Giving Up
Wine
I was walking down the street when I was accosted
by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a
couple of dollars for dinner.
I took out my wallet, got out ten
dollars and asked, 'If I give you this money, will you buy wine with it
instead of dinner?'
'No, I had to stop drinking years ago', the
homeless woman told me.
'Will you use it to go shopping instead of
buying food?' I asked.
'No, I don't waste time shopping,' the homeless
woman said. 'I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.'
'Will
you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?' I asked.
'Are you
NUTS!' replied the homeless woman. I haven't had my hair done in 20
years!'
'Well, I said, 'I'm not going to give you the money. Instead,
I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me
tonight.'
The homeless Woman was shocked. 'Won't your husband be
furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty
disgusting.'
I said, 'That's okay. It's important for him to see what
a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and
wine.'