No matter who you are – no matter where you are from – chances are, you will need some help at one point or another.
Now I’m no saint. I must admit to judging people by their cover sometimes – I can’t always help it. I see someone who looks unkind – I think they are ‘mean’. I see someone ‘large’ I may think they are slow. I see someone who may be homeless – I could even think they are a bum. When I was younger you may have even witnessed me passing judgment verbally – but that’s another blog…
I live in the East Side and the sight of homeless people doesn’t really shock me. In fact, there are plenty of them – one needs to make a game out of the inevitable interactions, because it’s not if, it’s when you’re going to be speaking with them…
A few years ago I was on route from my car to my local shopping center – I had some stops along the way, banking, the post office etc. I was coming up to a man that was going to ask me for change. He didn’t look too hot either. I was thinking what I should say to him to keep the situation light and easy (it’s not like I’d just pretend he wasn’t there – I do have respect)
So as I approached him, I locked eyes with him and before he could say anything I said, ‘do you have any spare change?’ thinking that I stumped him, he came right back, ‘sure’, he responded with a smile – he dug into his pocket, pulled out some loonies and toonies and passed five dollars in coins my way, ‘we all need some help sometime’
I was totally shocked. I didn’t know what to say – so I simply said, ‘thanks, thank you for that’. He simply nodded and looked over my shoulder to the next passer by…
As I walked away I thought to myself wow, what a turn of events. Such a small gesture of cash, but what a profound statement from this man…
It made me realize – first off, don’t judge a book by its cover, but more importantly don’t discount the possible lesson that may be just around the next corner stemming from the least most expected situation…
Now I’m no saint. I must admit to judging people by their cover sometimes – I can’t always help it. I see someone who looks unkind – I think they are ‘mean’. I see someone ‘large’ I may think they are slow. I see someone who may be homeless – I could even think they are a bum. When I was younger you may have even witnessed me passing judgment verbally – but that’s another blog…
I live in the East Side and the sight of homeless people doesn’t really shock me. In fact, there are plenty of them – one needs to make a game out of the inevitable interactions, because it’s not if, it’s when you’re going to be speaking with them…
A few years ago I was on route from my car to my local shopping center – I had some stops along the way, banking, the post office etc. I was coming up to a man that was going to ask me for change. He didn’t look too hot either. I was thinking what I should say to him to keep the situation light and easy (it’s not like I’d just pretend he wasn’t there – I do have respect)
So as I approached him, I locked eyes with him and before he could say anything I said, ‘do you have any spare change?’ thinking that I stumped him, he came right back, ‘sure’, he responded with a smile – he dug into his pocket, pulled out some loonies and toonies and passed five dollars in coins my way, ‘we all need some help sometime’
I was totally shocked. I didn’t know what to say – so I simply said, ‘thanks, thank you for that’. He simply nodded and looked over my shoulder to the next passer by…
As I walked away I thought to myself wow, what a turn of events. Such a small gesture of cash, but what a profound statement from this man…
It made me realize – first off, don’t judge a book by its cover, but more importantly don’t discount the possible lesson that may be just around the next corner stemming from the least most expected situation…
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