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Post by bb on Jan 6, 2008 10:21:26 GMT -4
I know in the cities, some of the street people make a lot of money doing such... but usually you don't see kids involved. Where they were standing was not a busy intersection and drivers really couldn't see what the kid was holding until you were almost right on top of them. I know a lot of churches are equipped to offer temporary help, but who knows, they may have already worn out their welcome at local churches. I guess we will never know their story.
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Post by coosa on Jan 6, 2008 10:45:34 GMT -4
Gosh oldbag, I thought you had moved on. My dh loves those fiberglass cars! I saw a man in Blue ridge at the Ingles shopping center with a sign like that about 15 years ago. I stopped and gave him some money. I guess I am a sucker for things like that. I am surprised that the banks are NOT giving out loans if people qualify for a mortgage? They run ads in the paper all the time.
We tried to buy land in Double springs, and every lot already had a pending on it. Now a lot we offered $60,000 for, is up for sale for $49,000.
I hope the realtors really saved their money when sales were so wild. I heard of one realtor pulling in up to $80,000 a month. Then they can survive on their savings for a while.
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Post by coosa on Jan 6, 2008 10:57:33 GMT -4
Construction has slowed way down, but other jobs seem ok!
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Post by bb on Jan 6, 2008 11:13:10 GMT -4
Other jobs are not ok... if those in construction can't pay for other services, both basics and luxuries, then there is a ripple effect. If you have to choose between buying something and paying for gas or to heat your home, well, you will go without or at least cut back.
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Post by coosa on Jan 6, 2008 11:18:06 GMT -4
Well that is true. Construction affects a lot of other industries, painters, masons, truck drivers, land clearers, carpet and tile companies, etc. etc. I hope this sub prime mortgage mess is over soon, but I think it will take more than a year!
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Post by taylor on Jan 6, 2008 11:28:47 GMT -4
I know that there are many scam artist out there, but it still bothers me to think about someone being hungry, especially children. It reminds me of something that happened to us when I was a kid.
We used to go camping quite often on the weekends up in the mountains of N. California when we lived in Sacramento. One Friday afternoon as we were driving up, we saw a man on an on-ramp hitchhiking. He looked clean and had a small bag, kind of like a gym bag, with him. Daddy stopped, backed up, and offered the man a ride to an exit that was a lot busier, telling him he would stand a better chance of catching a ride because this was not an interstate we were on. The man thanked him and agreed to the ride.
The man had been working in California and was being transferred to another state, I think it was Idaho. His wife and two teen kids had went ahead to the new place about 2 weeks prior. I don't remember much of the details that he and my parents discussed. I just remember that he was trying to get to his family, his car had broke down- and had no money.
Mama made the suggestion for daddy to pull into the next rest area so we could eat. Mama always fixed a picnic supper so we could eat when we got to the camp site. Never before had she stopped and ate on the way.
Of course, my brother and I were fine with the extra stop. As mama set out our picnic on the table, the man started to walk over to sit by the car, as if he didn't want to interfere with our meal. Mama told him to join us as we had plenty. He was very thankful and sat to eat with us. Mama and daddy, like most married folks, had their signals. After the meal was over, we went to wash up. Mama and daddy had pooled their cash and daddy gave the man something like $22. It was all the cash mama and daddy had on them, but they wouldn't be shorted because they had a credit card and we already had everything else we would need for our camping trip. I remember daddy saying how the man at first refused to take it, then at daddies insistence, he accepted the money. Daddy said the man had tears in his eyes.
Mama had took some of the leftovers, fried chicken and bread, and made a sack for the man to take with him. We loaded everything up and went on our way. At the off ramp where we turned, we let the man out. The traffic was sparse at best. When we had gone about a mile or so down the road, mama told daddy to turn around and go get the man. He could stay the night with us and then we could take him the next morning to get a bus ticket. Daddy turned around and we went back. The man was gone.
Mama wondered how he had disappeared so fast. There was something about the man that had touched my parents. Mama said it reminded her of the story about the woman who was expecting Jesus at her table for dinner. Three different times someone came to her house and knocked, but she turned them all away. When the evening came, she asked Jesus why he did not come. He told her that He had, three different times.
Mama said she has always been thankful that she did not turn this man away. Mama and daddy always said there was something odd about the whole thing. You never know.....
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ruby
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Granny's Lil Cowboy
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Post by ruby on Jan 6, 2008 11:30:08 GMT -4
Other jobs are not ok... if those in construction can't pay for other services, both basics and luxuries, then there is a ripple effect. If you have to choose between buying something and paying for gas or to heat your home, well, you will go without or at least cut back. Exactly... The business Hubby is in started slowing down a year ago. Now winter time is here..the time of year when things normally slow down, and well...we'll just say it ain't lookin' good.
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ruby
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Post by ruby on Jan 6, 2008 11:33:20 GMT -4
Taylor, I got chills reading that!! And you're right...we never know...
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Post by taylor on Jan 6, 2008 11:57:30 GMT -4
I have had several experiences like that. When I was 16, I worked as a waitress at a restaurant called Sambo's - kind of like a Denny's. One evening, a young black man came in and asked if there was any work he could do to get something to eat. Of course, I had no authority to do anything like that, but I told him to sit down and I'd fix him something. This was in Novemeber and it was chilly out. I saw the guy didn't have a jacket. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I wrote out the check for the kitchen and fed him supper. I paid for it myself. While he was eating, I called mama and told her about him. He didn't look like some bum, he didn't talk or act like one either. Something was different I told her. She sent daddy on up to the restaurant. Daddy used the excuse that he had to pick me up after work anyway and he just wanted to get a cup of coffee first. Daddy started talking to the guy and since I was busy working, I had no idea of their conversation. All I knew was that when I got off, daddy took him home with us. The next morning, I had to go to school. When I got home, he was gone. Mama said the story he told them was that he was a college student in Mississippi. He had received word that his younger sister had been in a wreck and had been transported by med-flight to Charleston. He was trying to get to her. He was refused help from his local traveler's aid, so he was having to hitchhike. He said he had stayed at a shelter in Alabama two days before and all of his personal stuff had been stolen - clothing, wallet, money, everything. Mama and daddy took him to Salvation Army (they would not help- no ID), then to Goodwill where they bought him a couple changes of clothes and a jacket. They took him to the bus station and bought him a ticket to Charleston and gave him a few dollars to eat on. Mama said the guy was crying and thanking them as he got on the bus.
Just before Christmas, we got a package in the mail. No return address. Enclosed was an envelope with money, far more than any of us had spent, a beautiful Christmas card, and a nice handmade scarf for me. He said his mother made it. He wrote a letter telling us that he had made it and that his sister was going to be fine after some therapy. He kept thanking us for helping him, and said we would surely be blessed for doing so. We never heard from him again. I still have the scarf.
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Post by coosa on Jan 6, 2008 12:18:15 GMT -4
Wow, those are really touching stories Taylor, thanks for sharing. When I was young, it was pretty common to see people hitch hiking. If we saw a soldier in uniform, we always stopped and gave him a ride. I know things are slowing down at your husband's job , ruby and I am so sorry!
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Post by shortcircuit on Jan 6, 2008 18:26:47 GMT -4
My work is up and down, some days I don't have time to stop for lunch and other days I barely have anything to do. I'm not in construction but when they suffer my business usually suffers along with them.
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Post by nataliewood on Jan 6, 2008 19:52:59 GMT -4
Short, I don't know who you are but hopefully we have been keeping you busy. We just found out tonight that we might be getting several customs shortly. I hate to jinx it, but keep your fingers crossed - it looks really good.
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Post by shortcircuit on Jan 7, 2008 0:01:44 GMT -4
I'm hoping for a better year this year!
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ruby
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Post by ruby on Jan 7, 2008 10:45:58 GMT -4
I know things are slowing down at your husband's job , ruby and I am so sorry! Thanks Coosa...I'm hopin' that things will soon start pickin up for everyone, but I think it's gonna be a couple years out before it gets back like it was. Just hope that people can hold on that long. Anyways, in the mean time, I'm gonna have all my bills forwarded to you for payment...ok??
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Post by coosa on Jan 7, 2008 11:38:51 GMT -4
Sure, Ruby!! Just don't take your love to town!!
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