Brother, can you spare a dime?

I had jury duty today

     I arrived at the courthouse at 8:45.  I had to put my cell phone back in my car, because cell phones are not allowed in the courthouse.  I was cursing this little inconvenience, wondering why I wasn't told ahead of time about this....but then I read the entire summons, including the last line that said:  No cell phones or electronic devices are allowed in the courtroom.  Please leave these items in your car.
     Oops.
     This was a civil case, which was expected to last two days.  I was one of 24 prospective jurors, but for some reason I was dismissed.  Could be because I knew the judge, but I'm not positive.
     But that's not my main point.
     I stopped at Kings School to deliver one more Rotary dictionary.
     But that's not my main point.
     I drove to Rockford to visit my my brother.
     But that is not my main point.
    We went to lunch.  Had a nice time.  Told him I needed to get some turkey stock for a recipe Jackie is making.  He suggested Vali Foods.
     But that is not my main point.
     Got the stock, some grapes, some cheese and was walking to my car when  a young man approached me.
     "Excuse me sir, can you help me?" he asked.
     "I don't know," I said.
     "Well, I'm from Marengo and me and my girl friend had an OB-GYN appointment and I ran out of gas.  We're stranded."
     At this point a security officer from the shopping center came up and told the kid he can't solicit and to move on or he would have to call the police.
     The kid said, "OK, but this man was going to help me."
     The security guard looked at me and said, "It's up to you, but he has to leave."
     So I gave the kid $3.
     I got in my car and drove out of the lot, watching him.  He crossed State Street, crossed Mulford, went into the parking lot in front of Kohl's and was just walking between the cars, looking in them but not opening them.  He also stopped a couple of other people, presumably asking for money.
I never saw a girl friend, never saw a car.  Never saw what happened to him.
     I am a sucker.
     That's my point.
     In Chicago once a young woman stopped and asked me for $10 for cab fare to a shelter because her husband was beating her.  I gave her $7, or something like that, which was all I had to spare.
"I told you I needed $10," she said.  She took the money, then crossed into a McDonald's and got into a beat up car and drove away.
     I am a sucker.
     I believe people when they tell me things like that.  I give them money to help them, and they have lied to me. And I still do it!
     Looking at the car the woman drove away in in Chicago, my $7 wasn't going to mean squat in her life.  The car had a bumper barely hanging on, mismatched doors, a duck taped back end....
     And this kid today, so desperate for money that he was asking strangers all over the place, that $3 wasn't going to do much for him.
     Maybe they are druggies.  Or alcoholics.  Or homeless.
     Or maybe she did have an abusive husband.  And he did have a pregnant girlfriend sitting afraid and alone in a car without gas.
     So I bought it, because...... I am a sucker.