Vagabond is the German word for bum or vagrant. The first dog I had when I was a kid was named Vagabond, or Vaugie for short.. I remember the first time I saw him. My dad found him going through are trash looking for something to eat. Well, since he was a daschund (German), and know one else wanted him, we ended up adopting him. To this day, I still remember how we came up with his name..The whole family was was sitting around the dinner table tossing names back and forth..Skippy, Scooter, Snoopy..And then my mother says.."We should call him what he is! He's a vagabond!" I was just a young lad at the time and had no idea what a vagabond was. Anyways, vagabond was shortened to Vaugie, and the rest is history.
I was driving down the street the other day, and I stopped at a red light. While I was stopped, a vagrant walked out into the road. He was holding a cardboard sign that said.."I'm not going to lie. I need a beer." Having a panhandler jump out in front of you while your stopped at a red light in Vegas is not a strange thing. It happens all the time. For the most part, the signs they are holding read something like this.."Lost my job. Have a family to feed." or "Fell on hard times. Any help is appreciated." I've seen them all..As sad as it is, I usually turn the other cheek when I see these people. But, when I saw this guys sign about how he just wanted a beer, some thing came over me.
I was looking to drink a beer as well, so I pulled into the gas station where he was panhandling at. I then went inside and grabbed two quarts of Budweiser. The gas station was selling 2 for $2 hot dogs as well. So I made my purchase, walked outside and yelled at the vagabond.."Hey, Bubba..Come over here for a minute. I got something for you." When he looked at me, I could tell that he was a little apprehensive. I'm guessing this guy gets harassed all the time, so he might have been a little intimidated. "Don't worry about nothing. I've got something I want you to have." I then showed him the quart of Bud and the hot dogs. He makes his way over to me, and I give him the goods. Now, if I live to be a thousand years old, I will never forget what this guy said to me after I gave him the goods.."God bless you brother, your a kindred soul."
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."My ex wife use to give people on the street money all the time. I would always tell her that they were going to use it for destructive purposes. She would tell me that I have no way of knowing that..Maybe they were going to use the money to feed their family? Why did I decide to buy that guy some alcohol? I just felt that he was being honest with me when I read his sign. Honesty is the best policy..I guess.."
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