Blog 45 – 6-8-15

Yesterday I watched a lady get off a bus and walk across a parking lot. I notice she was wearing what looked like a man’s overcoat. She reminded me of Sandra Bullock’s character in one of my favorite movies, While You Were Sleeping. I was standing there talking to a man who was asking questions about the work the construction crew that I inspect was doing. As the lady got closer I noticed she was not as pretty as Sandra B. Life had not been as kind to her and she did not have professional hair and make up people to help her look her best.

She caught my eye and walked right up to me and asked if she could have seventy five cents. Having no change I took out my wallet and gave her a dollar. She thanked me and asked God to bless me and walked on. The guy standing by me said, “You sure are generous. Have you got and extra forty in there.” I said I didn’t and if she had asked for much more I would have had to say I did not have it.

When I was a young man I knew an elderly pastor who took quite literally the scripture than says, “If anyone one asks anything of you give it to him.” It was rumored that professional beggars in the five surroundings states knew his address and were often at his back door asking for a handout. Brother Earl Jacob Collins was not a great preacher nor ever built a large congregation but he gave to anyone who asked and always had more than enough to spare.

Later I wished I had given the lady more. I only carry cash anymore hoping someone will ask and I will have something to give. It truly makes one happier to give than to receive. It is harder to let someone else give to you but we need to learn to let others get to experience the joy of giving. No, I am not crazy and no unlike Sheldon my mother never had me tested. We could not afford that kind of thing. Poor people don’t have a lot of money to spend on doctors. If you don’t have a broken bone, need stitches, or have a high fever you’ll get over it. And I have come to think that is pretty sound medical advice no matter what all the drug commercials say.

Back to the lady. Who was she? Where was she going? Why did she ask for seventy five cents? I had about thirteen dollars in my wallet. Why, didn’t I give it all to her? I am often asked at Walmart and almost everywhere to give to this or that charity and most often I say, “No, Thank You.” Because I think only a very small percentage of monies collected for charities actually go to meet the true need. I’ll give the religious folks a break this time and pick on cancer research. In my lifetime alone billions have be asked for and donated to beat cancer and many have gotten rich and larger and larger buildings have been built but cancer still kills and as far as I know there is no cure on the horizon. For that reason I feel much better about giving directly to a person who asks something for them self. I always think what if the person asking were my brother, my mother, my sister, my daughter, my father, my son. They are, how can I say no to them. I don’t. I help if I can. And I am a cheerful giver, grateful for the opportunity to give when so much has been given to me. There are far more givers than takers in this world and more than enough to share at least that is how I choose to see life.

Your Fellow Traveler,
David White