Cornershot

An hour downtown, observing: this is Roanoke.

On one side of the rain-soaked street, a man in old clothes stooped to pick half-smoked cigarettes from a stone receptacle. On the other side, well-dressed people dined on overpriced food in air-conditioned briskness, their trendy shopping bags at their feet.

A few blocks over, the rain began to fall again, and I ducked under an overhang, an empty building in the midst of renovation, no certain future in its dirty windows.

A man approached me, “Excuse me ma’am; I’m not homeless or anything, but can you help me to get something to eat?” I had no cash on me, so I gave my regrets.

Walking through the dwindling vendors on the farmers market, I watched a man dump a half bushel of tomatoes into a city garbage can. We made eye contact, and I walked away.

If only I’d said something to him about the hungry man, if only I’d asked for a few tomatoes, run back down the road to find the one for whom I’d had nothing. If only the farmers could/would leave leftover produce in boxes on the benches.

Would it make a difference?

Weather Journal

3 hours ago

1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County 

2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day

3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys

4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping 

5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football 

6. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust

7. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen

8. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible

9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli 

10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area