Let’s not make a big issue out of this…

I regularly buy The Big Issue and as I’m a bit of a creature of habit I always buy my copy from the same lady in Inverness. She’s always standing in the same spot and we exchange pleasantries, chit-chat about the weather etc. I always give her more than the price of the magazine and don’t expect change, despite this she always tries to give me the change I’m due. Buying The Big Issue is a small charitable gesture which I know in some small way helps this homeless lady. I think is important to buy The Big Issue and have done for many years.

I like the idea behind the organisation that organising the printing and selling of The Big Issue. Not only is it a fairly good read for someone who works in the voluntary sector (and finds herself dealing regularly with the impact of homelessness in people’s lives) but importantly it’s a social business and a charity that offers the opportunity for homeless people to help themselves.

Years ago, even before my son was born I was buying The Big Issue. In those days I lived about 15 miles north of Inverness and, as I didn’t have a car, I car shared with four other girls. Every night at 5pm I would be rushing through town to get to the car park in time for my lift. It was usually whilst I was rushing to catch my lift that I would buy my copy of The Big Issue.

In those days there was a young homeless guy who used to stand on the church steps; he was the predecessor to the lady I now buy The Big Issue from. He was probably early twenties, fairly quiet and was always as smartly dressed as his life would allow. As I was always rushing I seldom had time to chat, but bought my copy of his magazine religiously.

One cold November Friday night I was rushing through the town to catch my lift. As I approached the church I rummaged about in my pocket for money to buy my Big Issue. I noticed that the young man was holding his last copy as he stood on the church steps. I held out my money; the young man looked back at me confused. “It’s for The Big Issue” I said somewhat perplexed. “I’m not selling The Big Issue” he said, “I’m just waiting here for my girlfriend”.

To my absolute horror I realised that this wasn’t the young homeless man but a young guy standing (with his hood up to protect from the rain) who just happened to have a copy of The Big Issue. This guy was just innocently waiting for his girlfriend. I don’t know who was more embarrassed – he even offered to give me his copy of The Big Issue! (probably to get rid of me).

I don’t have a long catalogue of embarrassing things that have happened to me, but I am sure that day I certainly added to that young man’s catalogue and wonder whether he eventually saw the funny side and confessed to his girlfriend that some mad woman had mistaken him for a homeless person?

As for me, well the girls had a good laugh about it on the way home – at least my scattiness had I brightened someone’s day – just not that young man’s who had the misfortune of crossing my path that day for ALL the wrong reasons!

So if assumption is the mother of all screw ups then I’m guilty as charged. I did learn an important lesson as a result of this experience though. Although I confess that I am  left with a memory that to this day makes me smile wickedly when I recall the look of shock on that young man’s face. I bet next time he stood on the church steps waiting for his girlfriend he put his copy of The Big Issue in his back pocket!