Walking down Broadway in Uptown Oakland, past dozens of empty storefronts, shuttered department stores, and buildings that have certainty seen better days, I felt uneasy. Why? Because I don't like to stand out. I never do. And here I was, one of the only non-African American people in the neighborhood. To make matters more awkward I had to constantly snap pictures with my digital camera, which yells to people passing by..."look at me, I'm a tourist!" I don't like that. It took me years to get comfortable taking pictures in Mountain View.



So as I'm walking down Broadway... I see this older African-American woman in a wheelchair ahead of me. She didn't appear to be all there mentally...but I couldn't really tell. My urge was to walk right past her and continue on my way. But as I approached her she quietly said, "Excuse me Sir, Sir...can you help me?"

I responded..."What's That?"

And she said, "Can you help me Sir? I'm thirsty. Can you get me a Coke?"

"A Coke? Umm. Where from?"

"Over there down the street, the Chinese Restaurant. A Coke in a bottle, please."

And I thought about it, looked at the restaurant, and looked at her.

Maybe she was homeless. Maybe she wasn't. Maybe she had the money to get the Coke herself, and just thought she could take advantage of this obviously suburban outsider timidly walking in her neighborhood. Maybe she had no money, and just really wanted a Coke.

So....I said that ya, I would get her a Coke. I went to that Chinese Restaurant and bought one. I walked back to the lady in the wheelchair, and gave her the Coke. She said, "Thank you Sir, God Bless You Today."

And I continued on my way.