The finer things in life...

It snowed here yesterday and today is seasonably cold. I arrived at work this morning to find one of our early risers waiting outside in the cold. We have strict rules about letting our clients in early because 1. we don't officially open until 7:30am and 2. there's no one at the front desk to supervise them. What can I say? Things have gone missing from here once in a while.

But this morning, there he was. Standing out in the blowing cold in a hoodie and tennis shoes with no socks, hat or gloves. He asked me if would let him in and the "agency" side of me said no. At first. I explained that I wasn't trying to be mean but he really needed to try to time his arrival to get there at our opening hour so he wouldn't have to wait outside. I explained that this was an agency policy and I could get in trouble for letting him in. He explained he knew this and promised it wouldn't happen again. I explained that I really shouldn't.

Then I let him in.
And gave him a pair of boots.
And a microwave we had just gotten donated. And made arrangements for someone to take him home with it so he wouldn't have to carry it on the bus.
The boots were a neccessity. The microwave may have been me overcompensating for my own guilt. But he really did need a microwave.

I know he will be out there again Monday morning. Hopefully, he will keep his word and show up slightly later, closer to our opening time. We'll see.

In the meantime, I couldn't, in good conscience, make him wait out there, in tennis shoes, without socks. So, I might get in trouble. I'd do it again in a heart beat.