I was on the street with my mother one day, and we saw an old lady on the side of the street, begging. I'm not going to tell you how sad, and resignedly she looked. She wasn't actively begging, meaning that she wasn't asking for anything, she wasn't even looking at the people passing by. She just sat by the fence, staring nowhere.
My mother recognized her, and started talking to her. I'm not describing the conversation and what went on, as that is not the purpose of this post, but after we left, I asked where she knew her from. She told me that the lady used to work with my father, and told me how she got there. It wasn't because she was drinking or using anything, there were just a few bad choices which led to that.
I know of another case, a man, who used to live where the garbage was being deposited, in the same building where his family resided. And, again, a few bad choices led him to stay there, living on the mercy of the neighbors.
I am not approaching the reasons why their families weren't helping them. That is not for me to judge. Because, no matter how much I might know on the subject, I can never know all the reasons and choices that put them in those situations. Never. You will always know one side of the story, or know only as much as they feel comfortable telling you, maybe to feel sorry for them, or to turn the scale in their favor. So, you can never, truly know how someone ended up like that.
But what I want you to see, is that every person you see on the street, every person you meet, has a story. Has a life, and a past. Even the ones who drank or gambled their money, houses, lives ... they have a reason to why and how they got to do that.
Don't judge. Don't say that you would've never gotten there. You don't know that. You don't know how strong you are, how much you can take, and what decisions you might have made facing the same situations. Until you actually go through the exact same situations, you don't know how you would react. And even then, you still might take different decisions based on your character, your life experience, your education, the support of family and friends, or the lack of it, your current financial and professional situation, and many other factors. They all come into discussion when you are making decisions.
My dear friends, the same extend to the people you meet everyday. To your friends and family members. Some might have bad days and act poorly with everyone around. Some have a past that haunts them and changes the way they interact with others.
If someone's presence is making you feel uncomfortable, leave. Put distance between you and that person and just let them be. Don't judge, but you don't have to stay either.
I have a saying: "If you're not helping, don't express your opinion. And if you are helping, don't force your opinion".
If you see a homeless person asking for money, food, attention, whatever, and you are not responding in any way, then don't express your judgement unto what they should or shouldn't do. If you do give them money, for example, and they decide to buy alcohol with them, don't judge their decision or feel sorry for the money you gave. Maybe that alcohol is the only thing that numbs the cold they feel every day sleeping on the ground.
If you can help, do it, but Don't judge.
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me keep going. No amount is too small, but it is deeply appreciated.
Thank you :)
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