I am begging - You
walk by
When I smile - you
think I am high
When I look sad - you
think I have a hang over
When I cough - you
think you should start running, from TB..or HIV
When I scratch my
nose - you think I just snorted coke
When I look into your
eyes - you think I am challenging you
When I look tired -
you think I am lazy
You don't want to make eye contact - it makes me human
I can't get it right.
You just keep on walking.
The next 'You' will
walk past. I'll try harder
Who do you judge?
When we judge people, we deceive ourselves. (Tweet This)
I have always wondered if begging is the next get quick rich
scheme (Tweet This) I should try. I joined some of my homeless friends for a couple of hours
to beg outside a local grocery store.
There were about 5 of us. Homeless. Begging
The first lady gave us a plastic container of leftovers. She
eyed the 5 of us in a row. She ended up looking at me saying: "Here, you
look like the poorest and the one who needs it most". So there I was
literally blending in with the homeless.
Accepting her gift was difficult. I told the kind lady that
the guys next to me needed it more. My pride was running a rebellion against
receiving a free gift. I found it so hard to be given something.
What hurts your pride?
My homeless friends all laughed as they know I am not
homeless. They thought this was the funniest thing ever. We laughed together...
Between all of us we made R15, a bottle of milk and a loaf
of bread in 3 hours. We had to share this between 5 people. I did not keep my
share.
I did not enjoy begging. It is not something plan to do
often. I guess nobody plans on living that way.
Here are my conclusions: You don't have to give beggars
something, but acknowledge them. Show them that you see them as a fellow human.
Actually you should give them something: a smile, a greeting, an
acknowledgement of humanity and maybe you will join in healing some hurts and
brokenness in this broken world.
Share and Connect:
You can share this story on twitter by clicking here. I would love you to connect more with me through Facebook or Twitter.
