
At around 9:45 this morning, we got an unexpected knock at our door. Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal, but yesterday there was a shooting less than a mile from our home, something we've never experienced since moving here. Needless to say, we were a little more on guard than usual.
My guy answered the door, and a man we didn't recognize claimed he lived in the neighborhood and was going door to door asking for a dollar or two because he needed to get his diabetic daughter to the hospital. Now, the hospital is less than a mile from our house, and he was standing there holding a cell phone that he could have used to call 911 if his daughter was having a medical emergency.
Something just didn't sit right with me. We have THREE clearly posted NO SOLICITING signs in front of our home, along with security cameras throughout the property. Apparently, none of that discouraged him.
Here's my dilemma. I'm the kind of person who genuinely wants to help people. I believe in being a good Samaritan, and I would hate to turn away someone who truly needed help. But in today's world, how do you know who's genuinely in need and who's trying to take advantage of someone's kindness? We told him we didn't have any cash, which was the truth, and he went on his way.
I ended up calling the non-emergency police number because we have many elderly neighbors, and the thought of someone frightening them, especially after yesterday's shooting, bothered me. And I'll say this: we're locked and loaded in this house, and showing up uninvited isn't a particularly good idea. That doesn't mean we would ever harm someone simply for knocking on our door, but we take our safety seriously. I still wonder whether that man genuinely needed help. That's the part that bothers me most.