PLEASE HELP, BLESS YOU!
I am mainly writing today to voice my paradoxical opinion on homeless folks and beggars in general. I escaped to do a little Christmas shopping at lunch quickly this afternoon and was saddened by what I saw. A man, standing in the rain, on the corner of one of the busier intersections with a sign that said "PLEASE HELP, BLESS YOU".
We have all seen this sight and of course all have our own opinions on the subject. Usually people think "Get a job!" or "I would help him but who knows if he will take the money and buy alcohol or drugs with it instead of food" or worse yet "If I pull over to help he may attack or shoot me".
I am guilty of this, and for the first time today it hit me how terrible this is for those who really cannot provide for themselves (thru mental illness, bad circumstances or whatever the case may be). What if this guy was honestly asking for money and help because he would have gotten a hot meal with it? What if he has children at home who could have benefited from a few extra dollars?
Here he is standing out in the cold, damp, drizzley rain, asking for someone to pity him, yet I will never know if he meant well or not because I did not stop...like every other car at that intersection. Why? Because I wasn't willing to take that chance.
I wish there was some way that someone like me could take someone like him to get a hot meal or buy him a warm pair of boots or coat without feeling scared and threatened, or even just give him a few dollars without assuming he will buy drugs or alcohol with it instead of his basic needs. It's sad, but I can't overcome the stereotypes that I have learned in order to help my fellow man in this situation.
It's something to ponder for sure. I wonder if he is still standing out there asking for help and blessing all of us who pass him by.
posted by C.C. @ 5:23 PM
3 Comments:
i have thought about this too and it is so sad that we can't trust people for what they say- especially in a circumstance like that. i really wish things could be different in the world and we could take people for what they tell us.
There are usually local programs, especially around the holidays, that allow you to sponsor a particular family for the holiday. My partner and I have donated a couple times to those charities. I think the ones that are the most fun are the ones that give you a list of the ages of the family and ideas for presents, so you can go buy things and wrap it. When I drop everything off, I always feel like Santa. :o) Maybe they have something like that where you are that you could participate in.
Isn't it sad that because of the selfishness/bad intent of a few, we are afraid/unwilling to assist.
OK, here comes the jaded Lamby...I used to support several of those community and church sponsored programs...until I found out that certain folks would go around and "sign up" at every one of them. We think we are helping, and certain families are collecting food donations from several sources, Coats/mittens/boots from several sources, toys from several sources, etc. They end up with more than some poor working person who was too proud to register for the freebies (Perhaps your man on the corner falls into that "too proud" category). Again, selfishness of a few ruins something for everyone. HUMBUG!
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