As I was going into SF, Carol and I prepared 14 sandwiches, packed up some bananas and water and headed off. Rather than just gifting food, I was hoping to hear some stories and learn.

On BART, Juan took one look at my bag and said, "are you brining lunch to a concert?" When I told him what I was doing, he just stopped and was quite. I asked if he'd like a sandwich and something to drink, which he happily accepted. Juan had lived on the streets in the past and was trying to get back to Houston. As I departed to change trains, Juan thanked me again. This is going to be a fantastic day, I thought :).

Walking from Civic Center BART to a park across from the Bill Graham Theatre (I think that's what it was), it was difficult as I passed many who were in need, but the this was the area I wanted to be.

Sam and TJ were just sitting there; TJ reading a newspaper and Sam playing with, what appeared to be, a cordless phone. I offered them each some food and asked if I could join them. I asked them if they would mind if I took notes and they seemed OK with that. When it rains, they said they just look for protection under anything. TJ was talkative; he told me that they could stay in the park until dark, when the police would shoe them away. Then TJ says, "you want to hear my story?", to which I eagerly replied, yes, I'd love to. "That'll cost you $50", he said. I offered him $20, but he declined. Note to self, bring more money with next time :(. I sat for a bit longer, but TJ wasn't as anxious to talk anymore.

Will and Alex were my next encounter. Alex had a obvious physical impairment, as he was hunched over and had difficulty with his motor skills. They each appreciated the meal. Alex had some cuts and abrasions on his forehead. I asked him about getting them cleaned up and Will said they were actually old and that Alex had some antibiotics. At which point, Alex took out his pills and Will helped him open the bottle and get a pill out. I opened a bottle of water for Alex and, when he went to take the pill, Will and I noticed something else in Alex's hand. Will said, "don't take that now...that won't help you." I'm not sure what it was, but it looked to be a small, whitish pebble. Alex downed the water, so I offered him another; he was certainly dehydrated. Will continued to thank me for caring for Alex and for watching out for him. Then, James comes up and asks for a sandwich, I handed him. He also asked for one for his girlfriend. These were the only two sandwiches I gave out and didn't have a conversation, as I was still wrapped up with Will and Alex. Along comes another man, who declined a sandwich, but did ask me for a joint. I told him I couldn't help him, there. Honestly, I wish I could have. As I departed, Will again thanked me for everything.

As I was strolling through the park, I heard a man yelling obscenities directed at a lady, who was with her children in a playground. I didn't know what was happening, but from a distance, it sounded like a supremely angry ex-boyfriend. I decided to go over and try to calm him down. I walked up to the man and offered him a sandwich, banana and water. He gladly accepted, as his shouting continued, laced with profanity. However, he wasn't yelling at anyone in particular. In fact, it seems that he was talking to people that didn't even exist. Even as I gave him the food, he was talking, but not looking at me, or anyone else. It was as if no one existed in his life, but that which was in his mind. I tried to get his name as he ate the sandwich, but he was more interested in his visions. A man walked by and referred to him as Sheldon, so I presume that's what he went by. Then, Van comes up and sits down next to me. I had walked by Van earlier and wasn't sure if he was in need of service, as he looked pretty well put together. Van asks, "What does it mean when the bell rings at the end of the school day?", to which I replied, "well, I guess school is out". Van says, "yep, no class", and points to Sheldon. I found myself defending Sheldon; he clearly had some mental health issues and he wasn't receiving any care. Van was putting the blame on Sheldon, saying it was very nice...I said it wasn't Sheldon's fault. Van had his sandwich and we talked for a while; I asked if I could take notes, to which he agreed. Van told me how a friend of his died of a heart attack while in boot camp (Marines, San Diego) and the DS did nothing to help. I asked if had any siblings, to which Van replied no. Then, in his next sentence, he said he was going to go to Mtn. View to see his mom and sister. When I went to write that down, he became semi-hostile and commanded, "don't write that down!" We talked for a bit longer, but I realized that most of the people, or at least many, have mental health problems; how much of what I was being told is really true, I didn't know. I couldn't think about that.

I had three sandwiches and was heading to a restaurant to meet a couple of friends; I came upon Chanelle, Michael and Anthony; I distributed the last of the food. Anthony didn't stay around, but I had a nice conversation with Chanelle and Michael. Chanelle was a transgender female, or so I originally thought; I kept referring to Chanelle as he, though. Later (he) mentioned that he broke up with his girlfriend and that's when he came out as a full-time cross dresser. Anyway, he was super nice. I noticed he has several tattoos, so I asked him about a few. One was a nordic compass. I really liked that one. He explained a few of the symbols. The one I remember was the symbol that pointed toward his wrist that reminded him of his grounding. Then, I asked about a symbol that looked to be a dollar sign. Turns out, it wasn't. It was an S with a U on top of it. We talked about how interesting it is that this looks so much like our currency symbol. Is that really what the United States is all about...the almighty dollar? Sadly, that seems to be the case far too often. Chanelle and Michael asked me why I was doing this. Why am I, I thought? I just answered, "trying to do my part...do what's right". I often ask myself this question, though. Why do I do certain things? Why don't I do more? Why does anyone do what they do? I handed Chanelle a $20 bill (the one that TJ wouldn't take) and told him to share it with Michael. Chanelle said, "I wanna give you a hug", to which I replied, "then do". After I exchanged hugs with Chanelle and Michael, Chanelle said he'd like to buy me lunch next time. I said I'd like that and told both of them to "pay it forward".

All in all, I had a beautiful experience; one in which I received much more than I gave, which is how it usually is.

Now, more than ever, I want to spend the weekend in SF living on the streets. I'd like to meet up with Chanelle, Alex, Sheldon...spend the more time with them. Even more, I'd like to serve them with abundant love, care and kindness <3