now there's nothing extraordinary about that. but i started thinking about it. i see this type of interaction on different levels with different things every day with the homeless. they'll give you half their sandwich. they'll give a cigarette. they'll give you a pair of gloves if you don't have one. if you need money and they have it....they will give it to you. they'll give you a bus pass. they'll give you most anything they have, unless you have misled them or cheated them out of something in the past. now if you're thinking...sure...they'll give it to you, they didn't pay for it. somebody else gave it to them. well....you may have a good point. but it's faulty logic. but i'm not going to argue that point either.
here's my point..the homeless have very little. they survive on very little. it doesn't matter where it came from. it doesn't matter whether it's entitlement or not. it doesn't matter if they didn't earn it. they have very little. everything is a struggle....every day. what they have is valued and utilized and kept, because they don't know when it's going to be when they receive more...if they do indeed receive more. but somehow, thru the poverty, thru the struggle, thru the intense stress of surviving every day....they still have that common universal code to help other people. that stream that runs thru all of us that tells us to help our fellow man is still there. thru their own needs and struggles they find the core of generosity that runs thru all of mankinds heart that says to help someone when they need help. i'm talking about people who are at the mercy of other people...totally. i'm talking about people whose gross yearly income can be as low as 1200.00. but they still do it. i'm talking about people who are judged, used, abused, and often stereotyped into useless, lazy, good for nothing addicts or bums. but they still give what they can. to you it may not seem like much. to them it is.
now seriously...let me ask you something. if these people can find it in their soul to help someone else.....why can't you. you criticize the homeless and poor alot sometimes. but think about it. this...if nothing else should tell you that they still have redeeming qualities and they are still valuable human beings who should be treated as such. so the next time you think about giving to the homeless....or not giving to the homeless.....let me hold one.
see you around town