Today as I was waiting for the bus, I saw a homeless man on a wheelchair trying to cross the street. As he was pushing his chair with one leg, many people walk passed him not giving him a second glance. The man was struggling to get across but his wheelchair was not cooperating. The light turn red and the cars were getting impatient to drive on that they went around him. At one point, a metro bus when right passed him that I taught he had hit him. I was shocked and frozen still unable to see the man. Finally the bus went by and I saw the man still struggling to get across. As he was approaching the sidewalk, a young man stopped the cars from moving, grabbed the chair and pushed the man to safety. What had prevented all those folks from helping this poor man?
I started to thing about times when I could have been helpful to a stranger, and many times I would thing twice before acting upon those feelings. For the most part, that “should I or shouldn’t I” thought would play in my head with the maybe not prevailing. . In all this I could only thing: Where is our compassion for humanity?
That is why Sociology is our major. WE like to help others but not everyone is like that. Most people are selfish and do not like to go out of their way to help others, but it makes me feel so good when I can give change to the poor when they ask for it...sometimes i don't have change and i feel bad because i feel like they think that i don't want to give money on purpose. Anyway, I wish more people would have more compassion.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason that many people don't bother to help anyone in need, like what happen with that man crossing the street in a wheel chair is that we are either in a rush, or we figure that someone else will help him. Sometimes i wonder are we a society with no compassion for anyone, are we so caught up in our own lives that we don't have time to stop for just one minute to help someone in need.
ReplyDeleteI have helped a woman in front of a churchs chicken in south los angeles by my house. I go there all the time so I see the activity at least 3 times per week. She asked me for some money to feed her starving children since it was only the 28th of the month, she would get her check on the first of the next month to feed her hungry kids. I gave her my last few dollars. She took it glaadly, told me "god will bless you sister" and went about her merry way. The very next week, after the first of the month, the same lady gave me the same story only she changed the date to the 15the of the month! That time I gave her nothing because I then realized it was a lie! Not all are like that however it did put a bad taste in my mouth!!!
ReplyDeletethere was a man asking for money on the freeway exit the other day. when he came up to my window and i gave him a buck and i was friendly but i noticed that his eyes were super red and i thought in the back of my head 'o great he's f*cked up and gonna use this to go drink or drug or something'
ReplyDeleteso then, as if he was answering some unasked question ..he started to tell me how he lost his job..and a sob started to escape from him but he choked it back. then, when he told me how embarrased he was to be begging for money he couldn't contain his raw emotion any longer. there we were on the side of the freeway-this man sobbing ..and me struggling to find the right words to provide him with some comfort or hope. it's incredible how quickly things changed in those few minutes before the light turned green. i drove off and i cried-for that man, for his situation, for the raw emotion he showed and the love and support he sought in a stranger on the side of the freeway. i cried for the snap judgement i made and how perfectly, how clearly he showed me the truth without ever knowing what crossed my mind. isn't life a trip?
We all have compassion for humanity, except we don't have time to smell the roses. I took time to volunteer at retirement home. Where senior citizens sat in their wheelchairs all day staring out the windows. These are the forgotten ones. It helps me apppreciate life. Giving back is very important!!!
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