#Subway -How a Subway Sandwich Taught me a Lesson in Giving (Part 12) -An Asian Traveler-TORONTO Moments
Last weekend as I meandered around Toronto, I came across what appeared to be a homeless man. Curious, I approached him and asked if he lived on the streets. He replied that he was technically homeless but that he was a unique kind of homeless. I asked him to further explain. He looked at my boyfriend and I and shared that he was more of a traveler without a fixed address. He shared he enjoyed living outside with nature. He said it makes you feel more part of it all. I asked him his name and he said it was Jeff. Jeff shared how when you are indoors and go outside in the cold you feel the temperature change in your body but when you are outside most of the time your body acclimatizes to it better. He shared how he now has freedom to go and do what he pleases without having to wake from the sound of a blazing alarm clock every morning for work. I looked at my boyfriend than back and Jeff and signaled to him that we both were not so lucky to escape the sound of the morning alarm and everyone smiled.
Jeff was Asian and seemed to have an injury to one of his eyes. Although his clothes were all brand named hiking gear right down to his socks and boots you could tell that they were well traveled and worn. His nails also had not been washed in some time as under his nails were a dark black color. But in spite of his well traveled exterior Jeff really was quite smart and articulate, You could tell by speaking with him that he did have some formal education.
It was a really cold day in Toronto, so I asked him if he or somebody he knew could use some warm winter clothing items. He said yes to both! So my boyfriend walked to his car trunk and grabbed the bag we had packed hours earlier in the event we found someone to give it to. Although Jeff was a different kind of "homeless", it was still evident that he could still benefit from having a few extra layers on that day. After we said goodbye to Jeff, we sat in the car for a few seconds and looked back in the car mirrors to find Jeff adding a fleece jacket and a scarf that was in the bag. Hopefully Jeff was a wee bit warmer than he was earlier that day. I wonder where Jeff will travel to next? There are many faces of homeless people, some live on streets, some a mix of shelter and street, some couch surf with friends or family and some like Jeff are travelers and explorers! I wonder what other category of homeless I will find next!