2003-03-31 - 10:23 p.m.

I was coming home from Grass Valley yesterday after a long, arduous hike with some friends in the Sierras. I stopped for gas and when I came walking out of the gas station a bum approached me. I couldn't understand a lot of what he said, but the gist had something to do with beer. I figured that he was probably asking for money so that he could purchase himself a beer. I pulled out two dollar bills and told him to enjoy a forty on me. He gave me the most puzzled look and then asked "Why are you being good to me?" I didn't know what to say. I honestly thought about the question and couldn't come up with an immediate answer. I told him that I felt that we were all interconnected and that my kindness would at some point be returned. Even if it wasn't, I told him, I still felt that I got more out of my couple of bucks by giving it to him than whatever else it might buy me. He took the money and stared at me. I was a little unnerved at first, but then he asked me if I would give him a hug. Without even a second thought, I grabbed the guy and gave him a big bear hug. It felt really good. Here was a fellow human being that was so down and out that a simple hug and a couple of bucks for a beer were enough to really make him feel better. I think he was stumped by my actions as he just kept muttering something about striving to be more god-like in his actions and that he really did want to be a better person. Either way, it was an amazing experience that I will probably not forget anytime soon. I hope he enjoyed his forty as much as I enjoyed my hug.