack on her lap. It might be 3 pounds worth of coffee grounds.
“You’re probably right.”
“Plus, Starbucks is good coffee so this should be good.”
I agreed that Starbuck grounds should be pretty good. I took a closer look at the sack. It had a big sticker on it and I could see the words “Compost” and “Fertilizer.”
I asked, “Are you going to check the grounds to make sure they are okay? That is, not uh, moldy or anything before you try it? I mean look what the tag says.”
She looks up at me and says, “Oh, of course!”
She looks back down at the bag.
“I can’t use it as fertilizer. I don’t have a yard.”
“Where are you from? Are you from around here?” I ask her.
“No. I’m from Michigan. I had a yard there. Trees…”
She’s hugging the sack of grounds, the tea spilling a bit.
“I miss having a yard. We had cherry trees.”
We chatted about “the lake effect” and global warming and the ozone layer and the industrial age. How life had changed.
My friend had gotten a little lost. He greets me and we hug and I look back at the woman whose name I had forgotten to ask.
She smiled at me. I smiled back.
I said, “I hope you enjoy your tea.”
I ended up eating too much at dinner.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I’m going to comment even though I don’t know what to say. I suppose, were I in your shoes, I might have stammered in my speech and failed to make decent conversation with her. I can’t figure out how she’s going to make coffee…
Used coffee grounds? Was her teabag used too?
You say she was hustling along with one foot but in a wheelchair? It’s possible she was faking to get free stuff.
Sue: I think she was going to just pour boiling water through the grounds again.
Steve D: No, her teabag didn’t look used! A friend of mine went to one of those places that serve meals to the homeless. She wanted to experience what it was like to increase her awareness. She waited in line and got her breakfast. I forget what she received exactly but it wasn’t much and it included 3 packs of sugar to go with the coffee. No one spoke or looked at each other. They just ate. She didn’t add the sugar and when someone noticed they asked, “Are you going to keep that?” and pointed to the sugar. She said no. She learned that most of them are addicted to sugar.
At the time I hadn’t really put the single shuffling foot and the wheelchair together. It wasn’t until I was writing the post that I thought about it. She didn’t seem to have a lot of strength in her right arm – when I first saw her approaching the intersection I saw her use her right hand to steer herself a bit but not to really propel herself. Then she leaned in and did that shuffling. That seemed to be a lot of work for faking.
I don’t think she was faking it and she didn’t really get anything that wasn’t free anyway or practically free. She got some hot water, perhaps some sugar packets and the bag of grounds which Starbucks gives away anyway.
She did ask me to purchase the small newspaper that a organization the help the homeless puts out.
It’s written primarily by homeless and formerly homeless people in order to give their perspective on homelessness. It also give them a dignified alternative to panhandling. The small paper (cover price $1) is given free to qualified poor and homeless who get to keep any proceeds.
I didn’t take the newspaper (I probably should have – I’ve only read it once before) but I did donate a dollar. I recently told myself that I would begin donating to charities, giving back a little. The homeless who sell these newspapers are always polite and dignified. I’ve only purchased this newspaper once before – and that was a bit out of curiosity.
She was giving me the chance to help her out. I didn’t want to go into the newspaper in the post because I thought that might come across as my trying to make myself look good or generous. Which wasn’t the point. Although how generous is a dollar?
Well, according to Sally Struthers that dollar can feed a family in Borneo for a month.
Not to long ago I read a magazine article about the cost of food to feed a family for a month across different countries. One of the countries was in Africa and the cost for the food for the month was about the cost of going out and eating in America.
I like to eat at local ethnic eateries in NYC because they charge a low price for a lot of food. You can get a Buritto meal with chicken and rice for under $5 that is “stick to your ribs” good and will last you all day long.
That sounds like an encounter to remember. Granted I’m both not homeless nor a coffee drinker but if I were both then I’d actually think that the free grounds from Starbucks would be quite a deal.
I enjoyed reading about your experience and conversation with her.
Oh and I hate it when I meet someone and end up forgetting what their name is! It’s something that I have to consciously fight.
Steve D: Well, it’s not gonna even get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks in the US!
I can’t even imagine being homeless. I’m lucky – I have a pretty good support system (family and friends). When it comes to those statistics about what it costs to feed people in other countries when compared with the US I wonder if it’s “apples to apples”
Let’s use “the cost of going out” as being 20 bucks. Solo diner, beer, entree and tip. 20 bucks usually isn’t upscale!
Anyway, let’s say that this 20 bucks can “buy food to feed a family of 4 for a month” in Africa.
So what is 20 bucks getting the family? Well, in your rice and beans burrito example, grains and legumes will go a loooong way to fill you up. In the US, that burrito has gone through a long distribution chain. The beans and rices and flour probably cost a few pennies. But the labor, the cooking the foil, everyone taking their bit, it all adds up.
You give family of four 20 bucks worth of rice, flour and beans and that probably will be enough food for them for a month. Perhaps not hearty meals but enough to keep them from starving.
I’m not exactly sure where I’m going with this. I just feel that when it comes to these types of figures it’s more complex.
Derek: I wish I had thought to introduce myself. I usually don’t for quick public encounters like waiting in lines and such but there does come a point in a conversations where I think introductions should be made. You’re showing the person an interest in the personally. I also am curious as to her name. She was thoughtful and intelligent and well-spoken.
One thing I have noticed is that I don’t see many Asian or even Hispanic homeless where I live. There are decent populations of both. In fact, I have only seen one homeless (or perhaps he’s “just” a panhandler) Asian and he looks like he he may be mentally or emotionally disabled. All the rest have been Black or White. I don’t use “African American” much mainly because all the Blacks I know laugh at the “AA” designation, think that African American is taking the PC thing a bit far.
My guess about not seeing the Asian or Hispanic homeless is that it’s due to culture – they tend to be more family-oriented. This may change after several generations but up to 3rd generation seems to stick together.
The article also included nutrition information.
Steve D: That’s good. I had done a quick Google on hunger but couldn’t easily find stats.
I haven’t posted song lyrics to your blog in awhile, have I?!?!? This post reminds me of this Keb’ Mo’ song I love:
Change
Well the stars are out tonight
And I got no where to go
Well my no where is somewhere
You really don’t wanna know
And in the morning
I’ll be at the stoplight
Looking kinda strange
Asking for forgiveness and
Begging for some change
Begging for a change
That will turn my life around
Change that will put my feet on the ground
Change that will make everything okay
Well I don’t like standing here
With a bucket and a sign
And I haven’t seen my family
In a very long time
And I don’t mean to make you feel guilty
On top of all your stress and strain
Like me your praying to the lord above
Begging for some change
yea your begging for a change
that will turn your life around
Change that will put your feet on the ground
Change that will make everything okay
For a change of the good of everyone
Change for the love of everyone
Change that will make everything allright
And don’t act like you don’t see me
Cause brother I know you do
How about a little donation
I wanna help you too
For a change that will turn your life around
A change that will put your feet on the ground
A change that will make everything okay
Yes it will
Well I got no room for a sofa
And I got no tv
But I got this little lady
A kind stranger that came to me
And I heard about the bloody school yards
And the questions of who to blame
I hear the children crying for a change
Begging for a change
yea their begging for a change
that will turn their life around
Change that will put their feet on the ground
Change that will make everything okay
Jill: you always introduce me to the best lyrics and new music (for me)!
I tried to find a YouTube of this song but couldn’t. HOWEVER I did end up finding Keb’ Mo’ “That’s Not Love” which you had told me about earlier.
Seemed like a nice lady
It’s unfortunate that the things we take for granted in our everyday lives (fresh coffee, roof under our heads, etc.) are what others don’t have and dream of. Although she used to have a yard (and house I’m assuming), we definitely need to concentrate on providing a better support system in our society for the homeless or needy. Just as Urban stated on one of my posts!
And…I noticed you said “he”. Date?!? Ms. Q soon to be Mrs. Q!?! :p
BT: I’ll have to check out that post of yours! I haven’t been a good visitor to other blogs these days.
Date? Actually, it was. A very nice time but no sparks. What’s with you and “Mrs. Q” ??? While I’d like to be married, I don’t see changing my name. But who knows. I may change my mind when that day comes.