brrrrr
Its cold up here in the midwest
we aren't going to be above freezing for two weeks and today witht he wind chill it was about -6
I might be turning into a cold hearted city dweller
on the train a homeless man was begging and I am sick with the flu, tired and possibly less patient since the weather has turned so frigid
he kept saying "I am homeless I need $10 somebody help I am HIV Positive, Please help I don't do drugs or drink, please help"
near the end of my 15 minute ride it was hard to control myself I wanted to say "No soliciting on CTA!!" or "YOU are the one who contracted HIV"
He kept bothering this man, maybe the guy made eye contact or something
I found myself wanted to stand up for him, "Hey leave him alone he doesn't OWE you"
so am i selfish cold hearted unsympathetic?
in a world of black and white my Grammy would say so.
For example. Christmas eve we ate at Benigans in Houston while I was visiting, a legless man in a wheel chair was begging outside which is rare in that part of town
I bought some soup to go and gave it to him on the way out
My Grammy said " well he can't eat that in the cold" well he is homeless where else is he going to eat it, do you want to take hime home?
of course she didn't- the funny thing is that it doesn't even get that cold in Houston
My Grammy kept saying "I am so proud of you, that's something he will be grateful for his whole life..."
but she didn't get it, he wouldn't, the next day he would be hungry again and he would be concerned with the next meal, the next cold night.
she is retired now and volunteers at church and that her idea of being a good human, being charitable and giving and volunteering at church
I am not saying its pointless to help your community its a great thing but what you wont see her admit is that she does it for herself because it makes her feel good about herself its not about the others and she does things that people do not necessarily NEED
like making care packages for all the freshman heading to college (I am her family and she doesn't even do that for me, because no one at church would praise her for it)
when it comes to people in real destitute where its hard to help or sad to help because there is a realization that there isnt somebody running up to thank you and you didn't REALLY make a difference
- you are prolonging perhaps a habit
- you are providing a meal to prolong their suffering life
to somebody so miserable that in survival mode they are almost subhuman, they are animals trying to survive
so you give up your lunch every now and then, hand over the granola bar or apple from my bag
"god bless you ma'am"
we aren't going to be above freezing for two weeks and today witht he wind chill it was about -6
I might be turning into a cold hearted city dweller
on the train a homeless man was begging and I am sick with the flu, tired and possibly less patient since the weather has turned so frigid
he kept saying "I am homeless I need $10 somebody help I am HIV Positive, Please help I don't do drugs or drink, please help"
near the end of my 15 minute ride it was hard to control myself I wanted to say "No soliciting on CTA!!" or "YOU are the one who contracted HIV"
He kept bothering this man, maybe the guy made eye contact or something
I found myself wanted to stand up for him, "Hey leave him alone he doesn't OWE you"
so am i selfish cold hearted unsympathetic?
in a world of black and white my Grammy would say so.
For example. Christmas eve we ate at Benigans in Houston while I was visiting, a legless man in a wheel chair was begging outside which is rare in that part of town
I bought some soup to go and gave it to him on the way out
My Grammy said " well he can't eat that in the cold" well he is homeless where else is he going to eat it, do you want to take hime home?
of course she didn't- the funny thing is that it doesn't even get that cold in Houston
My Grammy kept saying "I am so proud of you, that's something he will be grateful for his whole life..."
but she didn't get it, he wouldn't, the next day he would be hungry again and he would be concerned with the next meal, the next cold night.
she is retired now and volunteers at church and that her idea of being a good human, being charitable and giving and volunteering at church
I am not saying its pointless to help your community its a great thing but what you wont see her admit is that she does it for herself because it makes her feel good about herself its not about the others and she does things that people do not necessarily NEED
like making care packages for all the freshman heading to college (I am her family and she doesn't even do that for me, because no one at church would praise her for it)
when it comes to people in real destitute where its hard to help or sad to help because there is a realization that there isnt somebody running up to thank you and you didn't REALLY make a difference
- you are prolonging perhaps a habit
- you are providing a meal to prolong their suffering life
to somebody so miserable that in survival mode they are almost subhuman, they are animals trying to survive
so you give up your lunch every now and then, hand over the granola bar or apple from my bag
"god bless you ma'am"