Short Story: A Bag Lady Like No Other
My dear friend, Sharon Benson Smith (Shay), is a bag lady like no other.
She collects clothes, toiletries, prayer pamphlets, socks and treats from friends, family, and neighbors and by their word of mouth to others Shay is able to supply the homeless with relief and kindness, wherever she sees them. She drives around town in all kinds of weather looking for homeless women and men. Friends often call her when they spot needy people on the street and give her their location. Shay then steers her car in that direction.
She made it her mission in life to help the disenfranchised. One day, driving about looking for a homeless female to give a bag she keeps in her car containing feminine items, she decided to drive to The Downey Patriot to pick up copies of the latest published short stories. There she saw a woman pushing a shopping cart filled with meager belongings. She was so glad to hand the woman the bag and the woman was appreciative.
They talked a while and she said her name was Little Rock, and that she was originally from Arkansas and homeless for 14 years. Shay was impressed by how neat and clean Little Rock was; even the things in her cart appeared categorized in see-thru bags.
Shay introduced herself and shared she often had stories in the Downey newspaper. Little Rock sighed.
“If I were not a bad speller, I’d write an article on the homeless from my personal perspective,” she said.
She told Shay the Arco station is where she most often stayed. Unfortunately, she did not state which one. Shay assumed it was the one close by.
Shay lamented not finding her again to possibly assist Little Rock in writing her insightful article and sending it in for publication. Shay returned the following day and combed the area and went to the Arco station to inquire about her. It must not have been the station she was referring to because they did not recognize the name or description she gave.
Shay confessed that though it’s been a year, still her heart aches to find Little Rock. With pen and paper added to yet another bag, she continues her search. Shay combs the area routinely. Every day she starts her day with hope while helping many poor souls. She vows to never stop praying and looking for Little Rock. Shay is not one to give up easily. She states her quest will continue as long as she has breath in her body and maybe one day we will hear from her, perhaps as a ghost writer for Little Rock.
When I think of the countless human beings Shay has helped through the years it is overwhelming. They are not invisible or a nuisance to her as they may be to others. She seeks to find them and give them provisions along with a smile and kind words that demonstrate she values their being.
Though she may argue, She is a hero and paradigm to humanity. The world is a better place for having her and others like her in it. She gives what is most valuable in life…her time.