Flying a kite and Mothers day

Have you noticed a higher class of people flying kites today ? I sure have. For the initiated flying a kite is what the homeless and/or
refer to as standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign. I used to just at the shoes to determine whether a guy was hard off or
just a drunk ? Last year I noticed a guy in western gear, jean and shirt, and pointed toe cowboy boots. ( the difference between cowboy boots and regular boots is that with regular boots, the shit is on the outside. LOL ) Long story short, I know the guy pushing carts at Walmart on that corner and he told me the Cowboy was having tuff times, had a wife and 1 year old baby. And that whenever
he hustled a few bucks, he would go in Walmart for diapers and milk.
Cowboy is now volunteering at Habitat for Humanity 6 hours a day ( no pay ) and working part time at nights. Recently found out his wife was my daughters roommate in the maternity ward. My granddaughter and Cowboys daughter were both born December 23
two years ago.

What has this to do with Mother's Day? Well,I am charitable but only directly. Wife tithes $40 a week in Church, I clean 3 church buildings and help feed homeless in the park 1st Sunday of each month. That how i know the term " flying a kite" I also know you can be cold and wrap yourself in newspaper and shiver to sleep. And that once you get out of the rain, you will eventually dry out.
But one thing I did not know, and should have, is that hungry never goes away. Go to sleep hungry, wake up hungrier.

I sell stuff on Amazon and buy my envelopes at Sam's Club. That have giant polish dogs there and I usually but a couple and drive around and pass them out to guys flying kites. Nice to look in rear view mirror and see a guy drop his kite to sit on the curb and wolf
down that polish.

Back to Mother's day. Recently saw a woman , mid 20's flying a kite. Nearby was a van with side door open. Anyway I ahd hit an exacta earlier so I bought a foot long sub, soda and chips at Subway. Handed them and $2 to her and was sitting at the stoplight.
I looked in rear view mirror and she was gone. Turned around and saw her literally flying into that side door. That's when I saw the twp boys 6 or 7 there.

Two days ago I had this $10 off coupon for KOHLS, a slightly upscale department store. I used the coupon for a clearance pair of jeans. 80% and still $21. Leaving there I saw this grey haired woman, mid 50's, stylishly dressed, touch of make-up. And flying a kite??? I immediately looked down at he feet , but could not see her shoes. A red plastic 10 gallon gas can was blocking my view.
Her kite said, " I can not believe I am doing this. " I did not read any further, resisted the temptation to ask her how long she had been flying a kite, and gave her $5. Gee, I wondered, has she no children? Or was she ashamed to ask them for help ?

I will probably meet her somewhere in the near future. The older I get, the more my life is full of co-incidences. My daughter is 41 today. My niece, Mary Francis, would have been 39 today had she not OD on drugs 2 weeks ago. I have a nephew named Ricky somewhere back in Baltimore, and it's 8 to 5 he will be in jail for drugs again, unless he already is.

So if you see a woman flying a kite, it's ten to 1 it's her ex-boyfriend or husband that was the one using drugs. And maybe she got tired for being beat up. And if you see a guy, asking him how long he has been flying a kite? It's nice to think somebody really cares !

I see alot of this in NYC.
Mostly young girls with tons of piercings and goth makeup,
Claiming to be struggling artists,
Or young grungy guys with dogs,
Slumming the summer away while they wait for their trust fund to mature.

My favorite was a guy on the subway with a sign that said...
I am a scumbag
Now give me your $
So I can buy
Beer and pornography.

I appreciate the honesty.

Coincidence indeed Buzz. I am 41 today as well. I also help directly. But I never give any cash, will only buy things. I have found in my years of being a truck stops that a truly hungry person never passes on a free meal. Or a few gallons of gas. Solid work you are doing my friend, keep it up. As you posted a while ago, it comes back tenfold.

If I see a guy flying a kite close to sundown i will give him a buck or two. Homeless shelters now often charge $2 or 3 a night to stay there. At one time I had 3 guys staying in apartment V at my house.

Apt V stood for VAN. Slept overnight there, then walked streets looking for work all day. One was a skinhead covered with prison tats.
He is now my son-in-law and father of 4 of my grand-daughters who knew LOL

Switch, Wiz of England, or any other bloke under the Queen's rule, Any kite fliers in the UK ?

Plenty here on my Island. There's one lady whose missed the Coach back to the mainland for the last 2 years and another who keeps promising to spend it on beer, and another whose always asking for a "lend" of a quarter. Those three tend not to get anything.

There's others less kite-flying (new phrase for me) and just down and out, and a few others who are in and out of temp work. Couple of them I chat to occasionally as they are pleasant enough chaps, and a couple I avoid as they have severe tendency to get aggro with the begging.