An apology

I was in a bad mood tonight over work-related stuff and took an overdue dinner break. Adding to my frustration, the downtown Burger King was closed at 9:10 p.m. for some strange reason. So, I was in a worse mood by the time I settled for McDonald's. (The pickins are slim after 9 p.m. downtown.) Anyway, a homeless guy near the door stopped me. He said he didn't want money, just something to eat. He was polite.

I get tired of being asked for money downtown all the time, especially since the homeless population in downtown Columbus has really exploded over the past few years. The panhandling downtown is getting almost as bad as Atlanta. And I've had a couple of arguments with homeless guys who ticked me off. Nevertheless, I occasionally give up some spare change or a dollar or two unless the person is rude, overbearing, high or smells too much like liquor. If I feel the person is genuinely just down on his luck, I don't mind parting with a buck. Yet, I just didn't feel like dealing with this guy earlier tonight and simply said "sorry" as I passed him by.

Call it a guilty conscience or fear of bad karma, but I couldn't enjoy my meal (granted, it was McDonald's) knowing I could have helped the guy out. So after throwing the remnants of my meal in the trash, I went out to ask the guy if I could get him a burger or something, but he was gone. Then I really felt guilty. I'm bracing for bad karma.

So, to the guy at McDonald's shaking off the rain Wednesday night after the storm, I'm sorry ... and I owe you a burger.