People helping other people

There used to be a time in my life when I can remember people helping other people. One instance remains vivid in my mind like it was yesterday—three stranded teenage boys took comfort in my garage, complete with sodas and snacks, while they waited for help to arrive. That was 15 years ago.Are there still people willing to offer that kind of generosity to strangers?

Today, instead of people helping other people, they’re harming them—be it financially, physically, or mentally. People these days need help more than they ever have, but unfortunately a few ungrateful people are ruining it for those truly in need.

Almost daily I see a homeless man on the same street corner. I don’t want to meet eyes with him because I don’t want to feel guilty about not doing something; I certainly don’t have any work he can do for money, and the groceries in my trunk have to last me all month. Waiting for the light to change so I can drive off in my 2001 Honda (that’s got a full tank of gas) is probably the longest three minutes of my life. I am a person who, in the eyes of this man, has the life of luxury and not because I’ve worked hard for it but because I am fortunate enough to have generous parents. However, this man is humbly standing at a busy intersection where hundreds of judgmental people pass by and he’s asking for anything to help provide himself a hot meal. Admitting you have absolutely nothing takes a lot of courage, and begging could be his last resort.

Every time I see him I’m always faced with the same decision: do I give him money or not? Sometimes it’s all I can do to feed myself if work is slow, and I just don’t have it to give. Instead of buying myself a super-sized meal at McDonald’s should I give him the extra buck and a half? Then there’s the ever-present question: “If I do give him money, how do I know it will be spent wisely?” I don’t expect him to buy a new three-piece suit with the money he’s being given, but if I was sure he was using it for food or some other essential, I would be quicker to give what I can spare.

He could very well have me fooled and not be homeless, just a very good actor who needs a few extra bucks to upgrade his iPod. Unfortunately, intuition is the probably the only way to decide if someone is homeless or not. There is only a few seconds for thought and the only information I have to base my decision on is what I see. Normally, I don’t throw money out of my car window and I don’t want to give money to someone who is just as capable of working as I am. After years of being told “money doesn’t grow on trees,” I’ve finally realized the truth in that statement and I work hard making sure bills don’t go unpaid. I work to keep myself fed, housed, and clothed, but I don’t want to work for anyone with an imagination and some free time to have an easy life.

The level of uncertainty is the reason I keep my windows up and the music loud when I see the man holding his sign on the corner. It isn’t because I don’t care or feel sorry for him, but because it’s almost impossible to trust strangers. It saddens me that people are too scared to help out someone they don’t know for fear of being taken advantage of. It wasn’t always like this, -- people used to help other people.