Re: Giving money to bums
Giving money to 'bums.' What a word. I wouldn't think they'd like to be called that.
Anyway, here in NYC, the bums can be really resourceful like playing music, or imitating Michael Jackson dances in Union Square right down to the outfits and every little detail. But there's one experience that always makes me think twice. One time (2002) on a train, I noticed a guy asking for donations with some heart-wrenching story about losing his home in a fire. All his possessions and stuff. Pretty sad story. And he said he was representing some homeless agency. I didn't have any spares on me so I felt kind of bad.
But about 2 or 3 weeks later I see the same guy on the same train route with some lady talking about raising money for his daughter's medical bills. She had some condition and they cannot afford to pay for it or the other bills. I remembered him well from the first time I saw him because he kind of made me feel so bad. And he was using the same phrases :"Anything you can give is appreciated. God bless." and there were others I just forgot to write them down. I can't tell you how much I felt like literally killing this guy, right there, on the spot for using human tragedy to get money on the subway. As soon as I saw him the second time I realized this was the guy's job, on the exact same train no less. I don't believe I ever felt angrier than at that moment, which was also the same time my lymphoma was just cured, and thinking about that and what this guy just did made me even madder.
But, other than stuff like that, it's not so bad. As long as they're fully conscious, and not too stink. Because sometimes when these guys stink, they can get a whole subway car to themselves.
|
Threaded Mode
