I was sitting on a bench waiting for my friends come from Dresden
“How much do you want?” I asked
I don’t want much I don’t want a million…”
“You don’t?” I interrupted. “I do”
“I don’t know what I would do with the million.” He went on.” I now have nowhere to live and no money to spend on my quite low needs why to think about a million.
I looked at him while fishing some change from the pocket.
He was a man of 35-40 years of age, well-build with a pleasant smile, regular human body… Nothing to complain about. If he could change his clothes, I though for a better stuff, he could have well passed for a manager or a company sales ex. \sometimes executive.
I gave him 10 crowns, about half dollar, he took the money with the habit that is well=made by service stuff that live on tips received on a daily basis at hotels and similar places.
“Thank you sir, he said to me Now I can buy a cup of coffee all \i need for the moment.
The man left wishing me a god day. Sometimes people of this ‘industry’ ask for more when they see a handful of coins exactly the way how offered him the money. This man didn’t say a word.
Under the impression of the meeting I was still sitting and thinking about the stranger and his words about a million and other things and tried to grasp the way to his today’s status of a man without ambitions, dreams and goals the subject I proudly talk about to my numerous audiences.
In situations like this I always feel very ashamed and offended at the same time. Ashamed for the people who fell down that low from the level of a usual human being living in a flat or a house having families and money, going to places, traveling and so on…
A man I was talking too had nothing of the list mentioned.
And I went on asking the same question again: “ How do these people reach the level of beggars for coins rather than winners of millions?”
I could have understood all if they had serious health problems or were cripples of any kind and had no chances live actively in at he society.
But then I realized that it was not about being handicapped physically but injured rather mentally, spiritually. How many times I felt a burning desire to help those people who were lost and never found in the world of wealthy ones driving a car and having meals in restaurants?
What could they think about while looking at the other walks of life?
How about their mothers who gave birth these all who once were children with their childish dreams and hopes?
Have they ever thought of becoming beggars, living on what they could receive from walking and driving around them.
I always give money to anyone who asks me for it. Sometimes I get into troubles because most of the potential givers do not perform their duties of giving. They just send the askers away or say they do not have any money. But when I give 10 crowns to the person who had left someone before me with empty hands, I am in danger of being criticized severely a it had happened to me several times.
Someone suddenly comes and asks tells me off for giving the money.
“Do you know what he or she is going to use your money for?” they usually ask me.
“I don’t care. I gave them the money and now its their choice what to use it for. I performed my duty to give when I am asked. To give it a good use is their job”
One man asked me:“ You want to show that you are better than we are?”
Yes, I replied, but I want to show that to myself first, I added.
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When someone stops you in the street and asks for money, some change, what do you normally do?
Do you give the money or you say you have no money.
What do you feel about yourself at these moments?
Does it ever come into your mind that you might have behaved differently?
“Do not judge…” written in the Bible.
It is entirely on you what and how you make your decisions about people around you.
We can blame begging men and women saying that they didn’t make right decisions and didn’t read good books, but will they feel any better having heard just the confirmation of their physical and moral collapse?
I don’t think these questions will ever be answered; neither will they ever be included into any documents of political parties, either.
Looks like we, ordinary people from the streets, are the only ones who are able to give a hand to those that ask for a couple of crowns for their daily bread or a glass of cheap wine.
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