My Name Is Tom

Homeless GuyLast week I picked my daughters and a friend of theirs up from school.

We made a pitstop at our favorite taco truck in front of a car wash on Westwood and Santa Monica Boulevards.

As we waited in line to order, Clare noticed a homeless man coming our direction.

He was white, well over six feet tall, with long, lank grey hair.

His shirt was unbuttoned and his chest, red and blotchy, protruded as though his sternum had been broken and never healed properly.

His pants were rolled at the ankle revealing the purple flesh of his leg and the top of his foot. He wore loafers with no socks.

Clare recoiled. She’s particularly frightened of the homeless people that live all over Los Angeles, many of whom are mentally ill or suffering from substance addiction. She’s more sensitive to their unpredictability than the rest of us.

As soon as she saw him she wanted to abandon our taco quest, get back in the car and go.

I saw him approaching, but thought he would probably pass by us and I didn’t want this one person to send us fleeing.

I wanted to teach my daughters to live by my recently-passed grandmother’s mantra: “Be careful, but unafraid.”

However, when I glanced toward him to get his logistics I realized he was walking directly to us. We were his destination.

What to do?

I had no time to think. I scanned his hands and body to see if he had any kind of weapon and he didn’t appear to.

I took some comfort in the fact that there were many people around. But I felt nervous not being in control of the situation.

So I decided to act. I turned to face him and took a step toward him. We came together like two people who’d been expecting one another.

“Hello, sir.” I said, “Are you hungry? Would you like me to buy you some lunch?”

A look of relief washed over his face, “Yes, please, I’m really hungry.”

“What would you like?”

He cogently gave me his order. He’d done this before. A large beef burrito and two beef tacos, if that was okay with me, and a Coke.

I gave his order to the taco vendor, along with mine and the girls’, then told the girls they could wait for me in the car.

They were glad to dart away, but I could tell Clare was still concerned for me.

The man and I stood near one another, waiting for the order to be filled.

It was awkward. I was tense and my body wanted nothing more than to put distance between the two of us.

We didn’t speak, because that was the social contract. His mind was a jumble with incomprehensible things, while mine was on high alert for any potential danger.

This wasn’t about intimacy and friendship. It was my way of taking charge and his way of getting what he needed. Right up until I handed the man his food.

“Thank you very much,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” I said, stepping back.

Then, with a great deal of dignity, he said, “My name is Tom.”

This caught me off guard and caused me to look into his eyes. I saw a person there, in the still point. 

I imagined Tom as an infant, born into this world just like me, fresh, unblemished, full of possibility.

I wondered about all of the things that had happened to him that conspired to send him down the road he’s traveling now. I’d been luckier than him, that much is sure.

That split-second of recognition that we were fellow humans, equally important, hit home.

“My name is Shannon,” I said.

“Thank you, Shannon. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Tom.”

Then he strode away as purposefully as he’d come.

I turned and saw all three girls’ faces, like uncut flowers, pressed against the windows of the car, taking everything in.

This was one of those moments where all of my ambition, grandiosity, ego and pride just fell away.

Tom brought me back down to earth. He reminded me, yet again, that all that matters is how we treat each other. That’s it.

39 thoughts on “My Name Is Tom”

  1. Rosie

    This one made me cry. I love your humor, wit, courage, and the ability to make readers live the moments you limn! Perhaps, this is my favorite glimpse of life, so far! XO

  2. Lynn

    So well done, Shannon. I have had similar experiences a number of times and felt like a privileged, narrow minded ass each time, even if i gave food or money or tried to relate to the person in some way. that line between protecting yourself and not jumping to conclusions is tough. you did well.

  4. Lisa Froman

    “We came together like two people who’d been expecting one another..” Yes, let’s call it an ordained meeting. And on this day, you were a teacher and a student. Imagine what your daughter learned from you Shannon…just as you learned from Tom. I absolutely love this piece.

  6. Rachel Elizabeth

    What a moment. My daughter and I are working on a project to help my local homeless population and having a hard time getting people to help us out. I think people are seeing their situation rather than the individuals. We’ve even gotten some negative feedback about their being other charity ventures that are more deserving our our time, attention, and donations. It’s so sad.

  8. Lis

    BAM! Right between the eyes that hit me. (Must be why I’m crying after reading it.)

    Your daughters will remember this story, and will pass it to your grandchildren.

  11. Jana

    You have a way with words. I felt as if I was standing right beside you and your story brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for the poignant moment in my sometimes too cynical day.

  12. Rick Ladd

    Surely, you still are – or should be – known as beautiful. Thank you for making my heart pleasantly skip a beat and for cleaning the dust out of my eyes.

  13. RJ Walker

    FWIW, a friend of mine runs a medical lifeline bus serving the homeless and other folks in need.

    He tells the story of talking with and listening to a homeless man who broke down when he used his name, saying he hadn’t heard his name used in several months.

    Every Saturday in Toledo OH we have a ‘picnic” in the central city – with hundreds of people showing up and getting some free food – but it is a picnic, and many of us show not just to ‘serve’ and help, but to share time and conversation with.

  16. Doug

    Made me think of the times I have offered and bought food for someone and the times when I have looked the other way. The “punchline” in this was “my name is Tom” and the impact of seeing him for who he was.

  18. Sean

    The gift that gave back for you both. For him, dignity that he is a man, a human being connected to us all..For you, the perpective of gratitude, humility and compassion – thank you for sharing, thank you for teaching your children well, thank you for honoring your grandmother, thank you for being a shining light by which others may see

  21. Debi

    WOW! There is so many lessons from this whole experience, it brung tears to my eyes and you told it so well I could just visualize the whole thing! That is the kind of lessons GOD wants us to learn, the part that touched me is when you said’ my ambition, grandiosity, ego and pride just fell away, and all that matters is how we treat each other!!! Beautiful!!! I hope everyone that reads this gets the valuable lesson here, thank you for shareing

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