Spare and Extra

spare

–verb (used with object)
1.
to refrain from harming or destroying; leave uninjured; forbear to punish, hurt, or destroy: to spare one's enemy.
2.
to deal gently or leniently with; show consideration for: His harsh criticism spared no one.
3.
to save from strain, discomfort, embarrassment, or the like, or from a particular cause of it: to spare him the bother; to spare her needless embarrassment.
4.
to refrain from, forbear, omit, or withhold, as action or speech: Spare us the gory details.
5.
to refrain from employing, as some instrument or recourse: to spare the rod.
6.
to set aside for a particular purpose: to spare land for a garden.
7.
to give or lend, as from a supply, esp. without inconvenience or loss: Can you spare a cup of sugar? Can you spare me a dollar till payday?
8.
to dispense with or do without: We can't spare a single worker during the rush hour.
9.
to use economically or frugally; refrain from using up or wasting: A walnut sundae, and don't spare the whipped cream!
10.
to have remaining as excess or surplus: We can make the curtains and have a yard to spare.

extra

–adjective
1.
beyond or more than what is usual, expected, or necessary; additional: an extra copy of a newspaper; an extra charge.

I hear these two words a lot while walking around downtown Dallas. Be it going for coffee, going to lunch, or just relaxing in the plaza outside my building. 100% of the time when one of these two words are spoken to me, it is used in a question.

"Do you have an extra dollar I could get?"
"Hey man, got a spare piece of gum I could get from ya?"

I've learned to say no or make up some sort of excuse as to why I don't have a spare or extra of whatever the person may be asking for. See, I and many of the people around me on the streets, aren't the providers of products and income for those 'less fortunate' than us. I use quotation marks because I truly believe that most of those that ask for for these things are just as fortunate as we are.

As I was going for coffee today I was walking down the sidewalk when I pulled out a pack of gum and proceeded to take a piece and chew it. A man and woman were sitting on a bench at the bus stop and observed me partaking of my delicious piece of gum.

"Hey man, let me get a spare piece of gum from ya?" The man said.
'Sorry. I'm running low. Gotta make it through the rest of the day with what I have.' I replied.

Of course I wasn't telling the truth, I had plenty of gum and could have given the man a piece, however; when you begin to add up all the pieces I give out over the course of a day, a week, it begins to add up. Therefore, I've discontinued my practice of giving strangers pieces of my gum.

Usually, giving someone the above excuse is enough. Sometimes I'll get a some sort of acknowledgement from the person, sometimes, and the most preferred response, I get nothing. This morning I was questioned.

"Man, I know you got plenty of gum in there, I just saw you pull a piece out of a full pack. You ain't running low for shit..."

True. I have plenty of gum, and I could have given the man a piece. But, EFF YOU!!!! YOU EFFING CRUST OF A DILL!!! Spare means I have a surplus, more than I need, more than I'm going to use. You asked if I had a spare piece of gum. NO!!! I DON'T HAVE A SPARE!!! EVERY PIECE IN THIS PACK, I THOROUGHLY PLAN ON CHEWING. It may take me all day or even 2-3 days to chew every piece, but I can assure you, every piece will be consumed by me or whomever I see fit to share with. WTF YOU IGNORANT PIECE OF TRASH? Don't question me over what I do and don't have to give you. I am not your provider. You need some gum, the maybe you should turn your skank out a little more to get them dolla's so you can buy your own effing gum. Am I the bad guy for not giving something away for nothing? I think not! You inconsiderate eff hole. Wait. I do have a spare something I can give to you. Here's a dull piece of rusted metal I found outside a construction zone. Take this and insert it into your gut until you can see straight. And you're welcome. Enjoy.