08/18/2013
While heading out to take care of a few things today, I happened upon a homeless man at an intersection of a major road. Nothing special stood out about this man except that he had a puppy with him. You could tell the pup was hot and he was skinny. Now, I understand that we are all skeptical about giving money to these people but I have a theory about this that supports my "glass is half full" approach to life. if you do give these people money, sure, it could be for a beer, or for a needle, but it could also be the beer or the needle that almost kills them and wakes them up enough to seek help. Since we really don't know everyone's story, isn't my theory worth a chance? If its not for a beer or a
needle, you are giving these folks a cheeseburger or a bottle of water that could help save their life.
The moral of my experience today, is that I saw the pup and said, today, I'm going to give a gift that will not only help the pup, but the man as well. I stopped by a nearby K-Mart and bought a bag of dog food. The pup gets to eat and the man now doesn't have to worry about how is going to feed his dog.
I stopped at the intersection and gave the man the bag of food and told him to take care of his dog for me. He was very gracious and, with his little friend right by his side, he gave me the common "God bless" and I could see in his eyes that he genuinely meant it. He immediately opened the food and gave some to the dog who didn't hesitate to begin eating.
Bottom line is...don't judge. None of us are in position to do so and we all make plenty of money to be able to give a dollar or two to someone in need. I hope this encourages at least one of you to do a similar deed today and help bring dignity to the human struggle. Enjoy your day, I know I will.
