Wondering

I can't help but wonder...the whole Washington DC metro area is waiting on the edge of its proverbial seat for the snow to begin.  As I picked up my daughter from Irish dance lessons at nine o'clock this evening, I couldn't help but notice that the traffic was lighter than normal - perhaps there were fewer people on the roads in preparation for the Snowquester, as they're calling it.  "Good," I thought, "It's going to get nasty out here."

In anticipation of a possible day off tomorrow, both my daughter and I were feeling giggly and excited; we pulled in to McDonalds to pick up our annual Shamrock Shake available only in the month of March - yummy minty green with a cherry on top, what extravagance!  As we left the drive-in window I saw a man standing in a dark corner of the parking lot.  I couldn't help but wonder out loud if he was homeless.  A backpack hung heavily on his back, a bike sprawled against a road sign by him, and he stood there, expressionless, watching us drive past.

Maybe he was waiting to be picked up - a friend or family member was running late.  But his posture looked defeated. What if he is homeless?  If he is homeless, where can he go in the face of the extreme weather that is headed our way?  While our local shelter stays open, what if he don't know where to go for help?  What if he doesn't speak English? What will he do to stay warm tonight?  I couldn't help but wonder.