How I Spend Lunch (Money)

Lunchtime often finds me sitting in the Great Hall of Union Station with my boyfriend or my nose buried in a book. Today, my companion was the former. Not a poor substitute. I had been happily immersed in the world of Lord Peter Wimsey for 45 minutes when my bliss was broken by the timid request of a young man for my attention.

Having lived in Chicago for nearly 6 years, I try to ignore people who interrupt my lunch break, but he was persistant. I looked up and saw that he was about my age, perhaps a bit younger and right off a college campus. Turns out that the poor guy had traveled to Chicago to visit his girlfriend who promptly broke up with him. On Valentine's Day nonetheless! She'd left him penniless, brokenhearted and stuck in the city. He needed a bit of cash to try to make it back to his hometown, Indianapolis.

Feeling generous, I not only gave him a smile and a few bucks, but I also gave him one of my Really Cool Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Valentine's Day cards. He thanked me and headed off in the direction of the Amtrak Ticket Counter. Nice kid, but there were still lurking doubts. It's not like I'm not accustomed to being lied to concerning cash, and I wasn't sure that he wasn't lying either, but why not give him the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty. Isn't that how it goes?

Well, as soon as the guy left, a vagabond sitting behind me turned, looked me in the eye and declared that I'd been taken in. I didn't really want to believe it, but I had a bit of time left on my lunch break, so I hopped off to see if the Amtrak Ticket Counter was really where the kid had gone.

I followed him out of the Great Hall, past the ticket counter, up the escalator and out to Canal Street where he met up with a couple older, disreputable-looking men and lit up. Rather indignant, I strolled right past him and his buddies and wished him a Good Day (!). I'm not really sure that that was exactly what I wanted to say, but it was better than nothing. It made me frustrated not only at my own gullibility, but also at the disregard that some people have for their fellow humans. In order to put some of my pride back into whack, I returned to the Great Hall and thanked the perceptive vagabond before returning to work.

All that to say, don't give people money unless you feel like it. Most likely (99% of the time) they are lying to you.

The moral of the story: I should spend more lunches with Lord Peter Wimsey. Even when I have to drink cup-a-soup for lunch, Peter still has heaps of cash and I can go enjoy those riches anytime that I want!