May 21, 2015 - Trinidad, CO

 I had been riding the TransAmerica trail, a mostly dirt and gravel trail from NC to Oregon, when I stopped in Trinidad.  The day before I had parted ways with the group of 3 riders that I rode through OK with in heavy rainstorms.  I had planned to leave from Trinidad up into the mountains of CO and loop down through Estes Park to Denver to see my son.   Well, the bad news was it was 20 degrees up in the mountains and got 2' of snow so the trail was out and I would be riding I25 up into Denver.  I stopped at a McDonalds for breakfast and sat down to a hot cup of coffee to warm up.  Across from me was a gentleman in the corner avoiding eye contact and reading the want ads.  He was wearing fairly nice clothes and was rumpled but not really sleep on the streets dirty.  He had no food or beverage in front of him.  It was time for me to say "Mind if I join ya?"  I asked if I could buy him breakfast and he responded with "please."  I sat with him for a few minutes but he looked like he was more uncomfortable with me than i was with him.  I guess at times I look worse than he did when I walk into a restaurant out of a storm.  He didn't ask for anything from anyone so he wasn't the typical beggar on the street.  His clothing looked like he was a professional that had just fallen on hard times and was trying to restart his life.  When I got up to leave he thanked me many times and had tears in his eyes.

My mother had taught me to never give beggars any money since you don't know what they will do with it.  She said give them food as a good way to help them.  But in this case I have wondered if I should have taken an extra step and bought him a room for the night, not give him the money for it but pay for a room for him and give him the key.  Well I still wonder how he made out.