One day, I went to my favourite café for lunch. I 1 a hamburger and went to the outdoor seats. While waiting for my meal, a homeless man on a bicycle stopped to ask if there was a grocery store nearby. After I gave him 2, seeing me wearing a SCU T-shirt, he asked if I had graduated from Santa Clara University. I told him, yes. Little did I know that this 3 response would lead to a 90-minute conversation. The man, Michael, told me he was very intelligent. However, drug use had ruined both his formal education and his pursuit of 4 in his work. He switched from one topic to another, 5 the fact that I was ready for my lunch.
He clearly had more of a 6 to talk than I did. I made every 7 to give him my full attention, never expecting our talk would go on and on. Eventually, I did eat my meal, bite by bite between 8 in our conversation. Michael was a bit strange. 9 his interests and viewpoints, we had little in 10, but he was fascinated with talking with, as he 11 it, "intelligent people. " I have to admit, I wish our conversation had been limited to ten or fifteen minutes, but when Michael finally 12 off, he thanked me for listening so 13 to him as well as for my 14 to talk with him for so long. It was then that I 15 that, just maybe, that was my purpose in life for today… to be there, in that place, at that time, to participate in that conversation.
