TORONTO – After brief but careful analyses of the clothing, grooming, and language ability of an elderly homeless man who spends hours each day repeatedly walking between the Annex and Parkdale neighbourhoods, residents have individually concluded that he “looks like he’s managing alright.”
“His life is obviously very different from the ones you and I lead, but it doesn’t seem as though he’s actually malnourished or anything,” says local CPA Tristan Dekker, walking quickly past as the homeless man held out an empty McDonald’s cup. Dekker added, brightening, “Hey, I think he might be wearing a new coat. Nice.”
Residents also reported being relieved last month when the man was seen on his usual route sporting a recently trimmed beard. “It looks like he must have somewhere where he can get cleaned up and stuff,” said local barista James Troyer, while sipping a $2.95 drip coffee and avoiding eye contact with him.
“How the guy’s life turned out like this is anybody’s guess, but at least he has freedom to do what he wants and go where he wants, right? That must be pretty great,” said Troyer, as the man abruptly stopped and began running his hands over his scarf as though wringing out invisible water.
The homeless man, who has dark circles under his eyes and rarely speaks to the many passers-by who see him every day, was spotted earlier this week eating a taquito purchased from a local 7-11, which was deeply heartening to onlookers.
At press time, the residents of Parkdale had pooled their resources to rescue a stray cat.
“We couldn’t just leave it shivering and hungry out there all alone,” said one resident. “It’s what anybody would have done.”
