by Sparkplug 42 Replies latest jw friends
Good for you. My JW mother would look at a person in that man's situation and moan, 'oh how we need the new system' or something dumb like that. So while they're all longing for Candyland, we can try to do a natural, human kindness when we can!!
Sparkplug, you rock. Thanks for sharing this.
know how you may have been feeling SP .Once, my hubby and I were on the way to couples counseling. So we are not starving. We stopped so I could get an energy drink, and there was a man who could have fit your same description. But I live in a small town so we don't see too many homeless people here. the police pick them up quickly so they do not mess up the scenery. It's a religious, holier than thou area. anyway, there were some men laughing at him and I knew he was too sick mentally to handle money. He was rummaging through the trash for food. So I ran in the store, told my husband to by an extra energy drink and 2 sandwichs. He is looking at me like I'm nuts, but he has learned not question me. so I got the stuff and took it to him. He ate like an animal, I felt sick. We drove off , all dry and warm and I cried all through the couples session. It hit me that I may be poorer than most, but I'm not walking the street looking in a trash can for food. It was hard to watch a human being looing for food out of a trash can and eating so fast he nearly choked. I try and recall this when i get too bitchy.
so sorry for the triple posting. i'll fix what i can.
sorry triple post
I always feel sad for people like that on the street. Sometimes I give them money, even though I know they might use it for booze instead of food; but, I never know. I don't have to walk in their shoes (or bare feet).
I just think about what if it were me or my daughter or someone I loved who went crazy one day and just got lost in the world. I know I feel lost in the world sometimes myself, but at least I have a place to live, a job (even if it does suck sometimes) and a few bucks here and there.
I feel sorry for myself plenty, too, Sparkplug. I was just bitching tonight that my last 5 bucks is going into the empty gas tank (again) and wondering if I'll ever have any money to buy myself something for a change (other than the bare necessities). Well, at least I usually have that much!
I see a lot of street people in this town; there's a lot of wealth here, but there's plenty of poverty, too. It's hard to see how there can be such extremes.
You do what you can, and when you can't do anything, you just have to wait til you can help somebody next time. It helps keep things in perspective to remember there are people we can help, even if it's just a buck or two once in a while . . .
You are a kind and lovely person. Thank you for sharing this.
Sparklet,
Sometimes you are just too giving for your own good, but you wouldn't be you if you weren't.
Ummm...does that make any sense? At all?
tim
Isn't that the hardest thing of all to learn, that sometimes you CANNOT help. Infact, it may be more than sometimes, it may be MOST of the time!
Truly horrific, when you think about it, how powerless we all are to help eachother! Doesn't mean we shouldn't try, BUT we all have the 'If I ruled the world' days. Then, even if you did rule the world, you still COULDN'T do much about anything!
People have the 'right' to self desctruct!
That's why we have to concentrate on those who have no voice, the very poorest, the most vulnerable and the weakest and only education, education, and education can help everyone else.....and then not everyone wants to or can be educated!
Bloody hell! I wish I hadn't responded to this thread! I have been known to ramble on inanely!
Thanks for being 'You!'
SPARKY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M THANKFUL OF? THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN THE WORLD.
I completely agree with Warlock! That was really sweet of you.
I had a similar dilemma on Tuesday - I was walking to work and thinking oh god I have no money and no way of getting any til the 28th - can i make the frozen chips in the freezer last that long... and as i trudged along I saw a pound on the floor - so I swooped down for it and went on my way thinking well I can get some bread now and if i get the really cheap thin sliced stuff i could probably make the loaf last more than a week. And I can get some pasta with whats left.
But then I got to the subway and the homeless man who is there most days (who I mentioned in an ealier thread back in the summer started getting bashed by some ignoramus suit who I yelled at and threatened to call the police on until i ran away) and he looked so sweet and sad. He has a beard like a gnome and never smells of drink or smokes. And i thought he needs the pound more than me and also I thought if I was him a little human contact however brief is probably welcome , so I slipped it to him and gave his hand a little squeeze and went to work.
Anyway I thought well its while since I applied and got turned down for a credit card I'll try that - but then they said i needed to provide bills from my new address to prove who I am and of course I have only been there a week and a bit so i wont get any bills til next month which is too late!
So I thought well my bank has said no the last few times but maybe I'll get lucky and I asked them for an increase to my overdraft and although its only a little bit its enough if I am very careful to pay for my travel to work and get some food in! Hurray! So i thought well maybe it was good karma - maybe if Ihadnt given my last pound to the homeless man i wouldnt have had any luck - thats probably nonsense but hey it makes me feel happy!
