Am I getting cynical?

[vanillafluffy]

Here's what happened. I was leaving Aldi's with some necessities (meatballs, crackers and trail mix), when a guy on a bicycle rolled up to me. He was good-looking in a gone-to-seed Eric Roberts kind of way (Is that redundant?), and he said, "I'm a cancer patient, and I need $2 so I can pick up my prescription."

Okay, cancer patient was a trigger, needless to say, and I almost grabbed my wristlet and started fumbling for change.

Then I took a closer look. His arms were covered with the open sores I associate with drug users, and I wasn't about to donate $2 that *I* need to enable a habit. And for a sick man, he wasn't having any trouble riding around on that bike.

So I gave him my best "I'm really very sorry. I wish I could, but I'm out of work and I just don't have it. I'm SO sorry."

Now I'm second-guessing myself. What if he really does have cancer? Maybe I should have offered to go to the pharmacy and retrieve it for him, to see if there really was a 'scrip. At the very least, I should've wished him good health and good luck.

Honestly, I don't know if I'm a sucker or a bitch. It's hard to tell, sometimes.
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Comments

[strangevisitor7.livejournal.com]

You did the right thing - It saounded to me he was just trying to con you for a few bucks

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I know too many people who've been messed up by drugs...I'd rather err on the side of caution if I'm in doubt. It's not easy when you're as soft-hearted (and/or soft-headed) as I am.