Unfortunately, it seems like homelessness is a fact of life. Call me crazy, but I´d rather see us try and get rid of homelessness and hunger instead of watching MTV Cribs and finding out that Shaq and Jay Leno have 115 cars, but that might just be me. Anyway...

I have mentioned the street performers before and my rules for giving away change. Add one more to the list!! Anyone supporting reggae, trying to sing it, or wearing dreadlocks and asking for money. The guidelines aren´t strict for this one. I actually gave Ziggy Marley 50 centimos the other day.

But, all I ask is for a little diversity in the routine. I change trains at the Diego De Leon metro station like 3 times a week. One of the language schools I work for is right there. I am always in and out. I see the same guy almost every day I am there. He stands in the same spot and always has his guitar. He even has a little portable speaker system. Pretty quality set up, right? In general, I appreciate his music. One complaint...does he have to play "Stairway to Heaven" everyday? I swear to god, every day. It even seems like he starts the song as I am walking down the hall. Now, there are two options here. Either A) I´m the star of my own TV show and everything around me is fake and I don´t know it (Like "The Truman Show") or B) He doesn´t know any other songs.

I´m not sure, but I think option B is more likely. If that is the case, how is that possible??? Now, since I see him 3 days a week, it leads me to believe that he is there all the time. Now, maybe it´s just me, but if I spent every day of the week playing guitar in a metro station for money, I might try to learn more than one song. If not for the customers, for myself. Doesn´t he go crazy hearing and playing the same song 312 times a day? Then again, it might just be me...

And that guy isn´t even the worst. Four days a week, I take the metro to Plaza de Castilla to catch a bus to some classes I teach. Every day walking out of the metro station I see the same thing, an apparently homeless man sitting on the stairs with his hand out. He doesn´t say anything. He doesn´t move. I swear to god! Nothing. Not a "por favor", no sign about why he is homeless or why you should give him money. Now, this just doesn´t do it for me. Much like Bush and Iran, I´m just looking for a reason to act...Help me out a bit. That´s all I ask.