Tonight on my way home from work, I decided to pop into Tim Hortons to get a donut. I was feeling peckish and I knew that there wasn’t anything yummy at my house! At 2 of the street corners, there were homeless men. I thought it would be only fair if I walked past and offered them a bagel with cream cheese. So I ordered some extra food.
Upon arrival of the first old man, whom appears about 75 years old and sitting in a beat up old wheelchair, I handed him a bagel. Right behind me was another man in his mid thirties handing the older man a white container of food. I smiled and asked him if he was doing the same thing. He said yup, and carried on beside me across the street. The older man smiled, said thank you, and God bless. I arrived across the street a moment after the younger man. We both went towards the 2nd homeless guy and gave him the same 2 packages. A white container of food and a toasted bagel with cream cheese.
It’s a very awkward feeling. I don’t feel good about giving people food, and I don’t feel bad. I feel like it’s only fair. If I was struggling and needed help, I would hope the kindness of strangers would offer at least some food. I suppose that’s where morals come in. A lot of people in current times are lacking in decent human treatment. Is it over population? A lack of compassion? Or pure oblivion? I think that we see so many people everyday, and very rarely see the same person… so there’s no connection to them. People don’t care about everyone because it’s virtually impossible. They would spend their entire lives trying to make sure others are taken care of.
There are a few types of people in the world. Well… really, a lot of types. In this scenario there are the people who care, who care too much, who care but fail to do anything about it, and those who don’t care. But God forbid, you are the person on the street corner begging for food because you have no old age pension, you ran out of government welfare (because you are limited to 2 years out of every 5 years), and you are too old to work.
Who am I to judge someone based on where they are currently. Those men on the streets could have been family men, they could have contributed to society for years in the workforce, they could be highly educated but lacked in social skills. I will never know. I see the men there, and I assume they are hungry, because I would be. So I bought them the same food I intend on having for dinner.
I am by no means well off, but I’m also not poor. I’m comfortably in the middle. That’s only because I went to post-secondary school for about 9 years and I have 4 (almost 5) degrees, with a pretty sweet full-time job! I have worked really, really hard to get where I am. That said, I couldn’t have done it alone. I needed the support of family and friends to help me through. I needed to know that there was someone who cared enough about me to express it.
I am eternally grateful.
I truly believe that when people honestly put themselves in a strangers situation, they are forced with the decision to walk away or do something about it.
What would you do?
