Life Lessons

Today I had an experience with a homeless man that touched me profoundly. I am not sharing this story to boast or say what a great person that I am. In fact, daily I walk by panhandlers and beggers and don't even notice or even become annoyed at their persistence in asking for a handout. I have found plenty of reasons to justify not following King Benjamin's council to "succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish". However, today something happened reawakened my idealism and reminded me of the inequality that exists in our society today.

I was walking through Lafayette Park on my way to lunch when I saw an older man rummaging through the garbage. For those of you not in D.C. this park is right along the back side of the White House. It is beautiful and well-maintained and full of security so it seemed a little out of place. Then I noticed that he was taking leftover soup from bowls in the trash can and pouring them into a cup that he was holding. I could not bear to watch this. I opened my wallet and I only had a ten and a twenty. I walked over and offered him the ten dollars and he shook his head no. I asked him why and he asked if I had a dollar bill. I told him I didn't this was all that I had. He held out his hand, and I assumed that he wanted the money, but he wouldn't take it. Instead he took my hand and kissed it. I didn't know what to do, I felt tears coming and I walked quickly across the street to potbelly's. I wanted to buy him a sandwich and get change for my ten. However, by the time that I had returned he was gone and I walked around the park, but was disappointed that I couldn't find him.

I know that there are no easy answers to these kind of problems. I was reminded of an experience last year when I was meeting up with some friends for lunch and as my friend Staci was walking to meet us she ran into a good friend and neighbor from high school asking for money on the street. He was homeless and had been living on the streets of D.C. for a few months. Obviously we all wanted to help him and Staci used all her resources and connections to find him a job and housing and reconnect him with his family. However, he wouldn't accept the help and he was mentally ill, it was really difficult to know what to do to help. Until all of us became disillusioned and decided you can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves.

These problems are difficult and they have been addressed for years by politicians, activists, non profits and religious groups. There are no easy answers. I studied international relations as an undergraduate and used to really want to work in international development. Now my view has turned more inward as I have realized that there is so much that needs to be done in my own community where I can be more effective. But I ask you, where and how do you feel that you can or have made the most difference in your life?