Visit 6

Colin
1/11/10
Warm Shelter

_____As I volunteer more and more at the worm shelter, the people are beginning to recognize me and are more comfortable in my presence. Today, a church brought in the dinner of hot dogs and beans and as I was serving it, some conversations began between myself and those brave people. One man I was talking to was very nice and he started telling me how this dinner reminded him about his childhood. Every Saturday, his mother would make hot dogs and beans served with plain bread to remind them of how poor they were. At this thought, he chuckled to himself quietly. As I continued to talk to him, he started telling me of all the names his family thought of to try to make the meal sound better, but "non of them seemed to help." Some of the most common names he mentioned were "franks and beans, beans and franks, hot dogs and beans, beans and dogs, and dogs and beans", but one of the stranger ones he mentioned was "beany weenies," and I sort of liked this name. From now on, I will call hot dogs and beans, "beany weenies." Seeing this dinner brought back some good memories for this man and it also reminded him of how poor he was. Telling me this story showed me that he had become more comfortable and open with me. He has seen my face every night this week, and this is why he has begun to recognize me. I hope in my next few visits, more people will tell me stories of their past and will get to know me to.