*****
Macon County may be one of the poorest counties at #9, but you can't tell it by looking. Houses and properties are well maintained, vehicles are taken care of for the most part and we've got exactly one homeless guy in Lafayette.
Our homeless guy..... a young black dude, one of the few in Lafayette, with a pair of the happiest dogs I've ever seen. He hangs out either in the Dollar General parking lot or behind the Walmart. He's a really nice guy, very religious and slightly touched in the head. He's always got a big smile on his face and his speech mannerisms suggests a good education. The way he carries himself makes me pretty sure he's a Veteran. He doesn't beg, although he will accept an 'offering' to feed his dogs. I always make sure I've got at least a couple of that asshole dog Jack's Moist-n-Meaty packets in the truck in case I run across him.
What's heartwarming is that instead of being shunned or looked down on, around here people go out of their way to make sure he's okay. The other day I drove past him in the DG parking lot on my way to check my mail and saw a town cop handing him a MacDonald's bag. People give him clothing, food, toiletries, whatever. What's funny is he's usually in out of the way places like behind the Walmart, yet people will go to him. And don't think you can just hand him a couple bucks or a bottle of water and drive off. Uh-uh. You're gonna be there visiting for 10 or 15 minutes.
