Pang of homeless guilt

I was walking to one of my favorite restaurants. Well, it’s more of a cafe. Even though it is pretty expensive, I really like to go there when I have nowhere else to go because I am able to order good food and get work done while I wait for my ride.

So anyways, I was walking on my way to this cafe place. It has outside tables and chairs for its customers to enjoy the warm, new, summer air that just randomly appeared recently. And that’s fine. That’s normal.

What didn’t strike me as normal was when an old, beaten-looking black women with little hair called out to me meekly, “Excuse me miss… do you have some spare change, please?”

I felt like such an evil liar saying, ‘”No, I’m sorry," whilst scurrying into the not-so-cheaply-priced cafe.


I remembered what an old religion class teacher had once told me; if you see a homeless person begging,
offer them your hamburger, not your money.

And it is so true.

You never know if those people are truly poor or if they are just cons. And out of those who are genuinely homeless beggars, how do you know which ones spent all of their money – now and then – on drugs or alcohol or gambling? They might have put themselves into this mess, and they probably have no interest in going to a life without lavishly spent card games or other things.

But then there are more. Still, more. The honest group – the larger group, I hope – who are just the victims of
life. For example, a construction worker broke his leg, then his other leg, then his hip. He had just bought a beautiful house with a newly wed wife, but instead they had to foreclose it because he isn't able to work.

It’s the not knowing that kills me. That could be the sweetest, prettiest, kindest, most genuine person sitting there, asking for a few coins outside of my favorite cafe, or it could have been a con artist. I sat inside the comfy, warm cafe atmosphere the shelter provided was, and I got really upset because we have it so good and easy, and they are living on the outside chairs of a cafe. So if we are so fortunate, why was that women denied so many times in just a few minutes?

This is all I ask of you: If you ever see someone on the side of the road, homeless, and they ask for money for food, don't give them money, but if you have a snack, offer it to them. If you don't have anything, or you just don't like that idea, direct them to the nearest soup kitchen or church. Keep your money for donations to organizations for decreasing poverty in your community. Just, whatever you do, don't forget how easy we have it, okay?