Seen

I was sitting there on the step, and she drove up in a big, dusty, red truck. I was surprised when she stepped down and walked right toward me, without even a little hesitation. She didn't look away like most folks -- not even the "look-away" thing they do like they are checking their purse or pocket, or like they see something in the other direction. No, she looked right at me, and smiled, saying "Hello!" like I was someone she knew.

Well, I jumped up and reached out to open the door for her, and she looks right in my eyes and said, "Thank you." But when she touched my arm like she really meant "thanks," I felt my eyes getting wet. I wiped them fast because she wouldn't know how it feels to be invisible - how it feels to be noticed - how it feels for me to be treated like that.

She had come to see someone at the center, and I tried not to listen, but I heard it all. She was offering to give the shelter some things, and Miss Kim, well, she was friendly, but she didn't seem to want much from the lady. Finally, Miss Kim agreed to go look at the stuff the lady had in her truck. I followed them, and said I could help carry the things.

Miss Kim didn't take much for the shelter, and that's when this lady looks at me and says, "Could you use this ice chest?" Dang! My smile hurt my own face. The ice chest with a big one - the kind with wheels and a handle! Sure enough, she just gave it to me and thanked me for taking it. Imagine that - she thanked me!

Then she saw me, kinda, glancing at this folding chair, and her eyes got all bright and twinkly and she asks if I might want to have that too. Well, of course I did! She had some other things, and I took them so I could give them to some of the other guys who would be coming to the shelter later.

So there I was, just as happy as can be, when that lady reached her hand out to me, and said, "I'm Leslie. What's your name?"

I just stood there, all stupid-like, for a little bit. I didn't want to touch her clean hands with my dirty mitt, but there it was… she was just holding that hand out to me. I couldn't not take it. So I reached out and took her hand, and I just about fell over when she put her other hand right on top of mine! Like I was a person! I know I said, "I'm Ryan," and then she was smiling and leaning on the truck talking with me, all the while saying my name, like we was friends!

When she got in the truck and drove away, well, I was happy with ice chest and chair. But, I was proud as a peacock to be talked to kindly and hear my name coming from her. It has been a long time since anyone has looked at me like I was someone... like they had really seen me.